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Dive into the mysteries of Ancient Egypt as we explore two intriguing puzzles that have baffled historians for centuries. Discover the enigmatic riddles surrounding this enigmatic civilization, along with the captivating story of how an ancient writing system was accidentally uncovered.
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00:00Imagine working seven days a week on a large-scale construction site.
00:04You, along with thousands of others, carry millions of stone blocks
00:09and put them on top of each other according to a complex system.
00:12You work without modern construction equipment.
00:16You have no air conditioning or constant access to water.
00:20It's so hot outside that you can fry eggs on the road.
00:24You've been building the pyramid for decades.
00:26And now, when it's finally done, you enjoy the result of the colossal work of thousands of people.
00:35You're looking at a giant cultural monument of global value that will freeze in time
00:40and amaze people for tens of thousands of years.
00:45A few thousand years have passed.
00:47People in the 21st century see the pyramids and are like,
00:51Wow, I can't believe humans have built this.
00:54Yeah, the people who built the pyramids wouldn't have appreciated such a theory.
01:00But actually, there are reasons to believe that people built it using some fantastic technology.
01:06From the outside, it seems the great pyramids are just big triangles of stone.
01:11People just put some heavy blocks on top of each other and that's it.
01:16In fact, the design seems too perfect to be true.
01:21The pyramid consists of more than 2 million blocks.
01:24They lay so close to each other and are so even that you couldn't squeeze even a thin sheet of
01:29paper between them.
01:31Scientists still can't figure out the exact technology for building the Egyptian pyramids.
01:37One of the biggest and most famous is the Great Pyramid of Giza.
01:42This huge construction, well known all over the world, has one big secret.
01:47There should be a capstone on top of the pyramid.
01:50It's a triangular-shaped stone block.
01:53A small pyramid on top of a huge one.
01:55It's also called a Pyramidian.
01:59The builders of ancient Egypt made it out of granite and limestone and covered it with gold.
02:05No records or old drawings prove that there was a Pyramidian at the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
02:12But there's another ancient Egyptian structure with such a triangle.
02:16The Red Pyramid.
02:17It was built before the Great One and its capstone has survived to this day.
02:23Archaeologists have found and reconstructed it.
02:25But where could the capstone of the Great Pyramid be?
02:29It's a mystery that still has no answer.
02:33Some are sure that some thieves have stolen it from the top.
02:37Maybe they just climbed up and pushed the Pyramidian down.
02:42It makes perfect sense.
02:44The capstone was probably the most valuable element of the pyramid.
02:48Many scientists and archaeologists still don't know its exact purpose.
02:52Some believe that this peak covered with gold glorified the pharaohs.
02:57The capstone reflected moonlight at night and illuminated the entire space around it.
03:04During the day, the capstone reflected sunlight with its shiny surface.
03:09You could have noticed it from afar.
03:11The top of the pyramid was a kind of guiding star for lost travelers.
03:17All other stone blocks of the pyramid consist of limestone.
03:22People polished them to make them look shiny.
03:25In the past, they were even glowing and reflected light.
03:29You could see glowing pyramids from space, although they looked like tiny lights.
03:35Over thousands of years, winds, sandstorms, and rains have changed the pyramids' appearance.
03:42If people had taken care of them all this time, they would have looked like something out of science fiction
03:47movies or the pyramids from Las Vegas.
03:50But unfortunately, we will never see their original appearance.
03:56Some archaeologists and scientists believe that the capstone could absorb the sun's energy and distribute it evenly throughout the pyramid.
04:04No one knows precisely why the Egyptians needed this technology.
04:08There's a theory the pyramids are ancient energy systems.
04:12The pharaohs applied this energy to use some unique technologies that were more advanced than all the achievements of the
04:1921st century.
04:20And the triangular shape of the pyramids was ideal for boosting this electromagnetic energy.
04:27In theory, solar radiation, or electromagnetic forces, accumulated at the top of the pyramid, filled the inner rooms, and then
04:37went down the walls to the base.
04:38Any surface distortion could prevent the flow from spreading.
04:42So, they had to create a perfectly smooth surface.
04:46That's why they installed the blocks so that nobody could squeeze a needle or razor blade between them.
04:52Many people believe in this theory because they built the pyramids from limestone.
04:58This material can hold energy inside itself.
05:01In the inner part, they created granite deposits to cause air ionization.
05:06That is, to create an electric charge.
05:10They also dug channels under the pyramid for water to transmit electricity.
05:15And at the top, they put a gold capstone, the best conductor of electricity.
05:21So, this is how you get a great power generator.
05:24Different cultures use similar technologies to create electricity all over the world.
05:30But these are all theories.
05:31If it had been working, humanity would have used these technologies today.
05:38There are mentions of the metal industry, chemistry, engineering, physics, mathematics, and astronomy in some ancient records.
05:47Most scientists don't believe in all these things.
05:51We know the detailed stages of the technology's development in different cultures.
05:55In the 21st century, scientists, historians, and anthropologists can track the evolution of all modern devices.
06:03If people had created some technological inventions in ancient times, the history of the world would have looked different.
06:11Perhaps, all the achievements of antiquity could have been wiped off the face of the earth by global cataclysms.
06:17And it can happen to us.
06:20Just imagine how people would dig up a laptop in 5,000 years.
06:24Perhaps, they wouldn't understand what kind of device it is.
06:29Another Egyptian wonder surrounded by mystery is the Statue of the Sphinx.
06:35The Egyptians carved it out of a single massive piece of limestone about 4,500 years ago.
06:41But scientists still don't know the exact date of its construction or who built it.
06:48People painted the Sphinx in different colors, so it looked much brighter and more vivid in the distant past.
06:54It was shining just like the Great Pyramids.
06:57Anyway, time hasn't only changed its appearance, but its name too.
07:02Initially, the Egyptians called it Horemeket.
07:06The Greeks renamed it the Sphinx about a few hundred years after it had been built.
07:11The Sphinx emphasized the greatness of the rulers of Egypt.
07:15It also performed a symbolic function of a watchdog guarding the tomb of the pharaoh and the paths leading to
07:22it.
07:22This version sounds realistic, since archaeologists have discovered many secret entrances at the foot of the Sphinx.
07:30Perhaps these rooms and intricate tunnels lead to underground halls with treasures.
07:35And treasures don't always mean gold and jewelry.
07:39According to legends and theories, the Sphinx guards the Hall of Records, the storage of all humankind's knowledge.
07:46The information about the ancient mythical state of Atlantis could be there.
07:52You can find many detailed maps of the internal dungeons of the Sphinx on the internet.
07:57They show structures 12 stories deep under the statue.
08:00It looks like a small city filled with gold, scrolls of knowledge, and various ancient artifacts.
08:07But don't believe all these maps.
08:10These are just theories.
08:12Several thousand years have passed, but people have very little information about it.
08:16Archaeologists know that there are still many strange and exciting things about the Sphinx that are still undiscovered.
08:23Some locals are afraid to research because they believe they can awaken something terrible from the underground depths.
08:30Therefore, it's mostly scientists from other countries who conduct the excavations.
08:36In 1998, scientists discovered strange tunnels leading to empty rooms under the Sphinx.
08:43They realized that some people tried to get there through tunnels in the past.
08:48And maybe those people took all the treasures that were there.
08:52One of the legends says that some powerful artifact lays beneath the Sphinx.
08:57Its technology can change the whole world.
09:00But the locals are hiding it because it can damage the planet.
09:04Some believe that you can find evidence of unknown technologies painted on the granite walls in the pharaoh's tombs.
09:11But most likely, these paintings and signs tell us the myths and legends of ancient Egypt.
09:18But what if Egyptian symbols and drawings are detailed instructions for using ancient technologies?
09:25What if the locals that lived at that time thought,
09:28Hmm, people in the future won't be able to get energy themselves.
09:32Let's leave some detailed instructions for them.
09:36Anyway, there are many riddles and theories.
09:39In reality, the search for answers is a dangerous undertaking, since it's not easy to get into the underground halls.
09:47Excavations can ruin the structure of the entire Sphinx.
09:50Any person inside the tunnels may get lost and never be able to find their way back.
09:55Besides, it costs a lot of money.
09:59Now what would be awesome is if people could invent some device that could scan underground areas and show their
10:06detailed models.
10:10The story goes that two Mayan twin boys loved to play ball.
10:15Sure, they were really good at it, but they also made a lot of noise when playing.
10:20The lords of the underworld soon became bothered by the sound and summoned the two boys to the underworld,
10:26a place the Mayans called Xibalba.
10:30As soon as the boys reached their gloomy destination,
10:33the lords of the underworld began putting them through a series of tests.
10:37Soon enough, the inexperienced twin boys failed the tests and lost their lives.
10:43But this was not in vain.
10:45This sad event resulted in the appearance of a beautiful fruit tree.
10:50Soon enough, a young woman saw a beautiful fruit on this tree and reached up to pick it.
10:56Legend has it that soon after that,
10:59she gave birth to another set of twin boys named Hunapu and Jibaliqui.
11:05Just like their ancestors, these twins were great ballplayers.
11:09But they were equally as loud, and the lords of the underworld became annoyed again.
11:14They decided to ask this pair of twins to come to play a game in the underworld,
11:19hoping to get rid of them, too.
11:21When the twins arrived, the lord sent them through a number of frightening places.
11:26The first one was the House of Gloom, which was very dark.
11:30They then passed through the House of Knives, where they had to avoid getting injured.
11:35The twins then built a fire in the House of Cold, so that they didn't freeze,
11:40and ran through the House of Jaguars, where they tricked the animals into not eating them.
11:45Finally, they entered the House of Bats, where they seemed to have lost their luck.
11:50One of the bats managed to run off with Hunapu's head.
11:54The lords then challenged the twins to play ball with them,
11:57but the boys were clearly at a disadvantage.
12:02Jibaliqui placed a turtle on Hunapu's shoulders to make up for his lost head,
12:06and they began playing.
12:08As the lords became distracted by an animal near the court,
12:13Jibaliqui stole his brother's head and placed it back in its place.
12:17Much to the annoyance of the lords, the twins were now able to tie the game.
12:23Hunapu and Jibaliqui continued to perform a series of tricks for the lords of the underworld.
12:28One of them involved Jibaliqui injuring Hunapu, and then bringing him back to life.
12:34The lords were so impressed by the twins' performance,
12:38that they asked them to do the same trick on them.
12:40Of course, the twins agreed,
12:43but after performing their trick on some of the lords,
12:45they refused to revive them.
12:48Seeing what had happened,
12:49the lords of the underworld admitted defeat and begged for their lives,
12:53promising not to intervene in the lives of people ever again.
12:58Hunapu and Jibaliqui were happy to have avenged their ancestors
13:02and gained the respect of the lords.
13:05Legend has it that the lords of heaven were so impressed by the twins
13:08that they took them to live in the sky
13:11by turning them into the moon and the sun.
13:14The Maya civilization was one of the most dominant indigenous societies in history,
13:19and their folklore and traditions are still discovered and studied today.
13:24They used to live in a territory called Mesoamerica.
13:28It was made up of modern-day Mexico
13:30and parts of Central America,
13:32like Guatemala, Belize, Honduras,
13:35Yucatan Peninsula,
13:36and El Salvador.
13:37They lived from 1800 to 900 BCE
13:41and up to 900 to 1500 CE.
13:44Apart from their impressive legends,
13:47the Maya were very skilled inventors.
13:50They're known for their calendars,
13:52writing systems,
13:53farming methods,
13:54and sports.
13:55Their writing, for example,
13:57was found preserved on buildings and stone monuments,
14:00as well as in rare books and pottery.
14:03It's a system made out of more than 800 hieroglyphics
14:06in various combinations.
14:08Each of those signs was said to represent a syllable.
14:12Their writing system was deciphered by accident
14:15by Tatyana Proskariakoff,
14:17an American woman who initially studied to be an architect.
14:21Since she didn't find a job in her field,
14:23she eventually became a Mayanist in her own right,
14:26despite not being academically trained.
14:30She was the first to notice
14:31that the Mayan upended frog glyph meant birth
14:35and that their toothache glyph
14:36meant the date when the king ascended to the throne.
14:39It made it easier for scientists to pinpoint birthdays
14:42as well as the names of the rulers
14:44of a specific Mayan dynasty.
14:47They also invented the concept of zero,
14:50which is seen as one of the greatest innovations
14:52in mathematics, physics,
14:54and human history altogether.
14:57Sure, even back then,
14:59people understood the idea of having nothing.
15:01But the concept of zero as a number
15:04is a relatively new invention.
15:06A fun fact about Mayans
15:08is that they really liked hats.
15:10The bigger your hat was,
15:12the more important you looked.
15:14Not only was it a sort of fashion statement,
15:16but it also made them look taller,
15:18which was a big deal for their aesthetic.
15:23The Mayans also came up
15:24with one of the most intricate
15:26and complex calendars in human history.
15:29It was the first to use zero as a placeholder.
15:32Their calendar ended on December 21, 2012,
15:37which led some people to believe
15:38that it translated to the end of the world.
15:41Obviously, that was not the case.
15:43It just so happened that the date coincided
15:46with the end of a Mayan cycle of years.
15:48But you know,
15:49as advanced in science and astronomy as they were,
15:53they did make some mistakes.
15:54One of them was their belief
15:56that the world was flat.
15:58Their theory was that
15:59the four corners of the world
16:00were watched by the Brother Lords,
16:02who kept the sky from falling over their lands.
16:06Hats off for their menus, though,
16:08as they were well-known chocolate eaters.
16:11They turned eating chocolate into a form of art.
16:14The drink they made
16:15wasn't really like the hot chocolate
16:16we enjoy today, though.
16:18The recipe included mixing cacao with water,
16:21honey, chili pepper, cornmeal,
16:24and other ingredients to make a foamy, spicy drink.
16:27The ritual of drinking cacao
16:29was a crucial part of their celebrations.
16:32We're not done discovering
16:34all the amazing parts
16:35of their architecture and civilization.
16:37It was only a few years ago
16:39that a Maya pyramid was found at Toniná
16:42in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
16:44It was estimated to be more than 1,000 years old.
16:48The reason why it escaped archaeologists for so long
16:51was that it lay hidden
16:52under what was believed to be
16:53a natural hill.
16:55The ruins of two Mayan cities
16:58have been recently discovered
16:59in the Mexican state of Campeche.
17:02Why didn't we find them until now?
17:04Well, they were concealed
17:06by really thick vegetation,
17:07which made it difficult
17:09for archaeologists to reach them.
17:13The Mayans didn't just disappear.
17:16Their descendants are still around today,
17:18many of them choosing to live
17:19in their ancestral homelands.
17:22You can find them in Guatemala, for example,
17:25where the Maya people
17:26make up the majority of the population.
17:28Overall, the Maya ethnic group
17:31contains people that speak
17:32different Mayan languages,
17:34such as Yucatec,
17:35Kichy, Ketchy, or Mopan.
17:38They had no idea
17:39what a spa day was,
17:41but the Mayans really enjoyed
17:43a nice sweat once in a while.
17:45Sweat lodges were discovered
17:46around ancient Mayan sites.
17:48They were built out of stone or adobe.
17:51These rooms were an essential part
17:53of their cleansing
17:54and healthcare rituals.
17:55One of the earliest sweat lodges
17:57was found in Coelho
17:58in northern Belize,
18:00and appeared to date back
18:013,000 years.
18:03One of the most important parts
18:05of the Mayan culture
18:06was a ball game
18:07which they named Pits.
18:09It had both political
18:10and spiritual significance.
18:12We can see ball courts
18:14at important parts
18:15of Mayan archaeological sites.
18:17The main goal of the game
18:18was to pass a rubber ball
18:20through a very high stone hoop
18:22without using your hands.
18:24Basically, it was a combination
18:25of soccer and basketball.
18:27However, it could have
18:29serious consequences.
18:30The loser could, at times,
18:32even lose his own life.
18:35Ooh, high stakes indeed!
18:37Because of this game
18:39and the need for bouncy balls,
18:41the Mayan people
18:42were some of the first cultures
18:43to use rubber.
18:45They made it using natural latex.
18:47There were different kinds of rubber
18:49depending on what natural substances
18:51the latex was mixed with.
18:53And that, my friend,
18:54is the way the ball bounces.
18:56Sorry, but you know me,
18:58I just couldn't resist.
18:59I just couldn't resist.
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