Page:A History of Art in Ancient Egypt Vol 1.djvu/195

 Dressed Construction. 109 The following woodcut shows the arrangement of supports, architraves and roof. These simple arrangements constitute a complete system of construction which, belonging exclusively to Egypt, has had results upon which we cannot too strongly insist. Both roof and architraves being horizontal, all the pressure upon Fig. 73. — Egyptian construction, ei^itomized by Ch. Chipiez. the walls is vertical. There is no force tending to thrust the walls outwards nor to affect the immobility of the supports. Consequently, if the proportions of the vertical and horizontal elements of a building, that is to say, its sections, have been skil- fullv determined, there is in the buildinof itself no latent cause of disruption ; its equilibrium is perfect, and can only be destroyed