Students to test theory on how Egyptians built the pyramids

Pasadena Star

Silk kites and beer will be the tools of choice for Cal Poly Pomona students as they try to build a pyramid.

Architecture students in the cement and masonry structure class will construct a 106-ton pyramid without modern tools.

Instead, they will use a technique that could have been used by ancient Egyptians.

Maureen Clemmons, president of the management consulting practice Transformations, explained the theory during an introduction to the course Thursday.

Cal Poly Pomona will be one of several colleges helping Clemmons research the theory. The class of 100 will use her seven years of scaled testing to figure out if building at a large scale would be feasible.

"How can you turn the opportunity away?" said Gary McGavin, associate professor of architecture at Cal Poly Pomona and instructor of the cement and masonry class.

Clemmons proposed the idea that a smaller work force and innovative use of available resources made making the massive Egyptian monuments easier than once believed.

In her research, Clemmons claimed that hieroglyphics show ancient Egyptians using their sailing knowledge to harness and use wind in their favor.