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On an Anthill in Aswan by Peter Tyson March 21, 1999 Today, the Aswan quarry where the NOVA team will attempt to raise a 25-ton obelisk—possibly as early as tomorrow—was as busy as an anthill. Here's a glimpse of what everyone was up to: 
This is the obelisk as it looked early this afternoon, lying
at the ready on the earthen ramp. Shortly after I took this
photo, team members and quarry laborers thronged about the
stone, fitting it with timber framing, lashing it with ropes,
and otherwise preparing it for the attempt to put it vertical.
The next time you see the obelisk as it appears
here—that is, alone and unadorned—it might be in
an upright position on its pedestal (inshallah, or God
willing, as the Egyptians say).
Henry Woodlock (foreground) and
Mark Whitby,
engineers with the British firm of Whitby Bird & Partners, sit
in the shade of the obelisk, reviewing every eventuality in
the upcoming attempt. Whitby, who will be in overall charge of
the rotation once it gets underway, told me he and Woodlock
are thinking hard about how to ensure that the obelisk comes
down square on its base, and how to deal with stretching in
the ropes that team members will use to control the monolith's
descent. But he added optimistically, "I think we've got quite
a bit covered."
Rick Brown puts the final touches on "the Hand of God," as he
and his son Wyle have dubbed the timber frame that will grip
the lower end of the obelisk, like a wooden hand, and play a
key role in tipping it down onto its base. The Browns, both
members of the Timber Framers Guild, have quietly assembled
the "Hand" all week in a special outdoor workshop near the
pedestal.
Rick Brown assured me his timber frame would be "worthless
without Iolo's lashing." He was just being modest, but Iolo
Roberts' rope tying will be critical to controlling the
obelisk's rotation. As the Browns fashioned their timber,
Roberts and his father
Owain spent
the week preparing numerous lengths of thick rope, which
they'll use to brake the obelisk's descent. Here, with the
help of some Egyptian laborers, Roberts ties one of hundreds
of knots he'll tie over the coming days.Continue Explore Ancient Egypt | Raising the Obelisk | Meet the Team Dispatches | Pyramids | E-Mail | Resources Classroom Resources | Site Map | Mysteries of the Nile Home Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated November 2000 |