00:00Before we get into the reason why and how there are pyramids all around the world, let's
00:06talk about some of the examples.
00:09I'll start with the Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico.
00:15These folks really knew how to build a city.
00:18Their well-planned urban center spanned over 7 square miles and boasted several pyramids.
00:24But the Pyramid of the Sun is the most impressive.
00:28This giant pyramid was built way back in 100 CE and is one of the biggest structures
00:33of its kind in the whole Western Hemisphere.
00:37It's so big that it's 216 feet high above the ground.
00:43If you ever find yourself in this ancient city, you won't be able to miss the Pyramid
00:47of the Sun.
00:49It's right there on the east side of the Avenue of the Dead, the city's main north-south street.
00:56To build this incredible pyramid, around 1 million cubic yards of material were used,
01:01including a special kind of red volcanic rock called Hugh Tizontal.
01:07Impressive, huh?
01:09We don't know too much about the people who built the Pyramid of the Sun or its purpose,
01:14but archaeologists believe there was once a temple on top of it.
01:20When explorers went below the pyramid in the 1970s, they found a bunch of cool tunnels
01:25and chambers.
01:27In 2011, they even found a secret stash of clay pots, obsidian pieces, animal bones,
01:35human figurines, and a mask.
01:38Who knows what other secrets the pyramid is hiding?
01:43If you decide to see this one, you must climb the pyramid using the 248 uneven steps on
01:49the west side.
01:50Watch your step!
01:54Sudan got some pyramids too!
01:56Nubian pyramids aren't as big as the ones in Egypt, but they still got around 200 of
02:01them.
02:03These ancient pyramids have been home to the tombs of the pharaohs of the Meroitic Kingdom
02:07for almost a thousand years, who ruled Egypt from Nubia to the Mediterranean Sea.
02:13The pyramids at Meroe were constructed using granite and reddish sandstone.
02:19Oh, and did you know that Sudan has more ancient pyramids than Egypt?
02:26The Kushite pyramids depict the indigenous architecture and burial traditions of Nubia's
02:31Napata and Meroe kingdoms, which ancient Egypt influenced.
02:36Meroe, the burial site of over 40 queens and kings, is the most extensive Nubian pyramid
02:43site.
02:44The tomb walls depict mummified royals bedecked in jewelry, their wooden caskets containing
02:50bows, quivers of arrows, and other artifacts pointing to the Meroitic relationship and
02:55trade with Egyptian and Greek civilizations.
03:00So if you're looking for some ancient tombs to explore, you may consider skipping the
03:04crowds in Egypt and heading on down to Sudan.
03:09Let's fly to Iraq to see some more pyramids!
03:14Pyramids have fancy receding layers and tiered temples.
03:18Instead of a smooth exterior, it has tiers like a cake, perfect for all the important
03:23work and rituals that went on inside.
03:27You can find these towering structures scattered throughout Iraq and Iran, and they're a real
03:32testament to the power and skills of the people who built them.
03:37One of the biggest and most impressive ziggurats is the Ziggurat at Ur.
03:41It's basically a giant rectangular pyramid that stands a whopping 70 to 100 feet tall,
03:48with three levels of terraces and a temple on top.
03:53Can you imagine how many baked bricks it took to build that thing?
03:57Try 720,000 for just the lower portion.
04:01This particular ziggurat was built for Sumerian king Ur-Nammu.
04:06Similar to other ones, this pyramid has been around for thousands of years.
04:11So it got a little rough around the edges.
04:13Thankfully, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II and some archaeologists came to the rescue
04:20in the 6th and 20th centuries respectively.
04:23And now you can find this near Talil Air Base.
04:30The Ziggurat at Ur was built in 2100 BCE by king Ur-Nammu for the moon deity Nana.
04:37It was the tallest building in the city and you could see it from miles around.
04:42It was like the medieval cathedral spire of its day.
04:45People would come here to bring their agricultural surplus and get their food allotments and
04:50seek spiritual nourishment.
04:52Sadly, the Nana temple at the top of the ziggurat didn't survive.
04:57But we do have some blue glazed bricks that may have been part of its decoration.
05:02The lower parts of the ziggurat are pretty amazing though.
05:07The architects even included holes in the temple's baked exterior to let the water
05:11evaporate from its core.
05:15Since we explored some of the pyramids on our planet, let's take a broader perspective.
05:21They can be found in many parts of the world.
05:24Egypt has over 100 pyramids, double that number in Sudan.
05:29And dozens of others are scattered in the Middle East and China.
05:34The Americas have the most pyramids in total, with more pyramids than the rest of the world
05:39combined.
05:40These pyramids are located in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
05:50Time to know more about the evolution of pyramids through history.
05:53The oldest pyramid is in Egypt.
05:57This pyramid was a step pyramid, which was created by placing one layer of stone on top
06:02of another.
06:03The pharaoh Sneferu is credited with creating the pyramid shape we recognize today.
06:09During his 45-year reign, he built three pyramids.
06:14His first two attempts failed, but he finally got it right with the Red Pyramid, which is
06:19considered the first true pyramid.
06:24It was Sneferu's son Khufu who built the Great Pyramid of Giza, which was the tallest
06:29human-made structure on Earth for almost 4,000 years.
06:34Latin American pyramids are similar to early Egyptian step pyramids, but they were built
06:39independently, with no knowledge of each other.
06:43The pyramids in Sudan were built around 700 BCE and are tall but much narrower than those
06:50in Egypt.
06:52How in the world did all these civilizations build these things without even texting each
06:57other?
06:58After all, the Aztecs, Mayans, and ancient Egyptians were about as different as possible.
07:04But despite their cultural differences, they all seemed to agree on one thing.
07:09Pyramids were pretty cool.
07:12Step pyramids are all around the world because they were the most feasible and stable way
07:16to build large and tall structures without access to lighter building materials like
07:21wood and metal.
07:24The triangular form with a square base is the best way to build a sturdy structure,
07:29and having a cube structure would require more material for less height.
07:34Now, when it comes to pyramid design, the Egyptian pyramids were like giant triangles
07:39with a square base, smooth sides, and a pointy top.
07:44On the other hand, the Aztecs and Mayans went for a tiered cake look, with steps leading
07:49up to a flat platform on top.
07:52So while all these pyramids share the same basic shape, they have their own unique flair.
07:58Each group built its pyramids using different materials, techniques, and slope angles.
08:03So while they may have been inspired by each other's work occasionally, they were just
08:07doing their own thing.
08:09Egyptian pyramids had smooth, angled sides that were designed to help the pharaoh's
08:14soul ascend to heaven.
08:16The Pyramid of the Sun was built over a series of caves that served as a passageway for the
08:21deities.
08:23The Maya built the temple of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza to honor the deity Kukulkan, usually
08:28represented by a serpent.
08:31Nicknamed El Castillo, it has 91 steps on each side, plus a platform.
08:36That's 365 steps, one for each day of the Mayan calendar.
08:44Tell me, Bright Siders, how were pyramids built?
08:47To begin with, humans made them, not a foreign race from space that landed on Earth.
08:53You see, one thing that all pyramids have in common is that they were built without
08:57advanced tools or even the wheel.
09:00It took a lot of people to build them, including skilled laborers and architects.
09:06For example, it's estimated that 20,000 people built the Great Pyramid of Giza, and
09:12it's believed that most of them were skilled laborers.
09:16Building pyramids was a massive undertaking that required years of planning and effort.
09:22The Great Pyramid at Cholula, Mexico took 600 years to complete.
09:28That's it for today, so hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like
09:35and share it with your friends.
09:36Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
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