Ancient Acoustic Carving: Did the Ancient Sculptors Use Sound to Shape Stone?

Electromagnetism, combustion, compressed air; these are the technological staples which we use to process and move large masses of stone and other materials in modern times. Compressed air or pneumatics, in particular, has been used to create huge mega-sculptures such as Mount Rushmore and Stone Mountain monument in Decatur, Georgia. But even with these tools, it still took modern artists well over a decade to complete these projects. What tools did ancient peoples create to assist them in their great sculptures such as the Great Sphinx, the Moai of Easter Island, and the Colossi of Memnon? Could acoustics have served this purpose. On this channel, we’ve looked at the possibility of a powerful sonic technology in ancient times as implied in legends and anecdotal accounts passed down from those eras. And we’ve seen some hints as how that might work at least on a smaller scale. But if the ancients did have a sonic technology that was powerful enough to lift and/or propel multi-ton blocks over the Earth’s surface, then is it also reasonable to speculate that that same power would have been employed to cut and sculpt stone as well? Were huge tuning forks and other vibratory devices used for this purpose? Garrett Sutton, BME