Getting an obelisk upright

Queen Hatshepsut was responsible for the obelisks that once stood in front of the temple.

Obelisks are tall, slightly tapering, pencil-shaped blocks of stone. They were hewn from the rock in one piece and floated down the Nile on rafts. They were then put on rollers and moved to the temple. A huge pit was dug to take the base.

But how did the ancient Egyptians get the obelisks upright and the bottom into the pit.

Place a pencil in a tray of sand. Make a hole for the base. Now see if you can work out how to get the obelisk upright. You can use cotton for ropes. You will need to make an frame from straws and place it next to the obelisk. This will give you the height you need to pull the obelisk upright. Now pull the 'ropes' over the frame.