00:00If there's a question that still baffles archaeologists to this day, it's this one.
00:05How did the ancient Egyptians build those magnificent pyramids?
00:09As far as we know today, their resources were quite limited,
00:13especially in terms of tools and building materials.
00:16We still don't have a fully satisfying answer.
00:19But hey, we've got some pretty amazing theories worth considering.
00:22The leading contender among these theories involves the clever Egyptians
00:27employing a sneaky strategy.
00:28Now, picture this.
00:30They constructed a slanted and curving mound made of bricks, earth, and sand,
00:35encircling the pyramid to be.
00:37As the pyramid grew taller and taller,
00:40they simply increased the height and length of this wacky structure.
00:43It's like they were playing an ancient game of Jenga.
00:46Now, how did they get those massive stone blocks up there?
00:50Well, according to the legendary ancient Greek historian Herodotus,
00:55they used sleds, rollers, and levers.
00:57It sounds like they turned construction into a supersized game of tug-of-war.
01:01And guess what?
01:02Herodotus also claimed that the Great Pyramid,
01:05you know, the one from Giza, the granddaddy of them all,
01:08took a whopping 20 years to build.
01:11There's more.
01:12Herodotus also dropped a mind-boggling number on us.
01:16100,000 men were supposedly involved in this pyramid extravaganza.
01:21Did they hire the entire Egyptian population?
01:24Well, it might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
01:28These men were probably mostly farmers,
01:30so they probably focused on the pyramids
01:32when there wasn't much work to be done in the fields.
01:35You know, like during the flood season of the Nile River.
01:38Obviously, specialists in the archaeological community
01:41had something to add to this theory.
01:43By the late 20th century,
01:45they discovered some evidence that suggests
01:47the workforce might have been smaller
01:49and more permanent than previously thought.
01:52Instead of a massive army of 100,000 pyramid builders,
01:56they proposed that a modest crew of around 20,000 workers,
02:00accompanied by support personnel like bakers,
02:03physicians, and even spiritual leaders,
02:05could have gotten the job done.
02:07There was also this theory
02:09that claimed that the pyramids were actually built
02:11from the top downward.
02:13It suggested that these colossal structures
02:15were nothing more than isolated hills used as quarries.
02:19The stones were supposedly drawn from these hills,
02:22and over time, competing engineers took charge
02:25and transformed them into the iconic pyramids we know today.
02:29Now, before you dismiss this theory as a wild fantasy,
02:33some folks thought it wasn't completely crazy.
02:36After all, there are instances where isolated hills exist.
02:39So maybe this theory had a tiny glimmer of truth.
02:43Whether it involved ramp building or ingenious work schedules,
02:47one thing is clear.
02:48Those pyramids have definitely left their mark on history
02:51and on our imaginations.
02:54Now, speaking of ancient Egyptian mysteries,
02:57there's this gigantic unfinished obelisk
02:59sitting in ancient Egypt.
03:01And scientists are trying to figure out how it was shaped.
03:04Now, some people suggest that our industrious ancestors
03:07use handheld pounders to get the job done.
03:11One expert has a different take on the matter, though.
03:14He argues that if we take a closer look
03:16at the pattern left behind by the shaping tool,
03:19we'll notice something peculiar.
03:21The walls of the trenches surrounding the obelisk
03:24display a neat and even pattern,
03:26which is pretty unlikely if they were pounded away
03:29by mere mortal hands.
03:31According to this expert,
03:32those horizontal striations are usually the result
03:36of a tool that takes breaks while removing material,
03:39leaving its mark on the surface.
03:41But wait, there's more.
03:43Imagine the tool being rocked back and forth
03:46against the trench walls,
03:47clearing away the waste to keep the trench from narrowing.
03:51Well, in that case,
03:52the tool might have left some funky horizontal striations
03:55where it was pressed against the sidewall.
03:58This sounds like some fancy technology at play,
04:00don't you think?
04:01And guess what?
04:02The dynastic Egyptians probably didn't have access
04:05to that kind of know-how.
04:07Another famous Egyptologist from way back
04:10also uncovered a bunch of core drills
04:12during his adventures.
04:14Although the actual drill bits are missing,
04:16his collection houses these particular core remnants
04:19made of limestone, alabaster, and even granite.
04:23These constructions aren't the only amazing thing
04:26the ancient Egyptians left behind, though.
04:28As it turns out,
04:29the Egyptians were the genius minds
04:31behind the creation of the handheld mirror.
04:34Yeah, that little mirror you use every day
04:37to check yourself out.
04:38But here's the twist.
04:39These mirrors are like pieces of art.
04:41They were decorated with inscriptions and figures.
04:45But that's not all.
04:46The Egyptians had a serious concern with their appearance.
04:49They knew the importance of personal hygiene
04:51and looking fabulous.
04:53So, in their quest for pearly whites,
04:56they invented toothbrushes and toothpaste.
04:59Dental problems were pretty common back then,
05:01and their smiles weren't exactly all white.
05:04Dentistry wasn't their strongest suit, you see.
05:07Maybe their minds were distracted
05:08by all that pyramid building.
05:10So, that doesn't mean
05:11those ancient toothpaste recipes weren't amazing.
05:14One delightful concoction included rock salt,
05:18mint, dried iris petals, and pepper.
05:20Some brave dentists in the 21st century tried it out,
05:24and it worked pretty well.
05:26Ground-up ash was also used in another recipe
05:28to create a tooth cleansing paste.
05:31Mint was missing,
05:32so that didn't do much for their breath.
05:34That's when the genius Egyptians
05:35came up with the world's first breath mints.
05:38They made tablets from heated spices like cinnamon,
05:41and they mixed it with honey.
05:43Now, let's shift gears to home decor, Egyptian style.
05:47They surely took ornamentation to the next level.
05:50While the concept of decorating furniture
05:52started in Mesopotamia,
05:54the Egyptians cranked it up a notch.
05:57They went all out with different colors of ink
05:59and even developed various weights of paper.
06:02Oh, and let's not forget
06:03about those cute little area rugs
06:05we all have in our homes today.
06:08Guess who came up with the idea?
06:10Yep, the Egyptians.
06:11They used the versatile papyrus plant
06:13to make those cozy rugs.
06:15And speaking of trends,
06:17the Egyptians loved their knick-knacks.
06:19They had an assortment of small figurines
06:21in the shapes of cats, dogs, and people.
06:25These statues were made from various materials,
06:27like simple sun-dried mud
06:29to the ultimate bling of gold.
06:32It all depended on how loaded you were.
06:35The Egyptians were also all about farming,
06:37and they knew that clean water
06:39was crucial for their crops and animals.
06:41That's why they came up with some nifty inventions
06:43and techniques to make sure their land was fertile
06:46and their plants were happy.
06:48First off, they had the genius idea
06:51of using ox-drawn plows.
06:53They had two types of plows, heavy and light.
06:56The heavy plow would strut its stuff,
06:58cutting deep furrows in the soil,
07:00while the lighter plow followed behind,
07:02fluffing up the earth.
07:04But they didn't stop there.
07:05After plowing, the Egyptians would break up
07:08clumps of soil and sow the rows with seeds.
07:10To give those seeds a good old squish into the pharaohs,
07:14they'd march their livestock across the field,
07:16effectively closing up the furrows.
07:19But hey, all that hard work would be pointless
07:21if their seeds were as dry as the Sahara.
07:24That's where irrigation comes into play.
07:27The Egyptians were so good at it
07:29that other cultures, like the Greeks and Romans,
07:32couldn't help but copy their techniques.
07:34Now let's switch gears
07:35and talk about the marvelous architecture of ancient Egypt.
07:38These folks weren't just skilled farmers.
07:41They were also architectural maestros.
07:44They built these fancy canals
07:46to carry water to farms and villages.
07:48And boy, did they know how to make those canals look pretty.
07:51Just imagine strolling along a canal
07:54lined with ornate structures.
07:56The pharaoh Ramesses the Great
07:58was quite the overachiever when it came to construction.
08:01One of his mind-blowing creations
08:03was the construction located at Abu Simbel.
08:05This building was designed so that twice a year,
08:09the sun would shine directly into it
08:11and illuminate the statues of Ramesses.
08:14And let's not forget about the corbelled arch.
08:17Without this architectural gem,
08:19we'd be missing out on some mind-boggling structures
08:22like the Great Pyramid.
08:24The Egyptians knew how to make things stand tall and proud,
08:27thanks to their engineering and construction wizardry.
08:30They built grand halls and inner sanctums
08:32that make your jaw drop.
08:34And some of these temples doubled
08:35as astronomical observatories.
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