BUILDING SITE DEVELOPMENT AND INSTALLATIONS - Ancient Building Technology - page 67

(c) h e operation of setting the casing block—i.e. whether these blocks were
set working from outside the face of the structure (as is normal), or
whether the blocks were set working from inside the face of the structure
(underhand setting).

Core and
casing

h ese individual issues are to be kept in mind in the following summary outline
of the dii culties in building true pyramids.
Without doubt the most straight forward way to build a pyramid is to build it
in a uniform operation, as a single whole from base to summit—i.e. to set the core
material and the facing material pari passu . h is procedure (as noted) is possible
and requires minimal site installations when the form of the monument is a stepped
pyramid, since it uses the mounting structure of the pyramid for both delivery
of the materials and for access by the builders. However when the designed form
of the pyramid is with continuous not stepped faces this is no longer possible
since the rising structure can no longer be used for delivery of materials. h ence
arises a basic conl ict!
Either it is accepted to divorce the construction of the casing from that of the
core, which procedure may result in considerable dii culty accrueing in the sub-
sequent (separate) construction of the casing; or, if the casing is constructed pari
passu with the core then the building programme expands greatly since special
(external) installations appear to be necessary ( viz ramps, steps, etc.) for carrying
out the project.
First considering the former alternative. It is possible by suitable adjustment
of the stepped structure to build the entire core of the pyramid without massive
installations, by levering blocks up the faces of the successive steps. h is is a con-
sumation devoutly to be wished for. However such a building programme then
leaves dii culties in applying the casing material to the standing core.
Here again there are two approaches. It may be just possible to set the casing
blocks by levering them up the exposed stepped faces of the standing core con-
struction. However if this procedure is adopted it enjoins that the casing blocks
are set quarry faced and thus their faces must be dressed in situ to the required
continuous bevel (e.g. ~ 52° to the horizontal). h is in turn means that some form
of scaf olding or other working platform must be installed over the entire face of
the pyramid to permit the in situ dressing. On the other hand if the casing blocks
are to be set i nely dressed, incorporating the bevel, then they cannot be levered
up since there is no stepped face for them to be levered.
[To this statement there is a hypothetical qualii cation. h e casing blocks might
be set with faces i nely dressed by being worked up the steps of the core masonry
if they could be set from the top downwards. h is, in fact, is what Herodotos
says (II.125) the guides told him was the procedure “h e upper portion of the