Cylindrical Drill Holes at Karnak Show Evidence of Advanced Technology. Cord or cylindrical drilled holes around 8 inches in diameter are found throughout the temple No one knows why, how, or when they were created Mainstream Egyptologists believe bow drills with copper tubes and sand were used, but experiments have only semi-proven this theory
Cylindrical drill holes of significant diameter are found throughout Karnak temple. Mainstream Egyptologists believe bow drills with copper tubes and sand were used, a technique partially supported by experimental replication. Features show rotary drilling, and Sir Flinders Petrie documented the mechanical precision involved in such work.
Key Facts
- Cord or cylindrical drilled holes around 8 inches in diameter are found throughout the temple
- No one knows why, how, or when they were created
- Mainstream Egyptologists believe bow drills with copper tubes and sand were used, but experiments have only semi-proven this theory
- Evidence within the holes suggests advanced technologies: spiral striations, consistent diameters, feed rate markings
- Features show rotary style drilling with high torque, a technique Sir Flinders Petrie said shows mechanical action we cannot now reproduce
Related site: Karnak Temple Complex — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: I Took a Sleeper Train to the Largest Temple in Egypt by Wandering Wolf