How did the ancients move the Trilithons in Baalbek?
And I was hoping to get some theories that don’t involve…what my Google results suggest; i.e. no Aliens, psychic levitation, sonic projectors, etc…
I don’t have cites to document this, but I would presume that the standard method for moving large and heavy objects in ancient times was used: multiple rollers. Cut large numbers of trees, roughly equal in diameter. Trim off limbs, branches, etc. Use lever and lots of brute strength to lever up large, heavy object enough to get a few rollers under it. Using ropes securely tied around it, move it forward onto rollers, add more rollers. As it moves forward, under brute strength of numerous towers, take rollers coming out from rear, bring to front, insert just in front of large, heavy object so that it moves forward onto them. Continue process until large, heavy object is where you want it. If LHO is desired to be in erect position, using levers, block and tackle, etc., powered by aforementioned large group exerting brute strength, to tilt it to upright position.
Slaves.
Warning: anecdotal answer.
When I was a child, the male members of my family moved a one bedroom house about 300 yards using only logs they cut and their own muscles.
I dodn’t remember how many bodies were involved, at least ten, likely more.
Most pushed while a few caught up the logs behind and brought them around to the front the whole process took a couple days.
What about actually placing the monolith? It’s placed like an enormous brick in the side of a temple…and it weighs ~800 tonnes.
All you have to do is slide it off. No more difficult than moving it.
I’m not familiar with this site, but various methods were used that all basically involved pushing. I know that, for instance, the Easter Islanders used sort of laddery-things built from wood as sleds to push stones, and they levered them into position gradually, lifting a few inches with the lever and then using stones to hold it in position. It’s basically just using whatever was available to ease the movement through manual labor.