How the Ancient Egyptians Perfected Natural Stone Flooring

How the Ancient Egyptians Perfected Natural Stone Flooring

Work Like an Egyptian

Installing and maintaining natural stone flooring requires great care today, and it was no different in ancient times when the Egyptian perfected it. All of the great temples and elaborate tombs that stand today were made of natural stone, including limestone and granite, and no other culture prior to the Egyptians fine-tuned the art of stonework so beautifully.

While there are remnants of stonework dating back 10,000 years, Egyptian stonework is the most advanced and most intact example of stonework still standing. There’s still some mystery surrounding how Egyptian workers and architects moved and placed stones so large so precisely. However, their work set a precedent for excellence that resulted in today’s natural stone flooring.

Written In Stone

Prior to the time of Djoser, the Pharaoh responsible for initiating the construction of the first Egyptian pyramid around 2780 BCE, there was no culture, architect or ruler who built a structure anywhere near as large or advanced as the pyramids. Or rather, if there was, no structure survived the trials of time. There were possibly, but not definitely, earlier cultures in South America and the Middle East who built structures similar or equal to what remains from Ancient Egypt. The Greeks, Romans and Mayans would build impressive stonework of their own shortly (sometimes, hundreds of years) after the Egyptians, with the construction of many marble buildings in Rome, the Parthenon in Greece, and the stopped pyramids in modern-day Mexico.. The pyramids and temples of Egypt, however, still stand as one of the earliest examples of natural stone flooring in existence.

Rocking the Ancient World

The Egyptians may not have recorded their stonework and architectural methods for future generations, but the pyramids contain vital clues suggesting how the Ancient Egyptians accomplished such amazing natural stone flooring and building without electromechanical aid.

Part of this advanced methodology was likely developed by using ramps. The stone of choice for the Ancient Egyptians was typically limestone, quarried and transported wherever it was needed, often in blocks weighing more than a ton. However, the natural stone that Ancient Egyptians used for the burial chamber of the walls inside the Great Pyramid of Giza was granite. Pharaoh Khufu, for whom the Great Pyramid was built, had the granite transported from Aswan, many miles to the south, and used to form the floor, walls and sarcophagus that would house him for eternity.

Laying the Groundwork

The Egyptians accomplished this natural stonework without the aid of wheels or iron tools, typically relying on stone copper implements to do their work. While the ramp theory is a strong and likely one, it is still just a theory, and the Ancient Egyptians’ secrets remain interred within their bones. Whatever their methods, the result was a series of monuments to their culture that survive and fascinate historians to this day. The natural stone flooring JC Marble helps maintain is directly descended from the work of the Ancient Egyptians, who set a course for design and architectural excellence that resonates with creative architects and craftspeople now.