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'''Joseph Davidovits''' (born 1935) is a [[France|French]] materials scientist |
'''Joseph Davidovits''' (born 1935) is a [[France|French]] materials scientist known for the invention of [[geopolymer]] chemistry. He posited that the blocks of the [[Great Pyramid of Giza|Great Pyramid]] are not carved stone but mostly a form of limestone [[concrete]] or man-made stone. He holds the [[Ordre National du Mérite]], is the author and co-author of hundreds of scientific papers and conferences reports, and holds more than fifty patents. He is a member of several [[scientific societies]] like [[American Chemical Society]], [[American Ceramic Society]], [[American Concrete Institute]], [[New York Academy of Sciences]] and [[International Association of Egyptologists]]. |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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He is the author and co-author of numerous publications including 50 patents issued and granted related to research dedicated to applied [[solid-state chemistry]], geopolymeric materials.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidovits.info/|title =Extended Biography}}</ref> |
He is the author and co-author of numerous publications including 50 patents issued and granted related to research dedicated to applied [[solid-state chemistry]], geopolymeric materials.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidovits.info/|title =Extended Biography}}</ref> |
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* ''1958:'' Diplome d’Ingénieur-Chimiste, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, Rennes, France (Chemical-Engineer); |
* ''1958:'' Diplome d’Ingénieur-Chimiste, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, Rennes, France (Chemical-Engineer); |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.davidovits.info/ Davidovits Biography] |
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* [http://www.geopolymer.org/ The Geopolymer Institute] |
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===Pro-Davidovits=== |
===Pro-Davidovits=== |
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Revision as of 19:19, 5 February 2013
Joseph Davidovits (born 1935) is a French materials scientist known for the invention of geopolymer chemistry. He posited that the blocks of the Great Pyramid are not carved stone but mostly a form of limestone concrete or man-made stone. He holds the Ordre National du Mérite, is the author and co-author of hundreds of scientific papers and conferences reports, and holds more than fifty patents. He is a member of several scientific societies like American Chemical Society, American Ceramic Society, American Concrete Institute, New York Academy of Sciences and International Association of Egyptologists.
Career
He is the author and co-author of numerous publications including 50 patents issued and granted related to research dedicated to applied solid-state chemistry, geopolymeric materials.[1]
- 1958: Diplome d’Ingénieur-Chimiste, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, Rennes, France (Chemical-Engineer);
- 1960: Dr. rer. nat in macromolecular chemistry, University of Mainz, Germany (PhD);
- From 1962 to 1972: 10 years dedicated to research and developments dealing with organic polymers, which resulted in 19 publications involving the chemistry of polyurethane, textile synthetic fibers, biological membranes and collagen;
- 1964: Annual Award from the French Textile Chemical Society for works performed on linear organic polymers.
In 1972, in the aftermath of various catastrophic fires in France in 1970 involving inflammable organic plastics, he decided to carry out research into new heat-resistant materials. Creation of the French private Research Company Cordi (SA) (called later Cordi-Géopolymère SARL) (family owned company). From 1972 until 1979, all publications related to this 7 year long research on alumino-silicate solid-state chemistry are pertaining to the patent literature. The geopolymer concept was created and published in 1979, together with the foundation of the non-profit organization Geopolymer Institute.[2] Numerous publications are disclosing 20 years of research and developments carried out in Europe and in USA on the applications of geopolymer solid-state chemistry, with major breakthroughs in high-tech composite materials, cement-technology (geopolymer cement) and the containment of radioactive and other hazardous waste.
In 1983 he was appointed Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Barry University, Miami, Florida, and there he founded the Institute for Applied Archaeological Sciences (IAPAS). The IAPAS is established to study worthwhile ancient technology and advance the clarity of ancient history. The main focus has been on researching ancient cements in order to understand their long-term durability and test their performance of their modern counterparts (the said Geopolymer cement) for toxic and radioactive wastes containment. Several publications and various books including the Book of Stone, The Pyramids: an Enigma Solved (New York 1988) are dealing with this topic related to archaeometry and archaeology.
From 1983 to 1989: with the American major cement manufacturer Lone Star Industries, Inc., USA. Development of geopolymer cement and blended cements (PYRAMENT).[3]
In 1989 he was appointed Visiting Professor in solid-state chemistry, at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), where he worked with the Materials Research Laboratory MRL. There he began research dedicated to the problem of Global Climate Warming, about 7 to 10% of which is due to carbon dioxide emissions during cement manufacture.[4][5] See the article Geopolymer cement.
Since 1991, he has been on sabbatical leave from university teaching and devote himself to the projects listed below.
1994: Gold Ribbon Award from NASTS, for most significant real advances in Materials Research of the last decade, from the National Association for Science, Technology and Society (NASTS), and the Federation of Materials Societies, USA. The award was presented on September 26, 1994, at the National Press Club, Washington DC.[6]
Past decade and presently
- President of the Geopolymer Institute, France, a non-profit international scientific society, dedicated to scientific research on ancient technologies (archaeology) and modern geopolymer technologies with international institutions;
- Board of Cordi-Géopolymère Sarl, and Pyromeral Systems SA, France, family owned holding company, dedicated to promoting new business opportunities with geopolymer technologies (composites for aeronautic, automobile, nuclear power plants, industries, cements, concretes, waste management, etc.), patents and trade marks;
- Working on archaeology: writing books, Ils ont bâti les pyramides (Paris, 2002), La Nouvelle Histoire des Pyramides (Paris, 2004), La Bible avait raison (Paris, 2005 Vol. 1, 2006 Vol. 2) ; participating to TV documentaries, the Ari-Kat Saga (2004) produced by Relevant-Television;
- Principal Coordinator of the European industrial research program GEOCISTEM, funded by the European Union (BRITE-EURAM program, 1994-1997), dedicated to the industrial implementation of his new cements for the containment of hazardous and radioactive wastes and the rehabilitation of severely polluted mining and chemical sites, in Eastern Europe, and also to mitigate global warming;
- Working on the industrial research project Geo-Composites funded by the Federal Aviation Administration, F.A.A. (in collaboration with Rutgers University). The project is dedicated to the development of fire-resistant geopolymeric composite materials for aircraft cabin;[7]
- Working on the industrial research project Geo-Structures, supported by several US institutions, which is dedicated to the development of geopolymeric composite materials for the repair and retrofit of infrastructures and buildings in earth-quake and hurricane prone areas
- Working on several industrial research projects, which are dedicated to the development of new cements for newly-industrialized countries, such as South America, South-East Asia, China, etc.;
- Appointed Honorary Professor of Xian University of Architecture (most famous Chinese institution in architecture and building technology): geopolymer cement and archaeology (Sept. 1999);
- Former Consultant (expert) to the European Union Commission. Research Directorate at Brussels, for the key-action "Cultural Heritage";
- Scientific Consultant to the European research project GEOASH, funded by the European Union (RFCS COAL RTD PROGRAMME, RFC-CR-04005, 2005-2007) "Understanding and mastering coal fired ashes geopolymerization process in order to turn potential into profit";
- Chairman of the GEOPOLYMER 2005 World Congress;[8]
2008: Chair of Special Session Geopolymer, 2nd World Congress on Ceramics Verona, Italy;[9]
- Chair of the annual conference GEOPOLYMER CAMP (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) dedicated to geopolymer science and technologies.[10]
Archaeological theories
Davidovits was not convinced that the ancient Egyptians possessed the tools or technology to carve and haul the huge (2.5 to 15 ton) limestone blocks that made up the Great Pyramid. Davidovits suggested that the blocks were molded in place by using a form of limestone concrete. According to his theory, a soft limestone with a high kaolinite content was quarried in the wadi on the south of the Giza plateau. It was then dissolved in large, Nile-fed pools until it became a watery slurry. Lime (found in the ash of ancient cooking fires) and natron (also used by the Egyptians in mummification) was mixed in. The pools were then left to evaporate, leaving behind a moist, clay-like mixture. This wet "concrete" would be carried to the construction site where it would be packed into reusable wooden molds. In the next few days the mixture would undergo a chemical hydration reaction similar to the setting of cement.
Using Davidovits' theory, no large gangs would be needed to haul blocks and no huge and unwieldy ramps would be needed to transport the blocks up the side of the pyramid. No chiseling or carving with soft bronze tools would be required to dress their surfaces and new blocks could be cast in place, on top of and pressed against the old blocks. This would account for the unerring precision of the joints of the casing stones (the blocks of the core show tools marks and were cut with much lower tolerances). Proof-of-concept experiments using similar compounds were carried out at Davidovit's geopolymer institute in northern France. It was found that a crew of ten, working with simple hand tools, could build a structure of fourteen, 1.3 to 4.5 ton blocks in a couple of days. According to Davidovits the architects possessed at least two concrete formulas: one for the large structural blocks and another for the white casing stones. He argues earlier pyramids, brick structures, and stone vases were built using similar techniques.
Although his ideas are not accepted by mainstream Egyptologists, in December 2006 Michel Barsoum, Adrish Ganguly, and Gilles Hug published a peer-reviewed paper in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society stating that parts of the pyramid were cast with a type of limestone concrete.[11] Dipayan Jana, a petrographer, made a presentation to the ICMA (International Cement Microscopy Association) in 2007[12] and gave a paper[13] in which he concludes "we are far from accepting even as a remote possibility of a 'manmade' origin of pyramid stones."
Summary of evidence
Davidovits cites primarily evidence related to his profession as a materials scientist, re-interpreting the observations of conventional Egyptology within this light. Briefly, his points include:
- The thin layer of 'mortar' found at the top of casing blocks is actually the result of settling and water percolating to the top of the block while drying; the layer found would be too weak to bind the massive blocks together
- The humidity inside the pyramids is much higher than would be expected in a desert environment; this is caused by the moisture released into the halls and galleries while the blocks cure
- The arrangement of fossils within the blocks is jumbled, rather than stratified, pointing to the blocks being crushed, then poured while casting rather than deposited in layers as would conventional sedimentary rock
- Certain blocks have elongated air pockets, caused by the cement hardening while air bubbles were in the process of rising to the top
- Ancient descriptions of the pyramids being built featured the use of short blocks of wood, conventionally seen as levers or cranes; Davidovits suggests their use as frames to mold the blocks
- Lines were also found on the blocks; the lines are wavy (characteristic of most types of concrete) and not horizontal (characteristic of natural limestone)
See also
Sources
Books
- Davidovits, Joseph (1988). The Pyramids: An Enigma Solved. New York: Dorset Press.
{{cite book}}
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ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - Davidovits, Joseph (1983). Alchemy and the Pyramids. Saint Quentin, France: Geopolymer Institute.
- Davidovits, Joseph (2002). Ils ont Bâti les Pyramides: Les Prouesses Technologiques des Anciens Egyptiens. Paris: J.-C. Godefroy.
- Davidovits, Joseph (2005). La Bible avait raison, Tome 1: L’archéologie révèle l’existence des Hébreux en Égypte. Paris: J.-C. Godefroy.
- Davidovits, Joseph (2006). La Bible avait raison, Tome 2: sur les traces de Moïse et de l’Exode. Paris: J.-C. Godefroy.
- Davidovits, Joseph (2006). La nouvelle histoire des pyramides. Paris: J.-C. Godefroy.
- Davidovits, Joseph (2008). Geopolymer Chemistry and Applications. Saint Quentin, France: Geopolymer Institute.
- Davidovits, Joseph (2009). De cette fresque naquit la Bible. Paris: J.-C. Godefroy.
- Davidovits, Joseph (2009). Why the Pharaohs Built the Pyramids with Fake Stones. Saint Quentin, France: Geopolymer Institute.
References
- ^ "Extended Biography".
- ^ http://www.geopolymer.org
- ^ Lone Star Unveils a Cement it Likens to Great Pyramids, Robin G. Blumenthal, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, page B4, Oct. 28, 1988, New York.
- ^ Davidovits, J. (1993), Carbon-Dioxide Greenhouse-Warming: What Future for Portland Cement, Emerging Technologies Symposium on Cements and Concretes in the Global Environment.
- ^ Pearce Fred, The concrete jungle overheats, New Scientist, issue 2091 (19 July 1997), page 14); http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15520912.200-the-concrete-jungle-overheats.htm
- ^ See at http://www.geopolymer.org/category/library/technical-papers , article in pdf #3: GEOPOLYMERS Inorganic polymeric new materials, NASTS award 1994 Presentation at the national "Real Advances in Materials" Symposium, Washington DC, Sept. 26,1994 GEOPOLYMERS: Inorganic polymeric new materials by Joseph Davidovits published in Journal of Materials Education, Vol. 16 (2,3), pp. 91-138 (1994)
- ^ http://www.geopolymer.org/applications/geo-composite
- ^ http://www.amazon.fr/Geopolymer-2005-Proceedings-Sustainable-Development/dp/2951482000
- ^ http://vimeo.com/1657543
- ^ http://www.geopolymer.org/camp
- ^ yubanet.com "Concrete Blocks Used in Great Pyramids Construction" Drexel University
- ^ http://www.cmc-concrete.com/CMC%20Seminars/2007%20ICMA%20Pyramid.pdf The Egyptian Pyramid Enigma - large pdf file
- ^ http://www.cmc-concrete.com/CMC%20Publications/2007,%20The%20Great%20Pyramid%20Debate,%2029th%20ICMA.pdf The Great Pyramid Debate: Evidence from Detailed Petrographic Examinations of Casing Stones from the Great Pyramid of Khufu, a Natural Limestone from Tura, and a Man-Made (Geopolymeric) Limestone, Proceedings of the 29th Conference on Cement Microscopy, International Cement Microscopy Association, Quebec City, Canada, May 2007 - another large pdf file
External links
Pro-Davidovits
- Are Pyramids Made Out of Concrete?
- Concrete Blocks Used in Great Pyramids Construction
- The Surprising Truth Behind the Construction of the Great Pyramids