Minoan stone carving is considered to have been influenced by Egyptian stone carving. Scenes from Egyptian art, in which stone carvers themselves are depicted in stone carvings record the stages in the manufacture of stone vases and carving tools. These scenes show that the stone carvers would begin by preparing the stone core by forging and chiselling and then carving the vases with a specially designed drill. This tool consisted of a sharp, hollow rod which the carver would apply pressure to and rotate inside the vase. Stone carving was facilitated by water and smoothing sand. The efficiency of the drill was reinforced by the addition of weights which were placed in bags and steadied with a string on the rod of the drill.