I think people of the past were way more connected to their families, communities and civilizations. None of their accomplishments could be realized without mass-participation and multi-generational commitment. It’s truly inspiring.
Exactly the same issue with Mallory and Irvine Mt. Everest expedition - modern take was that they had no skill, they had wrong equipment and were generally clueless, while the reality was, their equipment was pretty good (a few years ago guy with full 1924 climbing equipment actually reached Mt Everest summit) and while they were taking the more risky approach to climbing (less reliance on ropes, since they were way weaker back then, using "human ladder", and not being afraid to climb over less stable rock surface if that was the path of success), it was effective. Yet many modern climbers basically considered them suicidial madmen and deny any chance of them actually reaching the summit (which is actually not that unlikely).
Normally you look for good RUclipsrs according to your interests, here you start to take a keen interest in Egyptian pyramids because the RUclipsr is so spectacularly good...
It's amazing what a complex and overpowering spiritual philosophy can be built without one particle of proof that any of it is real. All of the pharaohs' claims to deity were nothing but talk, yet an entire nation bowed down to it. One wonders if any pharaoh ever believed any of it. Or was it just something to conveniently maintain control of the masses while gathering huge wealth and fame?
A Parson & a parishoner strolling together after a funeral burial service. The parson said, " Jim died a very rich man. He wanted to disprove the notion: 'you cant take it with you when you die.' His will stated he was to be buried with all his money." The man asked the parson, "Really? Was he really buried with all his money? He was a millionaire from what I understand." "Yes, of course. I followed his wishes exactly." "You're kidding! All his money in the casket? How?" "I wrote him a check."
RICH = Realize I Create Heaven or Happiness or RICH = Realize I Create Hell or Hysteria. That is my definition of rich by no means does it mean any ways to me currency of the age.
Yes, thanks for the smile. Good one, from someone who worked in the funeral business during college. It's actually kinda boring, cuz nobody turned into flesh eating zombies. Damn embalming fluid. lol.
You are without a doubt my favourite alternative Egyptologist. No fanciful tales of lost technology, no smug cracks about ancient fools, just reasonable conjectures based on human nature and historical records.
EXACTLY what earned my sub. I've loved learning about ancient Egypt for as long as I can remember. In my 30s I went down the Carl Randalson, Graham Hancock rabbit-hole and actually found *some* of their theories compelling. It was channels/ videos like this that dug me out of that hole and grounded me back in reality.
I know it'd be a large and complex idea but perhaps a video where you list, or refer to, all conclusions you made in earlier videos would be a good idea. You could use these conclusions to paint a picture of your views and maybe compare that to some general themes you perceive contemporary egyptology to lack or be wrong about. I find all your videos compelling and in the last few you really tied a few points together and i thought that was great. Pointing out a red line between all of them might be productive. On the other hand, your videos rely on some very thorough and specific researching, a meta video would have a different focus and i don't know how that would work. Anyway thanks for the content and have a good one!
You're channel is very informative. And I love how you look at things from other angles.. it's refreshing. You try to find answers, while other egyptologist just perpetuate mysteries and provide no new answers.
Unfortunately, those "scholars" or "experts" like Hawass, have invested so much to make people believe their position as being THE (only) position, Hawass became blinded by the truth. The truth being "hidden in plain sight". Hawass could not "afford" to change his position, and insisted on being THE only expert. I am soooo pleased your work and videos have carefully, methodically, diligently, respectfully shed light on the most likely reasons for the existence and meaning of the Great Pyramids. Thank you.
My personal theory is it's willful ignorance. Egypt gets most of its money through tourism and most documentaries I've seen on Egypt's sites (in particular the Great Pyramids) the "mystery" is emphasized again and again but they never answer the question, they just string you along. Meanwhile they seem to be doing everything they can to block, deter, and and inconvenience anyone outside the Ministry of Antiquities from doing investigative work on the site--if the mystery is solved, less people will probably want to see it. This is also perhaps why they don't try that hard to disprove the conspiracy theories. Revenue is revenue at the end of the day.
I love your content! I fell in love with Egyptology during my first visit to Egypt at 10, and renewed it at my second visit at 36. Very well prepared videos. Mahalo 🤙
Your efforts to produce this video is much appreciated, thank you!... And it kinda' brought my mindset back to the structures being built as tombs, from the ideas of others suggesting they were machines or factories of some sort.
A Pharaoh's death might have been leveraged to tax the people. "Pharaoh needs food in the afterlife" "The Pharaoh will be a God so we need to keep him happy, everybody donate food and money". The food would obviously be used/sold to maintain the pyramid and some of it would be stored in the pyramids/mastabahs as a token, like "See, the Pharaoh is receiving all that tax food". We need much more logic to be applied to archaeology as a whole. Obviously our ancestors weren't stupid, they would have used logic to help rule the lands.
Re the belt of stones around Pepi I's pyramid; I've seen a photo of the base of St. Peter's great dome, it has an enormous bronze chain loop wrapped around its base to keep if from slumping and spreading out. I don't know how or if this could be done with stone, but the idea of wrapping an object tightly to make it hold together pops up a lot in Egyptian art, in bundled reeds and wrapped mummies, so you can see how people might think it would strengthen the structure. Thank you so much for this series, I enjoy it immensely. And I was tickled that, on your trip to Egypt, while others in the group savored the mystery and romance of the place, you were on a mission to collect hard data, dammit. :) All the best to you, well done.
The pyramid core shows no signs of slipping. Only the casing stones could have… the ones which are missing and cannot be evaluated. Strange they’d mess that up after so many successful jobs. And thank you for the kind support. The data collection was very hard work, not exactly holiday stuff 😅
If I am not mistaken, the need for the chains in St Peter’s dome is due to its ovoid shape, and the chains are installed at various points along the dome. A pyramid, if it is slipping out in all directions, I would not think would benefit from encircling just the base because the course of stones above the reinforcement would still be able to slip.
A hollow dome has nothing supporting the centre of the dome, so all the force is transmitted outwards down the dome's sides. A solid doesn't suffer so much from this and the voids in the pyramid are designed to handle the proportion which they likewise have to shift away down their own walls. Which doesn't mean it always works, of course.
A beautiful closing shot. I enjoy your channel as you give a wide coverage of the various theories and evidence about the ancient structures and the people who inhabited them. Well done.
This explanation makes so much sense! Even as a child, I often wondered why would the ancient Egyptians deem pyramids a good idea for keeping their burial treasures safe. This theory is a sensible middle ground between "Just-a-Tomb-Nothing-More" and "Ancient-Power-Plant-Definitely-Not-a-Tomb" sides.
Do you believe that a bunch of people with loincloths and copper tools carved and moved 2 million multi-ton stones within 22 years (meaning that a stone would have to be placed every few seconds)? The evidence for the great pyramid being planned built by Khufu for his own cult is just some graffiti. Similar to "kilgore was here" on modern bridges, etc. While it is a nice idea that the pyramids were built to announce the greatness of a pharaoh ordering and planning them plus securing a cult after death, the physical impossibility of the archeologists ideas means that they are nonsense. Tbh, I don't know who built them and for what purpose. I am willing to entertain additional ideas (eg sonic technology of carving stones, or using some kind of waterworks), but I am not willing to entertain the idea that they were built with magic or built with copper tools and slaves that lived on a single onion and a bunch of grains a day. Maths say that there is a point that the gear you need (eg ropes so that enough slaves can pull a stone) exceeds the limits possible (you can put a rope on a satellite in geostationary orbit and bind it to a spot on the ground and easily move upwards for an elevator... well, actually it does not work). The most basic maths and physics says "nope". So: The pyramids were built for an unknown reason some earlier time, it took longer than 22 years (similar to Stonehenge, or the hanging gardens in Babylon) and a servant of Khufu left the graffiti and his descendant claimed that granddaddy built it to improve his own status.
Wonderful episode. Absolutely amazing. I loved every second of it. The idea of the pyramids being visitable shrines is inspiring and would explain SO much. For example, how looters knew where to look for treasures and mummies. Or how the royal houses could afford such mega projects in the first place: they financiated them via donations and offerings. How smart.
I’m so glad I found your channel. Best info on the pyramids I’ve ever seen. I noticed that you really convey a human factor to the Egyptians, which they obviously were, but they are so often treated almost mythically. I wish I could find a channel like this for the American Indian history too.
Your theory is so well elaborated it evokes images of great festivals conducted to honor the Pharaoh, the living God, for all eternity, in which the pyramids are center stage and fundamental. So much more reasonable than just a "dead" building whose function is being a big tombstone.
Absolutely brilliant! This is the kind of alternative history I can seriously get behind. Everything you say in this video just makes good sense! Bravo! 👏🏼 And thank you for yet another awesome video, and for your contribution to the understanding of these amazing structures.🙏🏼
Awesome channel, bravo! All your videos are packed with insight and help not to take historical "certainties" for granite. I would love to see a future video on the location of the pyramids throughout Egypt's history, how far the builder's likely lived, where materials likely came from, how much time elapsed between the construction of each. Keep it up!
In regard to ancient Egypt is feels like I am in a dark room and seeing the ruins somehow gives you a distant light to see. I definitely don't understand the light however it is exciting to see. Thank you for the videos.
Surprised to see a new "offering" in my Notifications. Great way to end my work day. Love that you are continuing on from your last video. Putting more pieces together and making sense. I'm starting to think of your videos like astrophysicists think of the Big Crunch. When I listen to your thoughts, I imagine all the fallen debris slowly reversing into original structures...sand blowing back to whence it came...and the actual uses for the buildings shown. Even if you are wrong, I love it. Thank you!
Awesome content yet again. Love your original thinking and the way you challenge main stream views. Thanks for all your hard work can't wait for the next video.
So interesting! A breath of fresh air in the way you look at the evidence and consider what real people with real wants and needs goals would do in a situation. No spiritual hand waving required.
Thanks, Friend, I truly enjoy your clear & concise expository style. You present your argument with supporting evidence, entertain and dismiss or validate the counter-argument(s), then proceed to your logical conclusion. You are an expert practitioner of a lost/forgotten art. Additionally, your subject is incredibly seductive. Thank you.
I'm surprised you make no mention of the temples that were part of the pyramid complex as they were involved in the cult of the dead king and involved in presenting offerings. If nothing else, I think it would have served as another point of discussion in relation to the cult and presentation of offerings. These are temples that come to grow in size over time in contrast to the pyramids, and also given great attention with fine reliefs. The complex should probably be seen as a whole in the regard to the function to the pyramid, how they were regarded, and how offerings were presented.
Yes, the temples were part of the whole show. I think of the temples as 'guaranteed employment' for an upper class that liked free food and preferred to not work very hard. The temples are a spectacle, but what brings the people to the show?
@@HistoryforGRANITE The temples, the causeway, the walls surrounding the pyramids and the temples, it was all part of a super estructure dedicated to the dead. An architectural planning of a cemetery, where the livings could worship the dead. The pyramid was the symbol of the gods, with its height and design, could touch the sun. The King! As we can see, the causeway and the temple is usually in the east side of the pyramids, but the entrance for the pyramids is usually in the north side, so there is no path to visit the pyramid. But the causeway and the temple being in the east side of the pyramid has a logic explanation, and it's metaphysical.
@@HistoryforGRANITE But surely the temples are not merely spectacle. They serve a purpose beyond merely the economic, an impact which likely would have trickled down further into society. The temples become a focus of later pyramid complexes if size, development, and attention to relief programs is any indication. Oh, another thing. Call me a nay-saying academic, but why would Khufu need offerings brought directly to him? They did indeed have false doors as you rightly point out. The thinking need not be that of priest, and in any case the King holds special place in ancient Egyptian religion and ideology as being the sole intermediary between mankind and gods. He was the one that was responsible to uphold maat. Keeping that in mind, one may wonder how far his mindset actually was from that of a priest. No doubt, it would have varied. Nevertheless, you then discuss this in relation to false doors. The first pictures you present (10:23) do not necessarily strike me as false doors, as much as they strike me as open doors. Yes, it has the 'roll' design over the door but that does not make it a false door by itself. It makes it stylised, decorative, and I would say even representative and a monumentalisation of an actual door, but that does not make it a false door used for offerings. Nevertheless, the argument is an interesting one, especially as it is one of the few decorative elements. As for Menkara's "30 false doors", I would not equate false door and palace facade design. The false door obviously recalls the palace facade but are they one and the same? I don't think so, but either aim towards a ritual purpose or serve to monumentalise what they are meant to represent. Therefore, the false door in the temple may very well have been enough to satisfy the offering requirements. As for Hawass and Lehner, there are also other egyptologists that write on the matter of the pyramids. On the topic of monumentalisiation of the pyramid, and the pyramid as a ritual structure, I'd recommend books and articles on the subject by Nils Billing.
@romeuleite2262 I am inclined to think too much emphasis is placed on the cardinal direction of temples and the causeway. Everyone gets to the site by boat, from the Nile, and therefore must travel westward towards the pyramids. Any other arrangement would involve more walking than necessary each step of the way. Notably Userkaf didn't think this convention was important, and entirely defies it.
@@HistoryforGRANITE I think you should ask yourself why so much emphasis on the cardinal direction of the pyramids. That's the right question to be made. Sure they came from the east by boat, but the temples could be on the north side, the south or even west. These complexes are very well planned, they are great architects. Remember, they started out as funeral complexes, the pyramids came later. You should abandon the pyramid visiting theory. Yes, they could be opened for maintenance, but not for visiting. The temples were.
I’ve never tried to understand the pyramids and all of that Egyptian history really, but the point you make about supposed failures and inabilities being completely unbelievable seems very very good and is far more logical than all the arguments by the historians you list have existed so far.
I like how this channel deals with alternate theories of history without ending up in Graham Hancock territory. All of these ideas are plausible and grounded. Keep fighting the good fight.
"without ending up in Graham Hancock territory" ...yet. It starts already in the first minute with " you can expect Egyptologists to ignore or downplay the discovery as much as possible", a clear hint towards the common red flag of "the mainstream will try to keep this information quiet" used by people like Hancock. Hearing new theories is fantastic and I like the one in the previous video which was extremely well thought through. Like Archeology and Astronomy, this is a field where amateurs and hobbyists can really make a difference and I have no issue with that at all. But to be prolific, active and honest, theories should be kept separated from each other as much as possible. I like the ideas in this video too, but it should have been from a neutral starting point and not based on the assumption that the previous theory was correct. A house of cards is the worst path to knowledge. At it's extreme you get people that cannot face owning up that they were wrong when a fundamental assumption is disproven and start denying and lying. I don't want to see that happen here. Assuming that some, even most, of these theories will be solidly debunked and accepting that some will have to be abandoned is so much more resilient
@@MrStratofishwell said. I like this channel’s content alot, but the rather silly negativity towards Egyptologists was very disappointing in this one. It reminded me of all the other pseudoscience channels and grifters baseless bashing of Egyptology.
@@kungfumaster12 He did not say that. Watch the previous vid. He said that the pyramids are a place of worship. The heavy granit doors are made to be opened and closed again and again.
@Siskovski they aren't built like a tomb. They are built like a machine. These are the worst built tombs if you think they look like tombs 😆 🤣 😂 😹 the great pyramid is not made by Egyptians. And its a multipurpose light house and navigational tool.
@taaskeprins which is another way of saying they are tombs. And not ancient technology. These pyramids are machines made of stone. And he was talking about them as if they're tombs and not machines. So he definitely is saying they are tombs for Pharoahs. Smh
You are extremely perceptive, logical and convincing. You put the present crop of academic Egyptologists to ignominious shame. Your videos are a gift to mankind, and their value will endure.
We always imaged the Kings Chamber to be stuffed with grave goods. However, if it was the case that priests and such were regularly entering the KC, wouldn't that create a need for space in there? Doesn't it also present a risk that a future pharaoh would loot the grave goods in a financial emergency? I think this means there's a good chance the big void contains a trove. Load it up during construction, then seal it with masonry. Or maybe the grave goods went into the Queens chamber...
The void next to the kings chamber/grand gallery being sealed with masonry and stuffed with grave goods would be sensational. Even just to put to bed any doubt about it being a tomb and to who. Personally I don't think there's much of a chance of it, but I love the idea. It would truly be a logical and genius way to store grave goods given where that chamber is located.
Exactly. This is a logical argument, which has precedent within current Egyptological inquiry into Burial practices, reuse, and re-entry older tombs by later Pharaohs, priests and dynasties. There is quite a bit of ongoing work in this regard being done in the Kings and Queens Valleys further south. And yes they date to over 1000 years later. But is still relevant here.
So very pleased that I have found this RUclips channel, Great in so very many respects. Please continue with your fine work. Thank you History for Granite.
A thousand views a minute steady while I watched this episode. It shows the value of careful thought, eloquent presentation and good humour. Keep them coming.
Imagine the feeling at the end of that last day of work on the great pyramid. It must have been hard for most workers to believe that it was finally done.
construction jobs don't end like that. they wind down. at various rates depending on the job. you can see here as the pyramid diminishes in size as it goes up there's less and less need for stone cutters, trimmers, movers, lifters, positioners etc. etc.. and so on.
This man is extremely intelligent and brings the right amount of skepticism to the subject and is asking all the right questions that have plagued those of us with rational and open minds, for decades.
I still love the way you are tackling the problem: "These are the pieces we have, lets see what picture we can form with them!" instead of: "this is my assumption, lets see, how I can fit the pieces into this!" as done so often in science today. I am a scientist myself and I can say: the latter approach is much easier and very tempting since it usually gives some "positive" results (and you can sell only positives today). The logical approach should always be: 1. collect some data without prejudice 2. filter the data to form a hypothesis 3. systematically (for instance with statistics) look at all your data to see if there is something in it contradicting your hypothesis 4. if no: tell people you have one possible explanation and challenge them to find a better one. if yes: restart from 1 sadly, today it is more a process like this: 1. I have an idea - lets collect the data to prove it! ...and if the data does not fit, I make it fit! 2 everybody who disagrees is a fool!
The way grant applications are prepared often requires proposing a hypothesis to begin with. Even very large surveys (e.g. in astronomy) require a set of hypotheses which the new data are supposed to test. This has good and bad aspects, but a totally "blind" data acquisition project is rare and likely not to provide the most useful data. You sort of have to know what you are looking for, i.e. make a good guess. A good example of unexpected findings which should have been made much earlier are extra-solar planets (i.e. planets around other stars). Nobody expected to find planets with orbital periods of a few days.
Because it isn’t full of sensationalism. In other words, the same reason that the History channel, TLC, and Discovery etc moved away from history and documentaries to reality tv and shows like ancient aliens.
While I appreciate this content and the presentation , it appears that all Ancient architecture fall into the realm of mysterious. My hope is that once we have the advanced models of modern day AI we can let it loose and start iterating through all the speculation and find the highest probability for all ancient creations. This will happen soon. Yes AI will invade every areas of research but I for one will be glad to see the highest probability sorted And laid out in such a way that we can conclusively put an end to speculation. Great video , just can’t wait to see what happens when this area too gets AI assistance. Cheers
My man. Your video essays consistently succeed in making me content with your premises and conclusions. Down to earth and real life. Simple and logical.
Well it makes sense if you worship pharows as God's and you think if you put somone under a big mountain they will be there forever in some underground life. If you worship life you'd have zero interest in a tomb. If you worship death a tomb would be your big day out. So both.
That makes a lot of sense. A great big building to say 'THE PHAROAH RESTS HERE', all the while concealing the real burial place of the pharoah, which is elsewhere, secure, and lost to the ages because it was deliberately left unrecorded.
Haha. Perfectly aligning millions of multi ton blocks from quarries hundreds of miles away, then accurately cutting said stones, then precisely placing these stones with less than a hair width of gaps. Then architecturally design chambers and passages in the middle of a desert with no other purpose than to “conceal the real burial place”? That makes absolutely no sense. These pyramids and structures were found and inherited from an even older civilization
How would it benefit him to have people visiting his tomb and leaving offerings if he was elsewhere. The video states that the remains were removed during the chaos to preserve them and were never returned. It was an emergency measure, not their original intention.
@@TheStoicPath_ We have found the quarries where the stones came from, filled with Egyptian tools and Egyptian worker's cottages. Did the Egyptians make fake quarries to conceal the "fact" they merely found the pyramids, and did not build them?
I love this logical & rational approach to this topic! Last person I watched speak about this was Billy Carson & his ideas are beyond out there. He has even claimed that someone called Thoth built the pyramids and that he is also a reincarnation of that said Thoth.
to go with your idea on them being continuously visited and used- what if the pyramids were meant as more of a temporary resting place? but not just intended for one person with one use, but multiple at different times. similar to a funeral home. where only the recent pharaoh or very important people could have an amount of time to have the pyramid for them to be visited or have ceremonies and offerings brought and such. only temporarily before they are moved to their final resting place. then after it would be used again for the next important "funeral". would explain why there's no writings or inscriptions on the inside dedicating it to one specific person. Just a thought..
Could turn out that the "real curse of the pharao" was having to outbuild his predecessor and that unhealthy "competition" eventually acccelerated the old kingdom's downfall.
you realize that's basically the exact opposite of what all of the evidence points to though, right? the first ones were the biggest ones. if they got bigger over time, your comment would make sense. but they got smaller, nobody ever topped the earliest ones.
Loving your fresh perspective on things. Finally have the feeling that the old fools are leaving the stage, and young creative voices are opening doors and looking into places that the old gard simply kept closed so they wouldn't have to admit they had no good ideas.
The value in your material is the insight and the care you give to making foundations for it without consideration for being against the grain. That's missing from Egyptology, where it is now. This channel has given me more new ideas than the hundreds of books and papers I have on my shelves for the last 20 years. And this is all available in RUclips videos, free for the world to see and digest. Don't stop doing what you're doing, you're seriously going to go places. Hopefully, to the big leagues in this stagnant field that hates itself and stymies the pursuit of knowledge.
This explanation doesn't make sense. The king's chamber being designed to be accessible by the public is clearly contradicted by the fact that the ascending corridor is sealed (to this day) by the giant granite blocks. Further, even without these granite blocks, the ascending corridor is situated in the roof of the descending corridor and is difficult if not impossible for the common man to climb to. The only passageway that can easily be used to visit the king's chamber is the robber's tunnel (al mamun tunned) which by its condition and angling is clearly not a part of the original design. Can you answer this please? This is a major flow with your theory and prevents us from moving further with it.
The Granite Plugs are explained in the last video, as mentioned at the start of this one. Haven’t you ever wondered why plugging would occur from the inside?
Having the access to ascending corridor being in the roof of the descending corridor may mean that, access wasn't meant to be a day to day thing for the public but, was still needed for access for special occasions, perhaps death anniversaries. As mentioned above, the plugging blocks were covered in previous video in regards to this hypothesis.
@@HistoryforGRANITE Thank you for your answer. Yes I watched the last video, yet other responses could be imagined to the questions mentioned in it: 1-Why plug the ascending corridor when you can block the descending corridor ? Answer: (1) Simply because deblocking the ascending corridor is more difficult. Removing a blocking rock in the descending corridor could be achieved by hammering nails in the rock and using ropes and counterweights to pull it outside the way is was slid inside. In the case of the ascending corridor the gravity is working against you as the giant stones are literally above your head. (2) because a blocked ascending passageway could be disguised as a continuation of the roof of the descending corridor. Other earlier pyramids have only a descending passageway and so the eventual robber would continue to the lower chamber and waste energy and time digging there to find nothing. This explains (in my opinion) the condition of the lower chamber and the giant pit in the middle of it, which is most probably the futile attempt of robbers to find some space hidden below the lower chamber. 2-The plugging granite stones don't have to be slid from the side of the grand gallery (from the interior) a simple mechanism could be used to release them from the exterior. As you mentioned before, the ancient egyptiens were not stupid, and sliding the plugging stones from the inside just to get out using the escape shaft would make no sense, as they would have basically made a huge effort to make the upper chambers inaccessible just to let another access point (the escape shaft) as a relatively easy way around it. The ancient egyptians never did a poor job building anything let alone the greatest of pyramids, yet the escape shaft is exactly what could be described as a poor unfinished job which can safely be attributed to robbers. Don't take me wrong, I like your theory very much and I find it most interesting. But as any theory, you must strive to strengthen and refine it beyond the circumstansial and refute any doubts or alternative explanations to be able to safely build upon it later. Another possible question is the following: If the king's chamber is designed to allow visitors in, why make its entrance so small and difficult to get through? why make it difficult to the mundane visitors to enter the king's burial, while, in contrast, the grand galley itself is so spacious. To be able to seal it and protect it outside of the visitation hours? then just put a normal big door. it should do the trick considering that the ultimate failsafe is the plugging granite stones. You don't need to use one, let alone three giant stone blocks that would require tens of meters of rope and dozens of men just to open it every morning and seal it every evening. Now consider the following hypothesis and maybe it gives a better explanation: The king's chamber was never to be visited outside of some possible emergency situations. The burial chamber of the great king is so sacred and it contains the valuable treasures which the deceased king would require for his afterlife journey and cannot whatseoever be visited and defiled by the common living. The grand gallery which is spacious and mejestuous is designed to house and welcome the visitors coming to pay tribute to the god king (khufu) with their offferings. Maybe, the most valuable of offerings are later moved by priests to the queen chamber below and placed in front of the statue of the god king housed in the triangular niche just under the king's chamber. I think this is a better explanation. What do you think? Lastly, you could ask me why, then, the airshafts in the king's chamber if it wasn't designed to be visited? simple answer: You forget that after the death of the king, takes place the difficult and time and energy consuming process of transfering his mummy inside the sarcophagus of the king's chamber alongside all his belongings. This would require a small army of men accompanied by officials and high ranking priests necessary for the cermony all in one chamber (the king's) at one time, using torches to light the small room. This would require the king's chamber to be aerated properly to prevent the suffocation of this fine nobility during the farewell of the king.
1) Old kingdom pyramids were never ‘deblocked’. It’s not how intruders entered, robber’s tunnels always go around or through obstructions if there is no easier way around. The builders would be fully aware of this. The AP is made such that it is impossible to camouflage effectively. The granite stands out, and nothing could conceal the joints in the ceiling that would fool intruders. 2) The QC was closed off and unfinished. The Niche is not the architecture for a statue - statues are under false doors. The reason for a secure granite lockable door is that human guards are ultimately fallible, especially for the timeline of eternity. Whatever the frequency of entering, incentives point towards more access = more offerings. And if fresh air is only for some fancy mummy closing ceremony, why are only pyramid sarcophagi locked? If it’s to protect from the funeral procession, then every sarcophagi would need locks. But only pyramids have them. Pretty cheap to install too, just few small holes and a dovetail. Magnificent granite sarcophagi are found in many Giza mastabas, none of them locked. No critic has even bothered to address that point. Probably because Egyptology has never noticed this and thus there isn’t a prefabricated excuse for naysayers to fall back on.
I don't know about this theory. The Great Pyramid corridors meant to convey visitors to the burial chamber for a visit are relatively small and difficult to navigate when compared to a temple's corridors, which certainly were mean to facilitate visitation by humans. Also, by size and extent it seems Khafre was trying to equal Khufu, yet the internal structure of his pyrmaid is nothing like Khufu's. Why is this if Khufu had hit upon that golden idea of getting visitors to come visit him and bring a gift? I would love to seem more thorough analysis of Khafre's pyramid. The Sphinx Temple and funeary complex gets the lion's share of attention, but hardly anyone talks about his pyarmid. How it was constructed (no internal ramp theories here)? Why was it enlarged during construction if there was a master plan? Why is the internal layout so radically differnent? If Khafre's pyramid is the product of lessons learned during Khufu's construction, what does that say about the choices that were made. Same question when looking at Menkaure's pyramid compared to Khafre's. What features were kept (the good) and what were changed (the bad)? What was emulated and what was rejected? What was emphasized, what was minimized? Thank you. I enjoy your channel immensely.
I see scant evidence the Khafre pyramid was expanded in any significant way. You will notice at Khafre the corridors are a walkable height after the portcullis, and this patterns follows to the end of the Old Kingdom. Everything about the design is more practical - more bang for the buck. Maybe Djedefre’s early demise spooked him a bit.
It seems the majority of pyramids don't have corridors and chambers higher up in their structures. Maybe the extra planning and effort outweighed perceived benefits. Menkaure's pyramid is the one the seems to have been enlarged due to the now blind alley corridor. Maybe once Khufu was secured in the underworld he could help forthcoming pharaohs.
I've lived all over our planet for several decades now. I really appreciate this channel's approach to giving people credit for being intelligent and not attributing anomalies to mistakes. In my experience everyone is fundamentally the same, differing only by cultural norms and access to education. Several thousand years may seem like a long time to us but in terms of evolution we can safety assume we are not much different than the people who lived in Egypt at the time these pyramids were built. With that in mind I think understanding the social environment of the time would help greatly in understanding the pyramids, providing a balance to the physical evidence that most people focus on. No doubt the structure of the government at the time was sophisticated, with as much intrigue and alliances and plotting as one might expect. Can we think of people in our time who have built massive projects, much larger than what is needed or what came before it? What was the purpose of those projects, was it for the stated function or was it to impress and demonstrate power to colleagues that rulers could deem a threat? That several generations later the Pharaohs were significantly weakened, had to marry aristocrats to stay in power, and one was assassinated to me is no coincidence.
3:00 Is it possible for that Jars, to be some kind of tickets? I mean the payment for the access to Great Pyramid, for visitors in that days, as it is today? If you want to enter inside, then you have to pay with goods. It is possible that Egyptians made that kind of business? Is could be the reason, why there is a lot of Jars there?
This is really interesting! It makes me think about how it's connected to the way pharaohs were buried in ancient Egypt later on, in the Valley of the Kings.
Best vid yet. Somewhat speculative. But in a way that promotes understanding instead of institution. Calling it speculative would usually be an insult, but this is proper intellectual progress as apposed to attempting to fit the leading theory as proof. Amazing work.
I still don't believe that these were designed as tombs but I do agree there was function installed in these for repeated access. I still think that the Great Pyramid is still the oldest and incomplete Pyramid. I believe that they inherited that pyramid and attempted to copy it's significance. Only the most powerful and healthy managed such feats but to no degree that can be matched by the Great Pyramid. I admit, I've yet to see them in person though. I suspect that changes everything from just seeing the camera work of others who have managed the journey.
When I compare the "Valley of the Kings" with the "Pyramid" structures .. I see one hidden below ground out of sight .. with upright walking passageways with beautiful decorative art on the walls .. the other has passageways that make one bend over as if in humility .. and the walls are not so beautifully decorated. The first seems to be a display of artistic beauty .. the other a display of structural / industrial function .. while both have excessive "awe" factors incorporated. I really enjoy the revelations of this channel. Keep up the great work .. definitely not taken for granted! lol
A big reason I like this channel is that it doesn't presume that people in the past were dumber than people today.
I think people of the past were way more connected to their families, communities and civilizations. None of their accomplishments could be realized without mass-participation and multi-generational commitment. It’s truly inspiring.
This is true of AMH, 315,000 years of identical capacity for observation, ingenuity, and invention (IQ increases over time).
That's not a very high bar
but it's obviously not a tomb.... at least in my opinion based on personal research
Exactly the same issue with Mallory and Irvine Mt. Everest expedition - modern take was that they had no skill, they had wrong equipment and were generally clueless, while the reality was, their equipment was pretty good (a few years ago guy with full 1924 climbing equipment actually reached Mt Everest summit) and while they were taking the more risky approach to climbing (less reliance on ropes, since they were way weaker back then, using "human ladder", and not being afraid to climb over less stable rock surface if that was the path of success), it was effective.
Yet many modern climbers basically considered them suicidial madmen and deny any chance of them actually reaching the summit (which is actually not that unlikely).
Normally you look for good RUclipsrs according to your interests, here you start to take a keen interest in Egyptian pyramids because the RUclipsr is so spectacularly good...
So now you have to pay to watch exclusive content on your channel? Come on, sell smoke, stop fooling people with your smoking guns.
To bad his history is way off
History for concrete 😂
These other idiots obviously don’t know enough.
It's amazing what a complex and overpowering spiritual philosophy can be built without one particle of proof that any of it is real. All of the pharaohs' claims to deity were nothing but talk, yet an entire nation bowed down to it. One wonders if any pharaoh ever believed any of it. Or was it just something to conveniently maintain control of the masses while gathering huge wealth and fame?
A Parson & a parishoner strolling together after a funeral burial service. The parson said, " Jim died a very rich man. He wanted to disprove the notion: 'you cant take it with you when you die.' His will stated he was to be buried with all his money."
The man asked the parson, "Really? Was he really buried with all his money? He was a millionaire from what I understand."
"Yes, of course. I followed his wishes exactly."
"You're kidding! All his money in the casket? How?"
"I wrote him a check."
Did he cash it
That's very funny! Bravo Bravo
So now you have to pay to watch exclusive content on your channel? Come on, sell smoke, stop fooling people with your smoking guns.
RICH = Realize I Create Heaven or Happiness or RICH = Realize I Create Hell or Hysteria. That is my definition of rich by no means does it mean any ways to me currency of the age.
Yes, thanks for the smile. Good one, from someone who worked in the funeral business during college. It's actually kinda boring, cuz nobody turned into flesh eating zombies. Damn embalming fluid. lol.
Did I miss an announcement? This video came out of nowhere, it must be a blessing. The pyramids have spoken.
it's the offering to the pharaoh
I agree
Çringe!
I've been waiting and then surprise!
@@nickiminajj3119 agreed... I always find these kind of comments toady...
You are without a doubt my favourite alternative Egyptologist.
No fanciful tales of lost technology, no smug cracks about ancient fools, just reasonable conjectures based on human nature and historical records.
EXACTLY what earned my sub.
I've loved learning about ancient Egypt for as long as I can remember.
In my 30s I went down the Carl Randalson, Graham Hancock rabbit-hole and actually found *some* of their theories compelling. It was channels/ videos like this that dug me out of that hole and grounded me back in reality.
I know it'd be a large and complex idea but perhaps a video where you list, or refer to, all conclusions you made in earlier videos would be a good idea. You could use these conclusions to paint a picture of your views and maybe compare that to some general themes you perceive contemporary egyptology to lack or be wrong about. I find all your videos compelling and in the last few you really tied a few points together and i thought that was great. Pointing out a red line between all of them might be productive.
On the other hand, your videos rely on some very thorough and specific researching, a meta video would have a different focus and i don't know how that would work.
Anyway thanks for the content and have a good one!
All your videos are awesome but especially the last 2. You’ve changed my perspective.
You're channel is very informative. And I love how you look at things from other angles.. it's refreshing. You try to find answers, while other egyptologist just perpetuate mysteries and provide no new answers.
Unfortunately, those "scholars" or "experts" like Hawass, have invested so much to make people believe their position as being THE (only) position, Hawass became blinded by the truth. The truth being "hidden in plain sight". Hawass could not "afford" to change his position, and insisted on being THE only expert. I am soooo pleased your work and videos have carefully, methodically, diligently, respectfully shed light on the most likely reasons for the existence and meaning of the Great Pyramids. Thank you.
My personal theory is it's willful ignorance. Egypt gets most of its money through tourism and most documentaries I've seen on Egypt's sites (in particular the Great Pyramids) the "mystery" is emphasized again and again but they never answer the question, they just string you along. Meanwhile they seem to be doing everything they can to block, deter, and and inconvenience anyone outside the Ministry of Antiquities from doing investigative work on the site--if the mystery is solved, less people will probably want to see it.
This is also perhaps why they don't try that hard to disprove the conspiracy theories. Revenue is revenue at the end of the day.
I paused the video when Hawass came on then scanned the comments. Your comment encouraged me not to turn the video off. Thanks!!! 😁
Hawass the crook love to dig his house up who knows what he has hidden last 30 years. ...ufo 😅😅😅
I just took a huge zahi and now my hawass really hurts
Hawasshat.
This has quickly become my favourite RUclips channel, keep up the good work!
Thank you! It’s a great pleasure to share these ideas.
I don't know if I have commented this before or not, but i have learned so much I am so glad to find your channel.
What a pleasent suprise!
Your support is never a surprise! Many thanks.
Keep up the great content! Egytpology needs you.
I love your content! I fell in love with Egyptology during my first visit to Egypt at 10, and renewed it at my second visit at 36.
Very well prepared videos.
Mahalo 🤙
Your efforts to produce this video is much appreciated, thank you!... And it kinda' brought my mindset back to the structures being built as tombs, from the ideas of others suggesting they were machines or factories of some sort.
Refreshingly informative and no music!
A Pharaoh's death might have been leveraged to tax the people. "Pharaoh needs food in the afterlife" "The Pharaoh will be a God so we need to keep him happy, everybody donate food and money". The food would obviously be used/sold to maintain the pyramid and some of it would be stored in the pyramids/mastabahs as a token, like "See, the Pharaoh is receiving all that tax food". We need much more logic to be applied to archaeology as a whole. Obviously our ancestors weren't stupid, they would have used logic to help rule the lands.
What, so they really DO act as a granary in every city?
It's funny. What is true now was probably true then. It's a way to control, plain and simple.
At the same time, not every religious ritual, act, or tradition was secretly a cynical plot by the priestly class.
The Egyptians are not 'your' ancestors though !
@@RipOffProductionsLLC clearly you're talking historically, not about contemporary practices
Re the belt of stones around Pepi I's pyramid; I've seen a photo of the base of St. Peter's great dome, it has an enormous bronze chain loop wrapped around its base to keep if from slumping and spreading out. I don't know how or if this could be done with stone, but the idea of wrapping an object tightly to make it hold together pops up a lot in Egyptian art, in bundled reeds and wrapped mummies, so you can see how people might think it would strengthen the structure. Thank you so much for this series, I enjoy it immensely. And I was tickled that, on your trip to Egypt, while others in the group savored the mystery and romance of the place, you were on a mission to collect hard data, dammit. :) All the best to you, well done.
The inward angle of the 8 sides of the great pyramid would tighten up from an outward pressure…..
The pyramid core shows no signs of slipping. Only the casing stones could have… the ones which are missing and cannot be evaluated. Strange they’d mess that up after so many successful jobs. And thank you for the kind support. The data collection was very hard work, not exactly holiday stuff 😅
If I am not mistaken, the need for the chains in St Peter’s dome is due to its ovoid shape, and the chains are installed at various points along the dome.
A pyramid, if it is slipping out in all directions, I would not think would benefit from encircling just the base because the course of stones above the reinforcement would still be able to slip.
A hollow dome has nothing supporting the centre of the dome, so all the force is transmitted outwards down the dome's sides. A solid doesn't suffer so much from this and the voids in the pyramid are designed to handle the proportion which they likewise have to shift away down their own walls. Which doesn't mean it always works, of course.
@@Malama_Ki people still buy into that 8 sides nonsense. Do try and keep up
Thanks!
You are very welcome.
A beautiful closing shot. I enjoy your channel as you give a wide coverage of the various theories and evidence about the ancient structures and the people who inhabited them. Well done.
This explanation makes so much sense! Even as a child, I often wondered why would the ancient Egyptians deem pyramids a good idea for keeping their burial treasures safe. This theory is a sensible middle ground between "Just-a-Tomb-Nothing-More" and "Ancient-Power-Plant-Definitely-Not-a-Tomb" sides.
Do you believe that a bunch of people with loincloths and copper tools carved and moved 2 million multi-ton stones within 22 years (meaning that a stone would have to be placed every few seconds)?
The evidence for the great pyramid being planned built by Khufu for his own cult is just some graffiti. Similar to "kilgore was here" on modern bridges, etc.
While it is a nice idea that the pyramids were built to announce the greatness of a pharaoh ordering and planning them plus securing a cult after death, the physical impossibility of the archeologists ideas means that they are nonsense.
Tbh, I don't know who built them and for what purpose. I am willing to entertain additional ideas (eg sonic technology of carving stones, or using some kind of waterworks), but I am not willing to entertain the idea that they were built with magic or built with copper tools and slaves that lived on a single onion and a bunch of grains a day. Maths say that there is a point that the gear you need (eg ropes so that enough slaves can pull a stone) exceeds the limits possible (you can put a rope on a satellite in geostationary orbit and bind it to a spot on the ground and easily move upwards for an elevator... well, actually it does not work).
The most basic maths and physics says "nope".
So: The pyramids were built for an unknown reason some earlier time, it took longer than 22 years (similar to Stonehenge, or the hanging gardens in Babylon) and a servant of Khufu left the graffiti and his descendant claimed that granddaddy built it to improve his own status.
Honestly the best channel on RUclips.
I did a search to see if you had any new videos and 20 mins later here we are. Good video.
Wonderful episode. Absolutely amazing. I loved every second of it. The idea of the pyramids being visitable shrines is inspiring and would explain SO much. For example, how looters knew where to look for treasures and mummies. Or how the royal houses could afford such mega projects in the first place: they financiated them via donations and offerings. How smart.
Fantastic work & delivered without ignorance or arrogance!, I'm subscribed keep them coming my friend!❤😊
I love how you give the ancients the credit they are so sorely due. Thanks for the great videos, it's always a treat when you drop a new one!!
I’m so glad I found your channel. Best info on the pyramids I’ve ever seen. I noticed that you really convey a human factor to the Egyptians, which they obviously were, but they are so often treated almost mythically. I wish I could find a channel like this for the American Indian history too.
I have been watching from the beginning and am absolutely blown away by your insight and discoveries. Keep it up!
Your theory is so well elaborated it evokes images of great festivals conducted to honor the Pharaoh, the living God, for all eternity, in which the pyramids are center stage and fundamental.
So much more reasonable than just a "dead" building whose function is being a big tombstone.
Absolutely brilliant! This is the kind of alternative history I can seriously get behind. Everything you say in this video just makes good sense! Bravo! 👏🏼 And thank you for yet another awesome video, and for your contribution to the understanding of these amazing structures.🙏🏼
Awesome channel, bravo! All your videos are packed with insight and help not to take historical "certainties" for granite. I would love to see a future video on the location of the pyramids throughout Egypt's history, how far the builder's likely lived, where materials likely came from, how much time elapsed between the construction of each. Keep it up!
In regard to ancient Egypt is feels like I am in a dark room and seeing the ruins somehow gives you a distant light to see. I definitely don't understand the light however it is exciting to see. Thank you for the videos.
Thank you for this great video. Going from first principles like you do and using deduction is a great thing to see.
Such excellent videos. Very much enjoyed the timing of the veiled dig at Zawi Hamass at exactly 1 minute in!
Surprised to see a new "offering" in my Notifications. Great way to end my work day. Love that you are continuing on from your last video. Putting more pieces together and making sense. I'm starting to think of your videos like astrophysicists think of the Big Crunch. When I listen to your thoughts, I imagine all the fallen debris slowly reversing into original structures...sand blowing back to whence it came...and the actual uses for the buildings shown. Even if you are wrong, I love it. Thank you!
Best videos ever about the pyramids. Egyptology seems so partisan and click-ish. Thanks for the ground breaking work.
Awesome content yet again. Love your original thinking and the way you challenge main stream views. Thanks for all your hard work can't wait for the next video.
I really like the pace of your videos. Basically the only youtube videos I don't watch at 1.5 or 2.0x speed.
You're welcome! :)
Your hypothesis still roams around in my head and it is a pleasant thought to have! Ty.
I love your grounded, realistic, thoughtful approach. It all feels based in logic, fact and basic reasoning. It's SO refreshing.
😅😅😅😅 this video is all wrong. Since these pyramids aren't tombs. 😅😅😅😅
So interesting! A breath of fresh air in the way you look at the evidence and consider what real people with real wants and needs goals would do in a situation. No spiritual hand waving required.
I just discovered this channel, and I am enjoying it a lot! Greeting from Brazil!
Another installment of inspirational insight into human nature and how it plays out in a historic context. Totaly compelling stuff.
Stealth video drop. Ill take it. Thank-you!
Thanks, Friend, I truly enjoy your clear & concise expository style. You present your argument with supporting evidence, entertain and dismiss or validate the counter-argument(s), then proceed to your logical conclusion. You are an expert practitioner of a lost/forgotten art. Additionally, your subject is incredibly seductive. Thank you.
The most logical and properly investigated analysis of ancient Egypt on the internet. Well done man and I mean that wholeheartedly.
My day is brighter when I see a HfG upload! ☺️
Thanks for all the information and effort you put into your objective analyses. 👌
I'm surprised you make no mention of the temples that were part of the pyramid complex as they were involved in the cult of the dead king and involved in presenting offerings. If nothing else, I think it would have served as another point of discussion in relation to the cult and presentation of offerings. These are temples that come to grow in size over time in contrast to the pyramids, and also given great attention with fine reliefs. The complex should probably be seen as a whole in the regard to the function to the pyramid, how they were regarded, and how offerings were presented.
Yes, the temples were part of the whole show. I think of the temples as 'guaranteed employment' for an upper class that liked free food and preferred to not work very hard. The temples are a spectacle, but what brings the people to the show?
@@HistoryforGRANITE The temples, the causeway, the walls surrounding the pyramids and the temples, it was all part of a super estructure dedicated to the dead. An architectural planning of a cemetery, where the livings could worship the dead. The pyramid was the symbol of the gods, with its height and design, could touch the sun. The King!
As we can see, the causeway and the temple is usually in the east side of the pyramids, but the entrance for the pyramids is usually in the north side, so there is no path to visit the pyramid. But the causeway and the temple being in the east side of the pyramid has a logic explanation, and it's metaphysical.
@@HistoryforGRANITE But surely the temples are not merely spectacle. They serve a purpose beyond merely the economic, an impact which likely would have trickled down further into society. The temples become a focus of later pyramid complexes if size, development, and attention to relief programs is any indication.
Oh, another thing. Call me a nay-saying academic, but why would Khufu need offerings brought directly to him? They did indeed have false doors as you rightly point out. The thinking need not be that of priest, and in any case the King holds special place in ancient Egyptian religion and ideology as being the sole intermediary between mankind and gods. He was the one that was responsible to uphold maat. Keeping that in mind, one may wonder how far his mindset actually was from that of a priest. No doubt, it would have varied. Nevertheless, you then discuss this in relation to false doors. The first pictures you present (10:23) do not necessarily strike me as false doors, as much as they strike me as open doors. Yes, it has the 'roll' design over the door but that does not make it a false door by itself. It makes it stylised, decorative, and I would say even representative and a monumentalisation of an actual door, but that does not make it a false door used for offerings. Nevertheless, the argument is an interesting one, especially as it is one of the few decorative elements. As for Menkara's "30 false doors", I would not equate false door and palace facade design. The false door obviously recalls the palace facade but are they one and the same? I don't think so, but either aim towards a ritual purpose or serve to monumentalise what they are meant to represent. Therefore, the false door in the temple may very well have been enough to satisfy the offering requirements.
As for Hawass and Lehner, there are also other egyptologists that write on the matter of the pyramids. On the topic of monumentalisiation of the pyramid, and the pyramid as a ritual structure, I'd recommend books and articles on the subject by Nils Billing.
@romeuleite2262 I am inclined to think too much emphasis is placed on the cardinal direction of temples and the causeway. Everyone gets to the site by boat, from the Nile, and therefore must travel westward towards the pyramids. Any other arrangement would involve more walking than necessary each step of the way. Notably Userkaf didn't think this convention was important, and entirely defies it.
@@HistoryforGRANITE I think you should ask yourself why so much emphasis on the cardinal direction of the pyramids. That's the right question to be made. Sure they came from the east by boat, but the temples could be on the north side, the south or even west. These complexes are very well planned, they are great architects. Remember, they started out as funeral complexes, the pyramids came later. You should abandon the pyramid visiting theory. Yes, they could be opened for maintenance, but not for visiting. The temples were.
Killer episode! Thank you!
PS: The more I follow your analyses, the more I enjoy hearing the "pros" give their, a hem, unbiased opinions.
Welcome to History for GRANITE 🎉
Please subscribe now to get the latest ancient history news and independent research from around the world.
I’ve never tried to understand the pyramids and all of that Egyptian history really, but the point you make about supposed failures and inabilities being completely unbelievable seems very very good and is far more logical than all the arguments by the historians you list have existed so far.
I'm so grateful for your content 😭🖤🖤
Your theories always answer many basic questions efficiently and completely. excellent work 👏.
Such a great informative material, as always! Your work and insights are always greatly appreciated!
I like how this channel deals with alternate theories of history without ending up in Graham Hancock territory. All of these ideas are plausible and grounded. Keep fighting the good fight.
"without ending up in Graham Hancock territory" ...yet.
It starts already in the first minute with " you can expect Egyptologists to ignore or downplay the discovery as much as possible", a clear hint towards the common red flag of "the mainstream will try to keep this information quiet" used by people like Hancock.
Hearing new theories is fantastic and I like the one in the previous video which was extremely well thought through. Like Archeology and Astronomy, this is a field where amateurs and hobbyists can really make a difference and I have no issue with that at all. But to be prolific, active and honest, theories should be kept separated from each other as much as possible. I like the ideas in this video too, but it should have been from a neutral starting point and not based on the assumption that the previous theory was correct. A house of cards is the worst path to knowledge. At it's extreme you get people that cannot face owning up that they were wrong when a fundamental assumption is disproven and start denying and lying. I don't want to see that happen here. Assuming that some, even most, of these theories will be solidly debunked and accepting that some will have to be abandoned is so much more resilient
@@MrStratofishwell said. I like this channel’s content alot, but the rather silly negativity towards Egyptologists was very disappointing in this one. It reminded me of all the other pseudoscience channels and grifters baseless bashing of Egyptology.
Again, a great piece of work. Thanks
I appreciate your commentary you have a very nice soothing teachable voice
One of the most rational explanations in Egyptology. Things are clearing up for me and are even more magnificent . cheers
He said the pyramids are tombs. Which they are not. So he lied to you. And you think you got educated 😅😅😅😅
@@kungfumaster12 Well... They are build like one, and even he is sceptical about them being build as (only) tombs.
@@kungfumaster12 He did not say that. Watch the previous vid. He said that the pyramids are a place of worship. The heavy granit doors are made to be opened and closed again and again.
@Siskovski they aren't built like a tomb. They are built like a machine. These are the worst built tombs if you think they look like tombs 😆 🤣 😂 😹 the great pyramid is not made by Egyptians. And its a multipurpose light house and navigational tool.
@taaskeprins which is another way of saying they are tombs. And not ancient technology. These pyramids are machines made of stone. And he was talking about them as if they're tombs and not machines. So he definitely is saying they are tombs for Pharoahs. Smh
A 5 part(each 1 hour) series on the complete history - rise & fall - of the Pyramids would be EPIC!
You are extremely perceptive, logical and convincing. You put the present crop of academic Egyptologists to ignominious shame. Your videos are a gift to mankind, and their value will endure.
Bruv, what a great channel. Love all your content. This video really opened my eyes up a bit. Really great, informative, and fun.
We always imaged the Kings Chamber to be stuffed with grave goods. However, if it was the case that priests and such were regularly entering the KC, wouldn't that create a need for space in there? Doesn't it also present a risk that a future pharaoh would loot the grave goods in a financial emergency? I think this means there's a good chance the big void contains a trove. Load it up during construction, then seal it with masonry. Or maybe the grave goods went into the Queens chamber...
The void next to the kings chamber/grand gallery being sealed with masonry and stuffed with grave goods would be sensational. Even just to put to bed any doubt about it being a tomb and to who. Personally I don't think there's much of a chance of it, but I love the idea. It would truly be a logical and genius way to store grave goods given where that chamber is located.
Exactly. This is a logical argument, which has precedent within current Egyptological inquiry into Burial practices, reuse, and re-entry older tombs by later Pharaohs, priests and dynasties.
There is quite a bit of ongoing work in this regard being done in the Kings and Queens Valleys further south. And yes they date to over 1000 years later. But is still relevant here.
@@ryann6067Drill baby drill!
So very pleased that I have found this RUclips channel, Great in so very many respects. Please continue with your fine work. Thank you History for Granite.
A thousand views a minute steady while I watched this episode. It shows the value of careful thought, eloquent presentation and good humour.
Keep them coming.
Once again, excellent video. Thanks! Look forward to the next one.
Imagine the feeling at the end of that last day of work on the great pyramid. It must have been hard for most workers to believe that it was finally done.
and then go home and have a good meal and make love to your misses :)
construction jobs don't end like that. they wind down. at various rates depending on the job. you can see here as the pyramid diminishes in size as it goes up there's less and less need for stone cutters, trimmers, movers, lifters, positioners etc. etc.. and so on.
This man is extremely intelligent and brings the right amount of skepticism to the subject and is asking all the right questions that have plagued those of us with rational and open minds, for decades.
I still love the way you are tackling the problem: "These are the pieces we have, lets see what picture we can form with them!" instead of: "this is my assumption, lets see, how I can fit the pieces into this!" as done so often in science today. I am a scientist myself and I can say: the latter approach is much easier and very tempting since it usually gives some "positive" results (and you can sell only positives today).
The logical approach should always be:
1. collect some data without prejudice
2. filter the data to form a hypothesis
3. systematically (for instance with statistics) look at all your data to see if there is something in it contradicting your hypothesis
4. if no: tell people you have one possible explanation and challenge them to find a better one. if yes: restart from 1
sadly, today it is more a process like this:
1. I have an idea - lets collect the data to prove it!
...and if the data does not fit, I make it fit!
2 everybody who disagrees is a fool!
The way grant applications are prepared often requires proposing a hypothesis to begin with. Even very large surveys (e.g. in astronomy) require a set of hypotheses which the new data are supposed to test. This has good and bad aspects, but a totally "blind" data acquisition project is rare and likely not to provide the most useful data. You sort of have to know what you are looking for, i.e. make a good guess. A good example of unexpected findings which should have been made much earlier are extra-solar planets (i.e. planets around other stars). Nobody expected to find planets with orbital periods of a few days.
Thank you for presenting the best channel on RUclips. No question.
How does this channel not have a million subs yet? Unreal. This is my favorite channel and I appreciate all the hard work. Salute!!
Because it isn’t full of sensationalism. In other words, the same reason that the History channel, TLC, and Discovery etc moved away from history and documentaries to reality tv and shows like ancient aliens.
While I appreciate this content and the presentation , it appears that all
Ancient architecture fall into the realm of mysterious. My hope is that once we have the advanced models of modern day AI we can let it loose and start iterating through all the speculation and find the highest probability for all ancient creations. This will happen soon. Yes AI will invade every areas of research but I for one will be glad to see the highest probability sorted
And laid out in such a way that we can conclusively put an end to speculation. Great video , just can’t wait to see what happens when this area too gets AI assistance. Cheers
very insightful. Thank you! This is the most straightfoward and rational story as to why/how they all were built.
My man. Your video essays consistently succeed in making me content with your premises and conclusions. Down to earth and real life. Simple and logical.
Your insight by far makes the most sense.
Perfect timing, just when I needed one of these
Pyramids as a place of worship, rather than just a tomb, makes total sense, based on the presented evidence. Brilliant analysis.
Well it makes sense if you worship pharows as God's and you think if you put somone under a big mountain they will be there forever in some underground life. If you worship life you'd have zero interest in a tomb. If you worship death a tomb would be your big day out. So both.
That makes a lot of sense. A great big building to say 'THE PHAROAH RESTS HERE', all the while concealing the real burial place of the pharoah, which is elsewhere, secure, and lost to the ages because it was deliberately left unrecorded.
Haha. Perfectly aligning millions of multi ton blocks from quarries hundreds of miles away, then accurately cutting said stones, then precisely placing these stones with less than a hair width of gaps. Then architecturally design chambers and passages in the middle of a desert with no other purpose than to “conceal the real burial place”? That makes absolutely no sense. These pyramids and structures were found and inherited from an even older civilization
How would it benefit him to have people visiting his tomb and leaving offerings if he was elsewhere. The video states that the remains were removed during the chaos to preserve them and were never returned. It was an emergency measure, not their original intention.
@@TheStoicPath_ Ohhh thank-you. I needed that laugh.
@@TheStoicPath_ We have found the quarries where the stones came from, filled with Egyptian tools and Egyptian worker's cottages. Did the Egyptians make fake quarries to conceal the "fact" they merely found the pyramids, and did not build them?
So might there be another unknown Valley of The Kings/Pharaohs?
This new set of pyramid's images are simply the most wonderful I've seen so far. Thk you.
I love this logical & rational approach to this topic!
Last person I watched speak about this was Billy Carson & his ideas are beyond out there. He has even claimed that someone called Thoth built the pyramids and that he is also a reincarnation of that said Thoth.
Can you imagine having to sweep off Djoser's pyramid? That must have cost a lot.
to go with your idea on them being continuously visited and used- what if the pyramids were meant as more of a temporary resting place? but not just intended for one person with one use, but multiple at different times. similar to a funeral home. where only the recent pharaoh or very important people could have an amount of time to have the pyramid for them to be visited or have ceremonies and offerings brought and such. only temporarily before they are moved to their final resting place. then after it would be used again for the next important "funeral". would explain why there's no writings or inscriptions on the inside dedicating it to one specific person. Just a thought..
Could turn out that the "real curse of the pharao" was having to outbuild his predecessor and that unhealthy "competition" eventually acccelerated the old kingdom's downfall.
you realize that's basically the exact opposite of what all of the evidence points to though, right? the first ones were the biggest ones. if they got bigger over time, your comment would make sense. but they got smaller, nobody ever topped the earliest ones.
Loving your fresh perspective on things. Finally have the feeling that the old fools are leaving the stage, and young creative voices are opening doors and looking into places that the old gard simply kept closed so they wouldn't have to admit they had no good ideas.
Always nice to hear your perspective on these things, so fresh and thoughtful.
The value in your material is the insight and the care you give to making foundations for it without consideration for being against the grain. That's missing from Egyptology, where it is now. This channel has given me more new ideas than the hundreds of books and papers I have on my shelves for the last 20 years. And this is all available in RUclips videos, free for the world to see and digest. Don't stop doing what you're doing, you're seriously going to go places. Hopefully, to the big leagues in this stagnant field that hates itself and stymies the pursuit of knowledge.
I think you're spot on with this
I've learned more in a bout 5 videos from your channel. Then I previously had in a 2 decades.
This explanation doesn't make sense. The king's chamber being designed to be accessible by the public is clearly contradicted by the fact that the ascending corridor is sealed (to this day) by the giant granite blocks. Further, even without these granite blocks, the ascending corridor is situated in the roof of the descending corridor and is difficult if not impossible for the common man to climb to. The only passageway that can easily be used to visit the king's chamber is the robber's tunnel (al mamun tunned) which by its condition and angling is clearly not a part of the original design. Can you answer this please? This is a major flow with your theory and prevents us from moving further with it.
The Granite Plugs are explained in the last video, as mentioned at the start of this one. Haven’t you ever wondered why plugging would occur from the inside?
Having the access to ascending corridor being in the roof of the descending corridor may mean that, access wasn't meant to be a day to day thing for the public but, was still needed for access for special occasions, perhaps death anniversaries.
As mentioned above, the plugging blocks were covered in previous video in regards to this hypothesis.
@@HistoryforGRANITE Thank you for your answer. Yes I watched the last video, yet other responses could be imagined to the questions mentioned in it:
1-Why plug the ascending corridor when you can block the descending corridor ? Answer: (1) Simply because deblocking the ascending corridor is more difficult. Removing a blocking rock in the descending corridor could be achieved by hammering nails in the rock and using ropes and counterweights to pull it outside the way is was slid inside. In the case of the ascending corridor the gravity is working against you as the giant stones are literally above your head. (2) because a blocked ascending passageway could be disguised as a continuation of the roof of the descending corridor. Other earlier pyramids have only a descending passageway and so the eventual robber would continue to the lower chamber and waste energy and time digging there to find nothing. This explains (in my opinion) the condition of the lower chamber and the giant pit in the middle of it, which is most probably the futile attempt of robbers to find some space hidden below the lower chamber.
2-The plugging granite stones don't have to be slid from the side of the grand gallery (from the interior) a simple mechanism could be used to release them from the exterior. As you mentioned before, the ancient egyptiens were not stupid, and sliding the plugging stones from the inside just to get out using the escape shaft would make no sense, as they would have basically made a huge effort to make the upper chambers inaccessible just to let another access point (the escape shaft) as a relatively easy way around it. The ancient egyptians never did a poor job building anything let alone the greatest of pyramids, yet the escape shaft is exactly what could be described as a poor unfinished job which can safely be attributed to robbers.
Don't take me wrong, I like your theory very much and I find it most interesting. But as any theory, you must strive to strengthen and refine it beyond the circumstansial and refute any doubts or alternative explanations to be able to safely build upon it later. Another possible question is the following: If the king's chamber is designed to allow visitors in, why make its entrance so small and difficult to get through? why make it difficult to the mundane visitors to enter the king's burial, while, in contrast, the grand galley itself is so spacious. To be able to seal it and protect it outside of the visitation hours? then just put a normal big door. it should do the trick considering that the ultimate failsafe is the plugging granite stones. You don't need to use one, let alone three giant stone blocks that would require tens of meters of rope and dozens of men just to open it every morning and seal it every evening. Now consider the following hypothesis and maybe it gives a better explanation: The king's chamber was never to be visited outside of some possible emergency situations. The burial chamber of the great king is so sacred and it contains the valuable treasures which the deceased king would require for his afterlife journey and cannot whatseoever be visited and defiled by the common living. The grand gallery which is spacious and mejestuous is designed to house and welcome the visitors coming to pay tribute to the god king (khufu) with their offferings. Maybe, the most valuable of offerings are later moved by priests to the queen chamber below and placed in front of the statue of the god king housed in the triangular niche just under the king's chamber. I think this is a better explanation. What do you think?
Lastly, you could ask me why, then, the airshafts in the king's chamber if it wasn't designed to be visited? simple answer: You forget that after the death of the king, takes place the difficult and time and energy consuming process of transfering his mummy inside the sarcophagus of the king's chamber alongside all his belongings. This would require a small army of men accompanied by officials and high ranking priests necessary for the cermony all in one chamber (the king's) at one time, using torches to light the small room. This would require the king's chamber to be aerated properly to prevent the suffocation of this fine nobility during the farewell of the king.
1) Old kingdom pyramids were never ‘deblocked’. It’s not how intruders entered, robber’s tunnels always go around or through obstructions if there is no easier way around. The builders would be fully aware of this.
The AP is made such that it is impossible to camouflage effectively. The granite stands out, and nothing could conceal the joints in the ceiling that would fool intruders.
2) The QC was closed off and unfinished. The Niche is not the architecture for a statue - statues are under false doors. The reason for a secure granite lockable door is that human guards are ultimately fallible, especially for the timeline of eternity. Whatever the frequency of entering, incentives point towards more access = more offerings.
And if fresh air is only for some fancy mummy closing ceremony, why are only pyramid sarcophagi locked? If it’s to protect from the funeral procession, then every sarcophagi would need locks. But only pyramids have them. Pretty cheap to install too, just few small holes and a dovetail. Magnificent granite sarcophagi are found in many Giza mastabas, none of them locked. No critic has even bothered to address that point. Probably because Egyptology has never noticed this and thus there isn’t a prefabricated excuse for naysayers to fall back on.
@@HistoryforGRANITE Thank you for these answers. I'm thrilled to see your next video. Keep up the good work
I love how you analyze the pyramids. looking forward to more videos
I don't know about this theory. The Great Pyramid corridors meant to convey visitors to the burial chamber for a visit are relatively small and difficult to navigate when compared to a temple's corridors, which certainly were mean to facilitate visitation by humans. Also, by size and extent it seems Khafre was trying to equal Khufu, yet the internal structure of his pyrmaid is nothing like Khufu's. Why is this if Khufu had hit upon that golden idea of getting visitors to come visit him and bring a gift? I would love to seem more thorough analysis of Khafre's pyramid. The Sphinx Temple and funeary complex gets the lion's share of attention, but hardly anyone talks about his pyarmid. How it was constructed (no internal ramp theories here)? Why was it enlarged during construction if there was a master plan? Why is the internal layout so radically differnent? If Khafre's pyramid is the product of lessons learned during Khufu's construction, what does that say about the choices that were made. Same question when looking at Menkaure's pyramid compared to Khafre's. What features were kept (the good) and what were changed (the bad)? What was emulated and what was rejected? What was emphasized, what was minimized? Thank you. I enjoy your channel immensely.
I see scant evidence the Khafre pyramid was expanded in any significant way. You will notice at Khafre the corridors are a walkable height after the portcullis, and this patterns follows to the end of the Old Kingdom. Everything about the design is more practical - more bang for the buck. Maybe Djedefre’s early demise spooked him a bit.
It seems the majority of pyramids don't have corridors and chambers higher up in their structures. Maybe the extra planning and effort outweighed perceived benefits. Menkaure's pyramid is the one the seems to have been enlarged due to the now blind alley corridor.
Maybe once Khufu was secured in the underworld he could help forthcoming pharaohs.
I've lived all over our planet for several decades now. I really appreciate this channel's approach to giving people credit for being intelligent and not attributing anomalies to mistakes. In my experience everyone is fundamentally the same, differing only by cultural norms and access to education. Several thousand years may seem like a long time to us but in terms of evolution we can safety assume we are not much different than the people who lived in Egypt at the time these pyramids were built.
With that in mind I think understanding the social environment of the time would help greatly in understanding the pyramids, providing a balance to the physical evidence that most people focus on. No doubt the structure of the government at the time was sophisticated, with as much intrigue and alliances and plotting as one might expect.
Can we think of people in our time who have built massive projects, much larger than what is needed or what came before it? What was the purpose of those projects, was it for the stated function or was it to impress and demonstrate power to colleagues that rulers could deem a threat? That several generations later the Pharaohs were significantly weakened, had to marry aristocrats to stay in power, and one was assassinated to me is no coincidence.
Kudos to you. You accurately demonstrate the purpose of the pyramids. It shows that you are indeed educated on this subject .Thank you!!
3:00 Is it possible for that Jars, to be some kind of tickets? I mean the payment for the access to Great Pyramid, for visitors in that days, as it is today? If you want to enter inside, then you have to pay with goods. It is possible that Egyptians made that kind of business? Is could be the reason, why there is a lot of Jars there?
Seems like tithing has some dirty roots from thier oppressors, thought about that years ago lol
Another 👍 Wonderful Video
This is really interesting! It makes me think about how it's connected to the way pharaohs were buried in ancient Egypt later on, in the Valley of the Kings.
Best vid yet. Somewhat speculative. But in a way that promotes understanding instead of institution. Calling it speculative would usually be an insult, but this is proper intellectual progress as apposed to attempting to fit the leading theory as proof. Amazing work.
I put in speculation so people can understand my thinking, not because I'm trying to constrain ideas towards my personal preference.
Another rational and insightful video. So good i had to watch it twice. Thanks
I still don't believe that these were designed as tombs but I do agree there was function installed in these for repeated access. I still think that the Great Pyramid is still the oldest and incomplete Pyramid. I believe that they inherited that pyramid and attempted to copy it's significance. Only the most powerful and healthy managed such feats but to no degree that can be matched by the Great Pyramid.
I admit, I've yet to see them in person though. I suspect that changes everything from just seeing the camera work of others who have managed the journey.
When I compare the "Valley of the Kings" with the "Pyramid" structures .. I see one hidden below ground out of sight .. with upright walking passageways with beautiful decorative art on the walls .. the other has passageways that make one bend over as if in humility .. and the walls are not so beautifully decorated. The first seems to be a display of artistic beauty .. the other a display of structural / industrial function .. while both have excessive "awe" factors incorporated. I really enjoy the revelations of this channel. Keep up the great work .. definitely not taken for granted! lol
Brilliant as always, thank you :)
My boi is straight capping on Zahi and Lehner! lol. I love it.