The tomb of Kheruef, numerically
From the plans of the Oriental Institute, The lengths and the volumes of the various parts of the complex can be calculated.
The lengths appearing in the table below have been calculated according to the plan. They served to determine the approximate volumes of rock excavated (in cubic metres).
| Dimensions (metres) | Volume (m³) |
| access ramp + vestibule (A1) : 11.30 × 3.25 × 5.40/2 = | 136 |
| entrance passageway (A2) : 3.80 × 1.60 × 5.40 = | 33 |
| east portico ("corridor" B1) : 20.00 × 1.60 × 5.40 = | 173 |
| east portico, space between columns (B2) : 17.30/2 × 1.60 × 5.40 = | 75 |
| courtyard C: 27.05 (average length N - S) × 22.70 × 5.40 = | 3,315 |
| first pillared hall (D) 24.30 × 11.90 × 5.40 = | 1,62 |
| second pillared hall (E) : 20.00 × 5.95 × 3.00 = | 357 |
| subterranean chambers (F) : | 234 |
| (13.00 + 12.50 + 16.20 + 34.60) × 1.60 × 1.60 + (8.90 × 2.70 × 1.60) = | |
| TOTAL = | 5,943 |
This number of 5943 cubic metres corresponds to the volume of natural stone; it should be adjusted slightly by the addition of the volume of the small lateral recesses of the west portico, and by subtraction of the volume of the columns in halls D and E, but it is a good approximation.
The mass of a quantity of stone is calculated by the formula mass = volume x index of density.
The density of the natural limestone varies from 2.6 to 2.75. For the siliceous limestone from the valley, 2.6 will be used.
Thus, a mass of 15,451 metric tonnes of rock must first be excavated, then transported.
With regard to the excavated rubble, there is a difference between the volume of natural rock and the real volume for disposal. The conversion between the two is made by use of a coefficient called profusion. This depends on the average size of the fragments, which is estimated here as 1.3.
The volume to dispose of is therefore of 5,943 x 1.3 = 7,725 cubic meters.
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The conditions of extraction in the 19th century, before the mechanisation, had to be fairly close to those of Ancient Egypt, but with an important difference: iron or steel tools in more modern case, instead of stone cutting tools of tempered copper (or bronze) in the other.
The book "Matériaux de Construction du département du Gard" by Theodore Picard, 1885, contains some information on the number of workers and the yearly production of quarries. Often, the number of workers was from 5 to 10 but up to 100 for the most important quarries. The tonnages excavated in the 19th century often varied between 1,000 and 10,000 tonnes per year for average quarries. Nowadays, quarries for construction rock (therefore more manual than average) have operational recordings of 5,000 generally but up to 50,000 tonnes/annum.
Geologically, the siliceous limestone of the site of the tomb is certainly less compact than most of that extracted in quarries. By observing the photograph opposite, the general character of the rock can be easily seen, and is of a certain crumbliness. And yet, the quality of the nearly finished pillar is exquisite.
We know that a length of the work day in the royal tombs was found to be around 8 hours, and that there were numerous holidays. On the other hand, we ignore what may have been the output in terms of volumes of rock extracted.
It is therefore impossible to estimate the time that it could take to complete the main work in the tomb of Kheruef. As a rough estimate, with about twenty workers, the work could have been achieved in about three years.