<HTML>Anthony, sorry not to answer sooner but it seems there's been server problems at this board for the past couple of days.
Don't take my word. Talk to anyone who has quarried limestone and go figure.
There are many top feet of junk rock that first must go before anyone can get blocks from a limestone quarry. Nowadays this junk rock is salvaged for concrete and would be great for pyramid building. After getting rid of that 30 feet (compare to the height of the quarry walls at Giza!) or so of junk rock guys can get to work cutting blocks in a quarry with modern saws because they have gotten down to the harder stuff that won't break up when cut rock (Frank sees this harder underlayer today and thinks it matches what was above--no way!).
Ancient people didn't have power saws to cleanly slice up rock faces. Digging around and under a block means generating more waste than the size of the block itself depending how big the block is. Go figure relative to the average block size figure used, two and one half tons. That amounts to a lot of waste unless most blocks deeper in are much bigger. Remember - guys had to have room to stand in. The trenches they make all around a block are the height of the block itself.
Now go figure how much was not waste! Don't forget to compare the height of the quarry walls at Giza to the many feet of waste removed before block cutting can start. Don't forget to compare the known quarry sizes with more than two million pyramid blocks. JD and MM discuss these problems. Remember that with today's methods 30 to 50% waste is typical and today no trenches are made around blocks. Figure - top waste 30 feet or so; trenches increase waste by some large %; high breakage is unavoidable even today. JD and MM point out that Lehner measured the quarries at about the size of the GP. Where does Lehner or anyone pinpoint EXACT extra quarried places big enough that might compensate? Go figure.
A four to one failed rate from breakage is now normal. It's not enough for you to protest that it must've been otherise when the AEs quarried. You must say why ancient quarrying would be more efficient than today's best methods.
While you're at it, go figure how guys pipe concrete uphill to the pyramids from the quarries! Reality Check!
Sandy</HTML>
