As an exercise to illustrate the three-dimensional problems of constructing a pyramid you can build a model of your own. You will need the following materials:
Six pieces of three-quarter inch plywood or equivalent, and one bevel or set square.
* Cut the wood into triangles with the legs decreasing in size from nine to three inches (one inch less for each piece). There must be one exact right angle, but the [G 014/ hypotenuse] can be cut randomly (a straight edge is not necessary).
* Starting with the largest piece, build up the figure so that the steps are of equal width.
* Use the set square or bevel to check that the model is developing at an even pitch. If you have constructed your model correctly, the edges of the steps will be parallel and the [I 033 / hip line] (corner) will appear as a vertical line if you look at it straight on from the same level.
* Better still, you can cut up the wood into small cubes and try to reconstruct the previous model.
Now imagine this on a scale 86 times greater and you can
appreciate the great [I 047/ difficulty] faced by the ancient Egyptians.
