Coral Castle

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Ancient History. Fact or Fiction?

Coral Castle should be a straightforward story of an enterprising man using simple technology to build a collection of big stone structures out of coral block.

Instead it illustrates only too well that many people revert immediately to 'magical' thinking to explain anything they do not understand.

Because they do not understand the lifting technology available in the first half of the 2oth century, they assume that it could not have been done using known technology, and therefore must have been done using some secret knowledge that contradicts every physical observation of the world around them.

Simple block and tackle has been used for centuries to lift heavy weights, but above a mechanical advantage of 8:1 the friction in the pulley blocks prevents any increase in mechanical efficiency.

The chain hoist overcomes this limitation by using a larger pulley pulled by a hand chain to turn a small pulley that operates the block and tackle of the heavier lifting chain.

The hand chain can be dispensed with and the power provided by other mechanical means.

Three poles, fixed at the top, hold the chain gear and transmit the forces straight through the poles to the ground.

A chain hoist powered by an electric motor can be run from a generator. In the 20s and 30s generators were often directly driven by an old vehicle engine and could provide more than enough power.

There should be no doubt that this was how the structures were lifted into place because we have pictures from the Coral castle site of Ed at work lifting heavy stone. Compare the size of the top pulleys with Ed's head. These are larger, and not the same as Anthony's photographs. In Ed at work he is definitely using a hand operated chain hoist. Note the small size hand chain and the much heavier lifting chain. Note how the extra smaller hand chain hangs in unattached loops, ready to be pulled through the driving sprocket wheel.

Notice that he is also using a smaller block and tackle, right at the top of the shear legs, to lift the chain hoist into place.

In this second picture - Ed lifting coral - Note again from comparing the size of Ed's head, that he this time using much more substantial shear legs with cross bracing.

Note well that the lifting chains are all tight as they lift the load, but also note that there is no hand chain!

Again right at the top we have a hoist for lifting the main gear into place - it is also substantial in size - compare again with Ed's head. This is not the same gear as in the previous photo, so Ed is using a variety of types of lifting gear.

This is what he is using in the second picture:

A motorized heavy duty hoist!

Sensible man!

A modern version of the same.

It is also easy to lift and move heavy blocks sideways by joining two groups of shearlegs with further thick pole to take the thrust between the two. Using the two lifting chain hoists it is easy to move a block and place it with precision. The animated gif that shows this:

At the Coral Castle today various block and tackle hang on the wall, but these are not the chain hoists that Ed used in the photographs. Merely decoration for the tourists.

This pulley is a simple block and tackle, but it is not set up correctly for use. One of the vertical chains should be attached to the hub of the lower pulley, assuming this is a single pulley, or taken back to the top if the lower is a double pulley. If the first this has a mechanical advantage of 3 to 1.

Pulley 2 could be part of a chain hoist, but again it is not set up correctly either as a block and tackle or a chain hoist- it just has chains draped over it. You can estimate the size from the coil of barbed wire behind it - barbs are usually about 1/2 inch long max.

It is a pity when the same 'magical' thinking is applied to explain ancient history, because it obscures the evidence that is pointing to a much more ancient and technological origin for civilisation. No magic is required, no antigravity machines. Just the simple application of the laws of physics.

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Paul Hai

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Hello Peter, good to see that commonsense still prevails in parts of the world. My own work about lifting blocks of stone is in a book called Raising Stone 1 - Paul Hai's Racks & Pinions Theory. You may be interested in this work. Cheers for now, Paul Hai www.haitheory.com How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Jeff Plamenig

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See! No mysticism, no gravitational experiments, or telekinesis just simple science and a lot of hard work. Makes perfect sense to me. Sure goes a long way to explaining how ancient people were able to construct even larger stone monuments. Alien assistance my ass How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Paul Hai

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Ed told people that he knew how ancient Egyptians built their Pyramids, but Ed kept this knowledge to himself because he never told anyone. My approach is to tell people about my discovery of the ancient Egyptian pinion-pulley which walked its load up (or down) Pyramid steps ... consider the three-wheeled step trolley as an analogy ... only steps are required (no ramps). The Pyramids at Giza were all stepped, until the final cladding was finally added. The ancient Egyptian pinion-pulley has a mechanical advantage of 2.8 also, which is very efficient. This pulley was lost to the modern world until 2006. There are about one hundred of its components existing via excavations in Egypt. This pulley "surrounds" its load with four wooden lobed components which also form a complete rope drum. If Ed did know of this, it would have been to his great advantage. I have donated a copy of "RAISING STONE 1: Paul Hai's Racks & Pinions Theory" to the HOMESTEAD PUBLIC LIBRARY, ... Ed's part of Florida. Best Regards, Paul Hai (mechanical fitter, Queensland, Australia How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Alan Wilson

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The tops of the lifting towers must have been visible quite a distance from the Castle. It would be feasible for someone to be able to observe the upper parts of towers without been seen by Ed. I would be interested to know if there are any such witness accounts How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Reed

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So his pulley system had a 3 to 1 mechanical advantage. Let's assume that humongous rock in the picture only weighs 3000 pounds. Ed would have to to weigh 1000 pounds to lift that block, but he only weighed 100 pounds. I think you guys need to head back to the drawing board How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Peter

Chain hoists are available with mechanical advantage up to 250 and able to lift 40 tons. The one in the picture is huge as chain hoists go - so probably 40 tons lift How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Will

Instead of dragging the blocks on the ground from thhe quarry to the site, would it have made more sense for the acncient builders to alternate moving the block and moving the shear legs? Or perhaps a series of shear legs in a row. How about just walking one set of shear legs once it is loaded? Would it be possible to shift the weight of the block towoards one leg, then rotate the tripod forwards, place the forward leg down, then repeat. If there were men handling guidlines off the top of the tripod perhaps it could be managed. I could be mistaken but I think I heard that the legend of the building of stonehenge is that the huge blocks were "walked" accross the countryside. Or perhaps I am confusing stonehendge with Easter Island How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Luca M

In the second picture there's a box on the top. What's that How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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digitaldavinci

*****

I think were all too quick to want a solid answer but there are some obvious problem with the hoist story. If the stones were so heavy Ed needed a lift to move them, how did he get the chain around the stone in the first place in a manner capable of lifting them? in the lower photo, a strap or chain runs around the whole stone so it can be lifted. How did he get this done if he needed a hoist to lift the blocks which doesnt even move them to the side. Seems like the hoist solution needs an equally complex solution just to get it hooked up. Also why would he go to all the effort to move the whole castle many miles away because of what he claimed to be an 'energy' / location problem? Also he wrote a journal called Magnetic Current which explains some easy to preform prove it for yourself magnetic experiments anyone can do. His work in this overturns the conventional understanding of magnetics as we know it. I highly recommend locating a copy and checking it out. Im struck by how often 'science' is resisting change to its 'laws' when its supposed to be a tool of discovery and greater understanding in a world where a major constant is change. resistance to change in an institution or organism generally represents an act of preservation or survival of sorts. Who can benefit from a science so rigid that it makes itself obsolete? Who is willing to check out the not so easy to believe solutions? In the very least, Ed proves to us that unbelievable things can be done by anyone who puts their heart into it How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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generally a pry bar is used with a stump as fulcrum the stone is lifted and a stave inserted crating space for a strap How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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John Rogers

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Hello Peter: An Army Core of Engineers office who visited the Coral Castle site after Ed's death wanted to know how Ed was able to carve underneath the huge stones before lifting them out of the hole they were carved from? This engineer stated that this feat would be impossible for one man working alone considering that Ed would need to be underneath the stone to carve it out. Neat trick. Maybe you know how Ed did this Peter? Thanx John Rogers How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Matt Polston

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I'm wondering with this 100lb 5' man. how did he even get the tripod up? and move it around? I think he did figure something out with his magnetic motor. sometimes I wonder how he got the stones out, how he got the stone roof on his house when "seen in the picture" the tripod ain't tall enough to lift it on there. then I think how did he even get his tripod up..........something to think about. Matt in Missouri How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Matt Polston

search for pictures on coral castle find the one where the tripod is set up near his house. notice how his tripod is barely taller than his house. how did he get the roof on his house? How did he move his tripod around? he always worked alone from what we know. Matt in Missouri How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Cris Bookout

Curious if anyone out there might know the answer to timing of coral castle and the writing of magnetic current. Is it possible after finishing his castle in 1928 and moving it in 1938, that he had to find something else to work on and this is when he started working on magnetism? Magnetic current was copyrighted in 1945. Did he transfer his time and energy from building his castle to experimenting with magnetism? Is there any evidence that he claimed to have moved anything with magnetism? He stated, as far as I can tell, to have discovered the ancient, PRIMITIVE ways of building and moving heavy, large objects. How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Kyle in MI

One thing to remember before claiming things are 'magic' or something along those lines... just because you can't understand how he did things doesn't mean he couldn't have done them via normal means. I doubt most people understand the physics behind wireless communication or even computers, that doesn't mean they are magic. I'm sure Ed had a very good grasp on mechanical physics and after a lot of experimentation he was able to create this masterpiece. I doubt there is any magnetism or electricity used for the construction of coral castle, but Ed did have some interesting items in his tool shed. Bottles with copper windings, radio transmitters... curious what he used them for, or if they are just for show or possibly for his experiments. As for him only weighing 100 lbs and being able to do this all alone, it just shows you what mechanical advantage can do for you, not that he had some sort of undiscovered technology. With the amount of research that goes into anti-gravity via magnetics and electricity, I'm sure we would have stumbled across something by now How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Paldin

The definition of magic (paraphrased) is "Any technology that is sufficiently advanced enough for us to be unable to explain it". An electric motor is magical to a child, as are moving picture films. For those not familiar with chemistry and physics, a gun is a magical killing device as well. We all know these things work, but he have a basic understanding of why or how so they aren't exactly magical. When faced with something bizarre though, like Ed's Castle, we find ourselves at a loss to begin and simply call it magic without any additional explanation How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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djkrugger

*****

It's interesting that there seems to be a a different theory about the construction of Giza, yet there's no clue what was its purpose. If it was a tomb for Khufu why he wasn't inside?? and its name is not written on it?? just imagine, death was something big for Egyptians, the step to another life, why there where no inscriptions no ornaments nothing at all!! Either the pyramid was built long before the known Egyptians or its purpose was something more technical in nature How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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higherground012 -at- gmail.com

It was the Easter Island statues. Aku Aku by Thor Heyerdahl How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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quark

*****

I wish a group of people versed in all this mechanical advantage engineering would go out and give this a shot. Build your 3 legged phone pole tripod, cut out a 30 ton rock with the dimensions just like Ed's biggest block, move it to a location and set it just like his is set. Oh and you have to do this at night time because he mostly worked at night. Also wouldn't the truck driver have noticed a huge tripod next to the truck when Ed was loading his pieces to move them? I thought I read he just stepped away for a few minutes and the blocks were loaded. I'm ready to go with the simple explanation of mechanical advantage...I just want to see someone other then Ed pull it off first. How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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susan

Leverage, gravity, with pulley system explains some. Please explain how the bottoms of the 25 to 80 ton rocks were cut...so they could be lifted out of the holes. Also, how did the 25 to 80 ton rocks get lifted when they were flat in a hole...rock on all sides of them ? There were no machines, hydraulics, mechanical pulleys, with heavy duty chain systems....where there...or am I missing something ? Dimensions of the Great Pyramid that can not, nor has not been duplicated...with almost flawless precision...explain that, please. This question goes for all the massive structures within the 30 degrees north to the 30 degrees south latitude, around the earth...where all was built during the Bronze age. As well as the top of a mountain sheered off for a "landing strip" (it appears How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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susan

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Rmarley

*****

I doubt many people believe that Aliens came down and gave ED the technology he needed to complete this massive undertaking, and yes lifting technology of the day can explain and even prove this as possible. The issues with Coral Castle are not did the technology exist to complete such a project, the issues are with the know facts of how ED accomplished the task. Hoist, pulley's, motor's all could do the job. However, it is well documented that ED worked alone and at night. How did ED manage to cut the stone's? Erect he massive A-Frames needed, Move the Stones, and place them? ED was short, small in stature, and was approx 100lbs. To do what he did alone, at night, with little light, no heavy machinery, and with such elusiveness that no one could figure out how he managed is a mystery. Even if you agree that he used common technology know at that time ED would have had to Erect MANY A-Frames to by himself, Beams weight in the hundreds of pounds, so he would need an A-Frame just to construct his finale A-frame. Then he had to move the stones by himself weighting tons, but only after Cutting them. Coral isnt a tough stone like granite or basalt but as a solo project cutting one is not easy, lifting it with out scissor clamp marks or damage is again a very hard thing to take in solo for his time frame. Ed, expressed he knew the secrets of the Egyptians. Ed Made many documented statements about magnetism and gravity being one in the some, which current scientific theory is leaning toward. Ed also had a large electromagnetic generator in his basement. If you agree with the A-frame theory and you find it doable why not try it by your self? Lift a simple 2ton car, with out damage and with it being flat to the ground and with less than 1 inch of pace on 1 width and length side. I doubt you will succeed. But even then, What is in the box above the A-Frame? It is in every Picture yet its purpose? I have heard batteries for the motor? Again why place them their and not on the ground? Why our they out of reach Above object where replacing would take days or at least tremendous work. The A-Frame concept doesnt work. The great pyramid to construct in 22 years would need 1 stone cut, transported, and placed every 9 seconds during those 22 years to complete a task even with all our technology today we could not do. Was it Aliens, secret knowledge, was he gifted and understood what today we cannot who knows. The point is the facts do not add up and it is a mystery we should understand and learn how it happened. It is not open and closed with and A-Frame How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Jon Ong

This is good and all but unless the coral castle be replicated i still say that this is just theory and not much proof just like the theory that there is knowledge of levitation through magnetic repulsion that the creator of coral castle used (that is NOT tantamount to alien intervention How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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danny

in order for me to believe that the pyramids and other huge structures were moved around with poles and ropes, i would definitely have to see it. Have you ever been to the pyramids? There is no way, no way no way no way that those blocks were moved with pulleys and poles. getting to see the pyramids in real life is what changed my mind. i'm not an ancient alien type of person, but being realistic... people need to understand that they do not know everything. there was obviously a different type of technology, or ways of doing things that have been forgotten. puma punku peru is a great example, and is also really interesting How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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joe

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so you can move heavy stones with a pulley.. great, what does that have to do with everything else that is involved here. how did this little man, quarry a 30 ton stone out of the ground without a power tool, then move it to its location, then carve it so precisely in according to the sun, moon and north star before he used his pulley to life it into place. how about the 5 ton stone gate that is perfectly balanced on a tiny rock, with a car axle thru the center of it (9feet tall), how did he drill thru it with precision without a power tool. what do you pulleys do for him now? please research all the information before you post some bs. i am sure NO magic or aliens were involved here, but why cant you skeptics face the fact that there is technology lost over hundreds/thousands of years. to think humans today know it all, is the reason why we cant figure out or replicate how these things we built. open your mind a bit and maybe the answers will be rediscovered How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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Frugal Mogul

One observation of my own, please. If Ed was meticulous about not permitting observers, why do we have these photos? And, subsequently, can we trust what we see in the photos How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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This is why religious people are stupid, and why religious belief is ridiculous. They try to suggest that magic is real. Magic is just the word given to a technology one does not yet understand. Religious texts are either entirely fictional, or they are describing encounters with extraterrestrials and their technology. Things are either mass, or energy, if they are neither, they don't exist. God does not exist in the sense that silly religious people think. Gods are either entirely fictional, or extraterrestrials. There is no 3rd possibility. There is no such thing as magic. / On the subject of Coral Castle, I admit it's an embarrassment for people to try and suggest Ed used "anti-gravity" or had help from Aliens. Some people just don't use their brains before talking. But I think it's fairly likely he used some kind of magnetic motor to assist in lifting those stones. There's no way he used his own muscles to lift those stones How useful is this message about coralcastle coralcastle?

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