What I love most about your content is that it is not full of drama, music cut scenes, attempts at humor, and any of the other things that many TH-cam creators put in their videos that simply fill up time. Thanks for keeping things to the point, well thought out, and delivered concisely. And thanks most of all for your scientific approach to what so many others have just overlooked or assumed.
The rod measurement for this pyramid, is 6.75 royal cubits. You can derive this measurement from the dimension of the large chamber. When applied to the external dimension of the pyramid, the true math is revealed. Delete the two granite courses at the base of the pyramid. Then measure the dimensions in 6.75 cu rods. And voila - the Second Pyramid reveals itself as a simple multiple of the 3-4-5 pythagorean triangle. All these pyramids were mathematical. See book ‘K2, Quest of G-ds’. R
🙋🏾Brick and Stone Mason for 27 years here. Love the details that you brought up that most don’t care about or just simply overlook. Great job keep up the good work 💪🏾😤
I am a paramotor pilot and we are a pretty big community. I can't afford it, but every year there is a handful of people who go fly around the pyramids, as in very close to them. I know of one or two people who are also photographers. I wonder how much detail you could get out of an 8k video flying around the sides up top, because it seems like some of the limitations and red tape you ran into are ignored for us. Anyway, this is fantastic work. Definitely looks like signs of individual teams working side by side and joining their work once they meet. Its ridiculous that there are limits on the quality of camera gear you can bring to the pyramids, I'm almost convinced the Egyptian government doesn't want any discoveries made.
It's just a matter of how much you pay the guard to let you take your equipment there. I also believe they don't want foreigners unveiling any more secrets
I have no words sufficient to thank you for this incredible work you are doing. I am near 70 years old and have spent much of that time wondering where the application of methodical study has gone missing concerning the construction of the pyramids. You are doing the hard work, and most often that is how great discoveries are made.
It is incredibly regrettable that the Egyptian authorities are so resistant to legitimate scientific investigation, and so resistant to any challenge to their favorite stories and explanations. They are clearly in it for the money.
You and Mat have single handedly done so much amazing stuff for Egyptology that it's actually embarrassing for the egyptian government that two single people do more for the world than a whole government.
I have waited anxiously for your safe return, anticipating that your observations, findings and conclusions would be of great interest. What I hadn't considered was how moved I was, watching and hearing you share your experience -- you have single-handedly answered questions humanity has posited for nearly 5,000 years. I am overwhelmed, and I believe your achievement surpasses even the importance of the recent chamber discoveries, as the patterns you have mapped now serve as a demonstrative proof illustrating the method of construction and its preservation, without which the interiors could not have survived in the first place. (I may have said this to you before, but I can't help but imagine Mary and Joseph bringing home a tri-fold brochure from 'Nazareth Travel', surprising a teenaged Jesus with news of their summer vacation destination-- thanks to you, the imaginary leaflet could include your comprehensive diagrams. After all, the Great Pyramid was already 2,000 years old at the time). I would like to help any way I can, and hope we may speak to that end.
Amusing Hebrew myth jest, you sharpwit The Egyptians hieroglyphs and pictograms are only 2D. Thus prior to the Giza plateau development a Pharaoh may have just said that a few giant triangles would brighten up the boring skyline putting Cairo on the map
The fact that there are tapered stones on every face, shows that the corner blocks were all placed first. Otherwise, you'd only need one stone to be dropped in from above, and could put them all one the side fewest people would see the pyramid from. I suspect every pyramid has a small vertical shaft in the center, that may or may not have been filled in later. That's just the best way to build a pyramid. You hang a plumb line down the shaft, and you're always working off the same reference point, so errors don't compound. Then you know where the corners need to be, in relation to the center line. They likely had markers built in the distance, along a line extending from the center of the pyramid, through the corners
The plumb line in the center and alignment markers in the distance only let you make a perfect square with perfect alignment, but they don't really determine the size of that square. The corner not being laid last only makes sense if you have to lay them first. They would be trivial to slide into position if they were last. Which would make building from the center of each face to the corners and then finishing it off by sliding the corner stones into place diagonally an obvious first guess on how to build the casing. It avoids the problem of having to slot bonding stones into place (since the corner stones do that job) and it lets 8 crews work on the casing of a layer at once (plus an arbitrary number of crews doing the interior fill). The only reason why you would NOT do that is that there are alignment advantages to putting the corner stones in first. The conclusion that I arrive at is that they left the whole edges un-covered, which let them see straight down that line in order to align the scorner stones. And with the corner stones of a certain layer in place, laying the remaining casing stones is merely a matter of forming a straight line between the corner stones - even if there is an external ramp blocking the center of a face.
An intersting idea. But would a central verticle shaft mean that stones would have to be drug in a tunnel beneath the completed lowest course of the pyramid to reach the central shaft? And depending on the width, that requires finished masonry along the roof of the entire tunnel's lenght, not roughly laid core masonry. Nothing like this has been discovered (yet?). More importantly, one central verticle shaft seems like a choke point for moving that much stone if the time to build was similar to the Great Pyramid (lay a block every few minutes). And then that still leaves, how do did the Ancient Egyptians finish the very top layers? Still, an interesting idea that bears further though of how it could be used wholly or partially to construct Khafre's pyramid.
@@eric1752 huh? Noooo. I mean a very small shaft. Just a few inches. Not for moving stones through, but to hang a plumb line down, so that as the pyramid gets taller, the center is always known
@@eric1752 I don't think that shaft would have been a route to move stones through. Also, you don't need to access the bottom. You can use 2 lines. 1 plumb line with a weight on the end to make it perfectly vertical, and a second line that's anchored to the bottom of the shaft. When both lines are parallel, you're directly above the center. The shaft only needs to be a foot wide for that.
I like your thinking.The plumb line was an essential piece of equipment back then.Everybody knows to put a gigs away together you do the corners first.The total lack of finishing stones in these areas does add weight to this position.
I’m here because Stefan Milo said how much he respects your work, and I respect Stefan’s work. So I thought I’d check you out. I like what I see so far. You have earned my subscription.
New videos on History for Granite means time to take a break at work. Edit: At 12:36, when you presented the pattern, my jaw dropped and eyes widened. Has no one seen this before?!? Simply incredible.
Yes! I laughed when the pattern was revealed. Under our noses all the time. But, it happens in other fields. Many times I've seen a group of programmers huddled around a screen trying work out why a program isn't doing what they think it should be doing. Then, a third party turns up, scans the screen, points and says "There". And walk away. This comment ignores the effort of traveling to Egypt with photographic kit he might be forbidden to use and then take photos that would be a challenge, even without restriction. The best angle to photograph buildings is when the plane of the camera sensor is parallel to the building. There are even specialist lenses for that purpose ($$$$). Correcting for that slope from such a distance was no small matter.
I love everything about this channel... the video production, the data-driven approach, the clarity of your explanations, the dedication to travel to Egypt in pursuit of a hypothesis + spend hours meticulously inspecting photos/videos, the consistent uploads, and so much more. You're killing it man, keep up the good work!!
@hudsonhamman3285 This episode isn't about the great pyramid, it's about the second in size. And it's the great pyramid that has the chambers you write about.
@@rogerkarlsson3996 Whilst you are correct about the Great pyramid, the hypothesis was presented as an inference that this was typical design for all the pyramids.
Thank God for people like you. Seriously. Your independent study is some of the best pyramid content I watch. Well done! Thank you. I hope your channel grows beyond belief. You deserve it.
He might have shown what the blocks properties are in terms of material and shape, and the pattern in which they are placed all together to form the whole structure. But he hasn't proven who built it, and what techniques were used to gather all the material, how it was transported from the source to the building site, how it was cut into those laser precise shapes despite the mass and size, and how it was lifted and moved into all the right spots and by who or what.
The Giza pyramids honestly appear as if restoration work was done on them several times over multiple centuries by the society that built them until they ultimately stopped for one reason or another. Edit: And it appears that the quality of the restoration work was less and less as time went by.
The rod measurement for this pyramid, is 6.75 royal cubits. You can derive this measurement from the dimension of the large chamber. When applied to the external dimension of the pyramid, the true math is revealed. Delete the two granite courses at the base of the pyramid. Then measure the dimensions in 6.75 cu rods. And voila - the Second Pyramid reveals itself as a simple multiple of the 3-4-5 pythagorean triangle. All these pyramids were mathematical. See book ‘K2, Quest of G-ds’. R
I’m a mason , and I think you are right. It’s no different than laying a brick or block wall today. On a long wall, there is someone on each end , establishing the corners, then there are people in the middle. When you come together you install a “closure” ( that’s what you refer to as a bonding stone). Bricks are all uniform lengths now so you can make it look seamless but 100 years ago when common brick varied significantly, you can usually find the “ closure” brick
@@Quavan-yi9rwthat’s like saying a rancher’s opinion on husbandry has nothing to do with some ancient shepherd’s work. Or a plumber’s or architect’s insight is meaningless to Roman aqueducts.
One thought on the bonding stones. I am wondering if perhaps they were not lowered into place from above, but pushed into place from behind. Perhaps the taper isn't top to bottom, but actually back to front, like a pizza slice. A wedge shaped block could be pushed in from the back until it stops, and then the front cut down off to match the face of the pyramid once it's in place. A block placed in this manner could fill a wide range of gaps without having to be measured carefully. A wedge shaped block would look like it tapers top to bottom, thanks to the sloped side at the front of the pyramid.
That's an interesting thought. Considering there is the hypothesis that casing stones were grounded/polished to perfection after being placed (I forget which pyramid still has convex casing stones left, red pyramid?), it would not be much additional work to cut down the bonding stones. It does pose the question as to how they were cut if there was no external ramp/structure to help workers work the surfaces.
Houdin's Internal ramp theory? Built in advanced, brought up from inside, pushed into place. the casing stones always higher, and before the filling stone.
@@asdfghjsdfgg1841 the top area would of been no different in placing the outer facing stones and corner stones first to keep the shape of construction. It was built up at one level at a time they would of left a tunnel, possibly a stepped tunnel leading up to the next level big enough for them to climb up and big enough to pull a stone up. It would of been a stepped tunnel as that would be easier to backfill in once the construct was built to its hight.
Wonderful to see more engineering and science in egyptology. I earnestly look forward to every one of your videos and can only imagine the countless hours spent in research
Well the truly learned, the "experts", will sit in their ivory day care centers and refuse to ever look at this sort of stuff. They’ll protect themselves from such mis/dis/mal-information with the very earth itself - by sticking their heads into the dirt.
@@MrAwesomeBikerDude Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I know. I kept thinking why didn’t he just formally ask permission? That’s one thing, but to then tell the whole world in intricate detail how he shirked the rules and his better judgement to do it anyway, moots the plausible deniability that he would’ve had since as he mentioned it wasn’t 100% clear that it was explicitly forbidden but implicitly understood. He was super lucky that he wasn’t arrested bc Egyptian Jail and interrogation by torture would’ve fucking sucked. I’m just saying this because I don’t want him to get in trouble nor the things you mentioned.
@@annascott3542 It would seem that you don't know about the history of gatekeeping and opposition to critical inquiry among the Egyptian authorities who control access to the pyramids and other ancient sites. Asking for permission is the best way to ensure your visit would be either denied entirely, or that you'll be followed at all times by not one but likely a group of armed security guards making sure you don't do anything they don't approve of. For God's sake they didn't even want to allow researchers to do entirely unobtrusive scanning of the pyramids, even though it had huge potential for discovering its many secrets. As unfortunate as this attitude is, it's understandable in many ways, the history of colonialism, exploitation and unscrupulous grave robbing by Europeans has made many in Egypt skeptical of all outsiders coming to research these sites. The British still refuse to return thousands of artifacts they stole and pompously display in their museums as if they are part of their own great culture and not the proceeds of a criminal enterprise. When you add extensive corruption in contemporary Egyptian governments, its not a environment conducive to free scientific inquiry.
@@annascott3542 I think you misunderstood his method. He didn't shirk the rules, he outlined the difficulties and stayed within the bounds of the law. Didn't carry/use a tripod and didn't attempt to photograph the western face, as to do so would have meant accessing an area that was forbidden. So he just used a digital SLR with the longest lens practicable without using a tripod. Common equipment for any tourist photographer. The interpretation and explanation of the resulting images is truly amazing part.
Would love to help you count and map a few rows - that would be awesome. The work you are doing is incredible, literally putting Egyptologists to shame. They need to step up their game massively because there is clearly so much more to learn about the pyramids.
I think at this point even after the ScanPyramids hubbub it is viewed as something of a low hanging fruit mass media subject for many academics when there is far more higher hanging furit associated with the lives of "everyday dynastic Egyptians" to ply the archaeology skillset to that the public mostly doesn't care about, but the understanding of these minor things as a whole can give us a much greater insight into the world of ancient Egypt than obsessing over minutae of their monuments.
Why on earth are tripods not allowed? That makes no sense to me. In fact a lot of the rules that I’m hearing about. Don’t make a lot of logical sense to me.
One of the things I always think about with the pyramids is how glorious they must have looked when new. With the sun hitting the casing stones, they must have shone brilliantly. They are a spectacular sight today, they must have been utterly mindblowing to see when they were still fairly new. Something I try my best to do, is to understand how something must have looked back in the day. Both in general and to the people of that time period. The pyramids are one of the best examples I know (if not the best), which I can then tell other people about. Since basically everybody knows at least a little about them. addendum: The second best example I can think of is to get people thinking about what bronze armor must have looked like when new. Since people are familiar with how bronze armor looks in museums with a lovely patina, but don't have a lot of experience with fresh bronze.
I like to know how they decorate the pyramid at the time. Like every year, they change the look of it, or decorate it with ton of gold. I remember this pyramid at one time have a gold top.
@@gioviocorleone6577 Nobodys quite sure where the idea that the great pyramids would be gold-tipped came from, only very small pyramids (10m size individual tombs) have ever been found with evidence of this. Its also been pointed out by academics that it would be pretty hard to see a small golden tip atop a colossal structure of gleaming white limestone shining intensely in the egyptian sun.
I think you're work work on construction techniques is unique, i certainly haven't come across anyone else describing the casing stones like you have , the sloting of a last block with an angle is a pratice used in woodworking, the ancient Egyptians were very good at wood working ,
I watched so many videos about ancient Egyptian monuments but this is by far the most educated, scientific and comprehensible work, spanned over dozens of pieces. My deepest admiration for such an lost devotion in a time stained by exaggerated, gimmicky, clickbaiting works.
I love when new independent researches come along and offer new perspectives on this subject. Outstanding job!!. Just found your channel and look forward to catching up with the rest of your work.
Clearly your methodology deserves respect. I'm intrigued with not just the pyramids themselves, but also how well spoken and thought out all of this in summary(and entirety)shows. Thank you for your efforts..
Khafre's has always been my favourite Pyramid. It's simply huge but due to a slightly steeper slope it looks even bigger, it's very well preserved, has the outer layer still in place so we can see how these structures were supposed to look, and there is something weirdly astethic about a pyramid with a "missmatching" top. The bent pyramid is a close second for similar reasons. Then Khufu's
One of the most compelling and highly factual documents about the pyramids I have ever seen! It created a lot of emotion on me! Congratulations and keep up the excellent work!
Like many, many others here, I am so fascinated by the pyramids not matter how many videos I watch about them. I sit here and just look at my screen in awe and try to imagine how they were constructed with such primitive technology thousands of years ago. Not only the building of the pyramids but the planning that went behind it. It's not like they woke up one day and said "let's build some pyramids". My simple mind cannot even fathom all the planning that went into this. Another GREAT video by the way. Your knowledge on the subject is world class.
@@WorldwideDarts True, I think you're right about the planning, the logistics are even more impressive than the actual construction, just feeding that many people would have been a logistical nightmare.
Primitive? They were exceptionally advanced (the wheel hadn’t been invented just yet) with maths (about another 2000 yrs before Arabic numbering was used and which we use today) & physics, astronomy etc and it naturally flowed from that they could work out how to carve some rocks and shift ‘em up higher and higher. Some pyramids were not so successful and they took many decades to complete. Of course they had cordless power tools to help them, they couldn’t pronounce Milwaukee so they used Makita, charging batteries was a problem as electricity generation was a few thousand years away (and don’t give me that about the supposed Baghdad “battery”, it wasn’t). 😅
Every time your videos come out, I am glued to the computer. It is so refreshing to see actual progress being made toward solutions that have seemingly been intentionally obfuscated for as long as I can remember. I certainly hope you're receiving the respect you deserve for this fine work. Thank you.
There is no thanks enough for this seminal work you do. What is so mind blowing is the fact that so important historical research is being done by such a tiny body of dedicated brilliant men such as yourself. Unbelievable. Hope you get the funding and definitely the accolades acclaim and respect you so definitely deserve. Your passion is advancing knowledge on a subject that is long overdue is fantastic. Thank heavens for men of your ilk.
I wouldn't be surprised if the puzzle has already been solved/discovered, but it's not in the immediate interest of Egypt to disclose it because of fear of losing tourism revenue...
@@ThePrinceofallsayainThere are different ways and theories … we will never be able to say how exactly they were build as we can inly assume using the evidence we collected … meanwhile even their age being disputed again.
Wow. Forgive me for the long comment, but I must say how great this work is. I love all your videos, but this one may be the best yet. This is groundbreaking work. When you showed the block patterns, I was amazed. The work it took for you to get to that point is not lost on me, and many others who enjoy your content. My second thought when seeing the patterns, was how in the world has no one done this work before? My theory is that if the Great Pyramid still had casing stones, this would’ve already been researched thoroughly. I’ve said many times that Khafre’s pyramid is criminally understudied in the modern era. I’ve actually been laughed at by others for saying that Khafre’s pyramid still holds secrets and deserves MUCH more attention than it gets today. You sir are my hero today for doing this work. I hope you publish this and it goes around the world where other researchers can take it and run with it now. That’s how we learn and figure mysteries like this out. But someone has to do the hard work to start the ball rolling, and thankfully you’ve done it. It’s hard to tell what things we will learn from this work after it’s been studied for some time. Id be interested to hear thoughts on this from people who do stone work or are experts in ancient stone masonry. I’m just amazed at having any new knowledge about the construction of monuments that have been studied for thousands of years. You’ve done something amazing here imo. This also is a good example of how valuable it can be to get to go to these monuments to study in person. I can only imagine how enthused you and my other favorite creator Matt are right now after getting to see and touch these structures in person. I’m sure there will be more great videos coming soon, and I can’t wait. Thank you.
Staying away from proposed solutions (thinking out of the box), here is my idea that could work, step-by-step: 1. Centre-Outward Construction - Starting each layer from the center and working outward would allow a controlled stacking process, reducing the need for large external ramps or complex transportation on higher layers. - This method would ensure that workers had stable ground as they moved outward, with the base of each layer already supporting the weight of the stones. 2. Counterweight and Crankshaft System - Using a **crankshaft mechanism** with a counterweight, such as a large container filled with sand, could allow for a controlled lifting of each stone. Here’s how this could work: - One end of a crankshaft is attached to the stone, and the other to a large container. - As sand is poured into the container, its weight creates a downward force. Once the weight of the sand exceeds the weight of the rock, the rock would start to lift. - The "crankshaft" enables a controlled, smooth lift by converting rotational motion into linear motion, making it easier to hoist the stone precisely to the desired height. 3. Advantages of a Sand-Based Counterweight - Using sand as the counterweight is brilliant because "sand’s weight can be adjusted gradually" by adding or removing sand, allowing fine control over the lift. - Sand is also abundant, especially in Egypt, and easy to move, making it a practical resource for a counterweight. 4. How This Method Could Work in Practice - As each layer is completed from the center outward, workers could dismantle and move the counterweight system to the next location where lifting is needed. - Once a stone reaches the desired height, it could be maneuvered into place using small ramps or levers for final positioning. 5. Practicality of my method - This method could potentially eliminate the need for massive ramps, leveraging "internal structural support" from completed layers. - Building from the center outward would minimize the distance each stone needs to travel horizontally, especially as the pyramid narrows near the top. Possible Challenges - Constructing and maintaining crankshaft mechanisms capable of lifting such heavy weights without modern materials would be a challenge, but with wood, stone, and simple tools, the Egyptians might have crafted durable, if basic, crankshafts. - Precision placement of each stone might require additional guidance systems, like sledges or rollers, but this approach could be adapted with small adjustments. My concept of "using a crankshaft with a sand counterweight" could indeed have been a practical and achievable method for lifting large stones with minimal force, especially if they built from the center outward. This system leverages both ancient engineering principles and available materials, making it a highly plausible alternative to traditional theories!
A total of 16 starting points around the perimeter means they might have 32 teams working the course of casing stones. 1 team on each end of each starting point. More teams must have been doing the filler stones. This gives an idea of how many masons were employed (enslaved?) on the pyramid itself. More teams would be cutting blocks, quarrying, transporting to the pyramid construction site and lifting the stone blocks to the course level (my guess is wooden ramps laying against the lower casing stones making wooden ramps straight up midway between the 16 starting points. A wooden fixture would hold a stone block with ropes pulling it up the ramp like a sled. They may have had oxen on top of the working level course to pull the ropes. They may have used dual levers to ratchet the wood sled & block up the ramp.)
Getting food, water, other necessaries up was probably done on sleds sliding up a vertical wooden ramp resting on the pyramid outer casing wall. also. People may have walked up/down a wooden staircase resting on the outer wall. There must have been 500 workers up there, maybe 1000. That’s a lot of food and water
Most likely it was seasonal - when the Nile flooded thousands would b available, then when the Nile receded they returned to their farms leaving skeleton crew behind@@douginorlando6260
@@douginorlando6260 What puzzles me is that if there was any sort of structure resting on the casing stones, it would have likely left visible marks. But no marks of any kind are visible.
@@FUZxxl yeah. I suspect even if it was like laying a ladder against the pyramid, I bet they had some kind of anchor points to keep it from slipping every few casing levels. It would be logical to look for evidence where such a wooden ramp would likely have been. If evidence of anchor points could be found, that would prove it. If not, then they could have supported the ramp from slipping with ropes coming down from the top supporting its weight and holding it from moving out from straight up the pyramid side.
Another site showed a technique where 4 semi circular wood Rims could be lashed to the 4 edges of the stones( ie draw a square , now draw a circle touching all 4 edges - you see his proposal) and with a few men in a walking drum taking up rope , rolled it up a ramp . A whole lot of mechanisms along with it I wont go into
@@HistoryforGRANITE You came out the door with great quality content and I always eagerly anticipate your next video. I appreciate the massive effort you clearly put in.
The pyramid is for underwater that's why they lost all of that white limestone and casing stones That's what you see erosion of the Great Sphinx water erosion All of the Great pyramids were underwater
The snobbery and gatekeeping common within Egyptology specifically and archaeology generally is absolutely amazing, with the photography restrictions at Giza in particular absolutely baffling.
Simply put, wow! Your comment that this observation of casing stones, is eliminating some of the building concepts, is THE top aspect to me at present. I am so impressed that no one else has done this, and I will be pulling for you as you continue this work. You may be the only person (or group by now) that is really going to figure out how the pyramids were really built. Bravo and persevere!!!
@@aidasworthington9129 I thought the same, and would explain why it branches from the center out - a ramp would begin at the top center and then spread towards the edges the lower you go. Perhaps a system of 4 lower ramps and 2 upper ramps was used in order to work on as much of the face as possible.
Dropping the bonding stones into place from above (as illustrated at 10:43) would probably have been too much unnecessary work. A stone narrower at its base than at its top would only need to be raised a few inches to create enough gap on the two sides to facilitate sliding it into place. Then, the wooden shims (or whatever they might have used to raise the stones the few inches) could be pulled from beneath to allow the stone to fall into its place. Also, the shims would probably serve best if they were somewhat short of the outside of the pyramid's facing. The shims would only need to extend far enough to keep the stone from tipping off them prematurely. This way, once the outside face of the stone was aligned with the face of the pyramid, a lever could be used to raise the backside of the stone enough to free up the shims for easy removal.
Wood can easily hold a stone like this if you use enough of it. Why do you think a wooden crane would hold more weight than a solid piece of wood? Makes no sense. @@doesnotcompute6078
@@doesnotcompute6078 the stones could weigh upwards of 25 tons. the heaviest stones at Göbekli Tepe are 50 tons and that was build more then 8000 years before that and they didn't need cranes. There are multiple proven ways you can move these large rocks something as simple as a pebble can work.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. "Inserted form above" cannot be exactly right. If you slid a stone in from the next course up and dropped it, it would break... You can see how after every 8 or ten blocks, an adjustment block needs to be inserted to fit the available space. And in fact that would make quarrying stone easier, for the vast majority of blocks you give them a height spec and the rest of the dimensions don't matter. then every 8 or 10 blocks, you insert a block tapered to fit and slide it in on wood strips and pull the strips. there may be evidence on the bottom of these joining blocks showing how they were manipulated...
@@HistoryforGRANITE Regarding the tripod problem, I see a monopod has been mentioned. IF you can get away with even a short monopod that can help by using your belt as a support point. Method 2 that I don't see mentioned, a chain or light cord with a screw for the tripod mount in the lens can be used. You just drop the cord, step on it and lift up. This has been used in museums that don't allow tripods, its quick and does not block the tourists around you.
While you have identified, how the casing stone walls were joined. I think some of your key assumptions on how they were built are incorrect. This pattern does not prevent the use of an external ramps. Infact they probably used a dual ramp method method I have suggested on your internal ramp video. The draft angles , (tapers), on the bonding stone you show, can have the taper at the front and also be shaped like a wedge wider at the back . This would make them easy to push in, rather than drop in. There is a wedge shaped block in the top view of the pyramid, 8 minutes and also can be seen 9.06 minutes, where the 3rd stone , in from the left , 17 rows down, has a couple of stones missing below it , showing a taper and wedge. The pattern shown has little to do with the ramp. For example if I put ramp at the side of a table, flatening as it reached the table top. Blocks could be pushed from the floor to the same level as table top. I can then arange the blocks any way I like on the table, in the pattern shown in the photos. A ramp would still put the corners in first, the corners keeping everything lined up. Nothing is obscured , and once that level was complete, outside blocks first, in patterns you highlight. The ramp would then be raised and flattened on the next level. Repeating the pattern. This would continue to the top. It would also make sense for faces to be unfinished, looking like the core stones we see today. Then the faces were chiseled from top to bottom, corners first. In fact I think I detect a spiral pattern in the groups of highlighted blocks in the video . A ramp going up 1 in 20 , near the bottom of the pyramid, could easily be used for 10 courses, before it needed to take a corner. For the heaviest granite stones, they could be brought in at the first level. In my table example, when the table is half covered by core blocks , I bring up the granitie blocks, I then lift them up onto the core blocks , using levers or a temporary internal ramp at each level ,a dual ramp method, in the centre of the table. I can do this as high as they need to go, only ever having to lift the heavy granite one layer at a time. They dont have to come up the external ramp, only the core blocks do. That is the simplest way to build a pyramid.
Excellent observation on your part. The fact that you use engineering, geology, construction methodology, and science to come to your conclusions gives me a great deal of respect for what you’re doing. It also gives you an enormous amount of credibility that the Egyptian government does not merit. Thank you .
I thoroughly enjoy your analysis. When you revealed the patterns of the casing stones my jaw dropped. To have potentially seen / discovered something that no one else may have known for thousands of years should be a milestone in anyone's life. I can't wait to see future videos of what you discover next. What lies in store for exploring the great void!!?!!!
12:41 Maybe the bonding stones will tell you how many crews there were. Let's say you had five crews per side laying blocks, and when their row met another crew's row, they would connect them with these stones.
Was going to mention this too, seems likely doesn't it. You'd expect the most skilled crews would be assigned to the corners as that's where the pitch angle had to be set with great accuracy. So there could be four teams one for each corner with three or so teams in between each corner crew laying out until a small enough gap presented itself for a bonding stone. Maybe there was a dedicated bonding stone crew too. Modern bricklayers will build up several courses in the corners first to get an accurate build so the corners could have gone up well before the central part of the layers were complete.
@benedictearlson9044 yeah that's a sound thought. It's like a lot of these ancient sites. If you have worked with your hands and on building sites you could well have better grasp of how these amazing structures were built.
Sorry if I've missed your thoughts on the French architect theory of the internal ramp. There was a documentary several years ago and it seemed to me that his theory was spot on. They even found the ruins of another pyramid that showed exactly, his theory.
By looking at the number of vertical rows of bonding stones, it might be reasonable to conclude that there were that many crews working simultaneously on each course. For instance, say five rows of bonding stones on each face, leaving 6 gaps between on each side. If one crew worked on each corner, that leaves 5 crews for each face, letting us know that there may have been 24 crews working all at the same time for that particular course
I had that same realization. But that's surely not the limit of what that fact can tell us? If we know the total number of workers who worked on these layers (specifically the upper fraction that is still present), then we can divide that by the number of crews. The resulting crew size would tell us how many logistical workers (moving stones up the pyramid and towards their destination in the layer) and aligning workers (taking the stones over somewhere close to their final destination and moving them precisely into place) there were taken together. And to get an upper bound for how many workers could have been in one aligning crew, we could measure how many workers fit around a typical corner casing stone (specifically a corner one because we need to see it from 2 sides to get all 3 of its dimensions). Also, if they built the casing stones from the corners inwards, it's more likely than not that they also built the filling stones from the edges inwards. In which case the total number of crews would be the number of crews laying casing stones. (24) But there may also have been crews that only worked on filling stones, and whose work was later merged with the work of the crews laying the casing stones and the fill directly behind. In that case the total number of crews would be the square of the number of crews laying casing stones on one side (36), since the crews laying interior fill would likely have a similar distance between each other, at least roughly. On one hand, they can work faster (and thus fill a larger area on each layer) because the interior stones don't have to be aligned as neatly. On the other hand, the crews laying casing stones would benefit from having their area of responsibility be wider than it is deep. Since they'd work slightly slower this would result in their designated area being mainly less deep and similarly wide.
Yes this is what I thought too. Say we have 3 sets of joining stones on a course. If the joining stones on the right side are the closest to the end, then they would have had 3 teams, the first starts on the left side and works to the right. The other teams start to the right of where the joining stones are and they too work towards the right.
They also appear to have a preference to work from left to right as the right edge has predominately more joining stones. Where a joining stone is absent on the right I expect one team worked in reverse direction till the met the team working the other way.
Exactly. Going off my experience in construction (which admittedly was electrical work and only about 6 years), it makes sense to have different crews working on only one task. That's how we do things today, and it's most efficient to have people handle one system or one area of a floor when building a building. I think having more skilled facing stone crews makes sense, as those would have to be the most precise blocks, and with the filler stones, yeah it makes sense for them to have built it from the outside in. Just like previously mentioned, each section between the bonding stone would have to be made by separate crews, because if there was only say, two crews per face, each face would have only one row of bonding stones, since each crew would just ass a block next to the one they just laid down. If there were crews dedicated to particular areas of filler stones (which seems likely in my mind), there may have even been another more skilled crew handling the bonding stones, possibly having that one be made of workers from the facing stone crews as well, since once the facing stones were laid, they would have to get at least the perimeter bonding stones installed on that course before the next course of facing stones could be laid. @@Pystro
Your content keeps getting better and better! It can't be easy to continue to create interesting videos on what is, essentially, the same topic. However, you haven't disappointed me yet. Your increasing subscriber count indicates that I'm not alone. Luckily, I found your channel when you'd only posted 4 videos. I look forward to seeing your 100th in the future! Keep up the fantastic job.
My thoughts, suggestions, ideas on these new fantastic findings: 1) Using multiple "in-between filling stones" (IFS) per row suggests that multiple groups of people worked simultaneously on one row 2) The strands of IFS blocks from bottom to top are the same in number on all sides. This suggests that there was a "cooke-cutter-approach". The architects probably thought about how to build one side and copy-pasted the approach to the other sides. 3) The idea that the Grand Gallery actually was a big ramp to get the stones to each row, now even makes more sense. 4) The big void above the Grand Gallery might be the second ramp up that points into the opposite direction. Like a staricase winding upwards.
Look at the way the tying blocks are staggered. It was not a cookie cutter approach. I would suggest that there were multiple teams working, and they worked at different paces. Where they met was determined by the speed of the teams, how many blocks each team could place. When they got close, the Master architect would do some measuring, select the final blocks and had them dressed to the correct angles.
exactly there is literally no way u can move those stones with man power and wooden tools or any wooden machine. And i am so surprised just few people realizing that fact. This video is not even scratching surface of reality. Thanks god for people like Graham Hancock at least speaking about it loud.@@AlexanderTheGreat1000
@@AlexanderTheGreat1000 Right. And where can we find this high-technology? Which museum exactly? Where was this technology developed and how? Where did the resources came from? Who developed it?
Frankly I'm surprised they didn't voice match you and have you arrested on the spot. You must surely be the most wanted man in Egypt thanks to your myth-busting and the light you have shone on this jealously guarded subject. I didn't know that there was such a clamp-down on photography at this site - no tripods outside? How crazy. I would have taken a collapsible monopod and pretended it was a walking aid because I had a disability (yes, I have used that excuse in order to photograph where tri and monopods are not allowed). As a fellow photographer who enjoys getting photos of things others have not or could not image, I salute you! Well done sir.
This is groundbreaking work and so important for understanding the mind and methods of the builders. What a great idea to crowd source the work as this is increasingly how the best results are achieved, after all, a million minds are better than one. This is a story I will definitely watch with huge interest! Well done!
As always, these videos of yours are just next level. Amazing to see our knowledge of how they built the pyramids move one step forward with each of these presentations of yours.
I lived in Egypt from 1960- 1964 age 5-10. We lived in a far suburb called Maadi . At age 9 I went to Giza with my family and as soon as possible, I ran away from the group and began climbing up the great pyramid stone by stone . The guards spotted me after I was about 3 levels up , they shouted at me in Arabic , but I kept climbing , more slowly as time went by since it was extremely tiring to pull myself up each step . I was a cub scout and had a canteen to drink water on my blue scout belt . I did not have gloves and my fingers started hurting , but I kept going . Eventually a guard started climbing up after me , and to get away , I just ran around on the level I was on to another side and began climbing up again , going around again whenever I noticed the guard under me . I made it up about 1/3 of the total height before getting too tired, and also I was getting scared of what the guards might do to me when I got caught . On the way down , I did the same thing to avoid capture, running around as I went down . The guards had to run farther than I did since they were on a lower level that was longer around . I was also faster than they were . I got down ok , found the tour group near some buses and hid among the crowd . My father asked where I had been for the last hour or so and I just said I got lost in a tomb walkway inside the pyramid .
I believe Egypt determines what you have "every legal right" to do within its borders, so if a security guard can inhibit your movements with impunity, then do you still have "every legal right"? Its like when Bane asked the guy in Batman, "Do you feel in charge?".
Chat GPT now does image analysis, I wonder if it could spot anything a human would miss if you gave it the right images and prompts. You’re doing great work, always interesting to see what you find!
What prompts and images would you suggest? It's not like there is a any previous reference you could feed the machine. Only now after all the work we could attempt to use the findings as reference although each pyramid is different so it may not work.
We might live to late to discover the world or too early to discover space but we live at the right time to solve the pyramids. You are doing an awesome job
Thank you for effort in understanding this mystery. It is truly perplexing, but progress is being made and I agree with you that it is possible to fully understand the methods and techniques utilized to build these amazing structures. The drone footage gave me a new respect for the pyramids as I have never seen them in person but got a better perspective of how truly awe inspiring they are. Your photos that show the outlined casing stones amaze me also. It almost looks like the whole pyramid but the fact it is only a small fraction of the remaining casing stones around the top blew my mind, Thank you
Your video is proof to me that the same builders that built the interior of the pyramid almost perfect did not install the casing stones. Bet we find out some day that the pyramids were built on top of previously built pyramids like Chichen Itza. Would also explain how they were "constructed" so quickly, because they simply added the casings stones.
Amazing! I am so excited about your findings! The security and hostility around researching the pyramids always blows my mind, there really is a clear incentive in place by the authorities to keep a veil of secrecy and mystery in place. But, this work you are doing is far more interesting to me than anything else I've ever seen discussed about the pyramids. This is true detective work, the real tedious science that is required to make definitive discoveries. Thank you for bringing us along on this journey, I will be watching for your updates and maybe some live streams!
There's no "veil of secrecy" kept in place by the Egyptian authorities, except in the mind of conspiracy theorists. Access to the pyramids and research work around them is understandably restricted, as is the case for virtually every famous ancient monument on the planet. In fact, all things considered, few other ancient monuments have been more accessible to foreign researchers of all sorts than the pyramids and temples of Egypt. That was the case in the recent past (last few centuries) when foreigners didn't bother to ask for permission, of course, but still up until quite recently, researchers and academics from around the world were able to conduct extensive and sometimes even invasive research into the pyramids. Given the excesses that sometimes took place it would be understandable if the Egyptians were now a little more careful, but that's all. Go to Stonehenge for example and see how much "research" you're able to do before you're stopped if you didn't go first through the proper channels and obtained the permission to work there...
@@elchapito4580 This isn't a conspiracy theory post, it's a compliment to the hard work that the author of this TH-cam video had to go through just to get some pictures, and only of 3 out of 4 sides at that.
Never disappoints, love it. One of your best works yet. Thank you for all the fine details and the way you exhibit all your data. Can’t wait for the next one…a live stream would be amazing.
I’m exited to have found History for Granite just yesterday! It is a binge-worthy channel and I’m doing just that. This video, however, is exceptional. Your bonding block work is ingenious and the accompanying graphics are illuminating.
This is amazing, I had almost given up hope on how the pyramids were built but you make me find my curiosity again, you do a fantastic job and it is deeply appreciated.
As a fairly experienced mason myself, I have observed similar patterns in modern masonry. Check out big, functional structures. Fortifications, retaining walls alongside railway tracks and so on. They happen when multiple teams work at long walls. Typically, you would build up the corners first. They give you visual reference to build the wall in between completely straight. But since they had ropes and lines back then, they probably used it the same way as modern masons. The emerging patterns in modern brick or stone walls indicate how many teams worked on a stretch of wall. For nicer masonry with uniform bricks, one would of course avoid these patterns by laying down the first row continuously before building up the corners, which of course doesn't apply to a pyramid with its tapered corners. I could think of some simple contraption to get the corner stones of a pyramid right just by eye. All you need is the center and some basic knowledge on how to construct a right angle and fractions of it, which they had. Then maybe put up lines to fill in the rows but this could also be done very accurate just by eye. Maybe a guy for each team at the corner, showing with a coloured flag where to move the stones. As furter up you get, the less teams can work on a row, because pyramid. There you have your pattern, I would speculate.. I love your content, keep up the great work!
Slightly off topic, but I knew a stone mason that had the most amazing fossil collection gathered from years of working with local limestone. He gave my fossil crazy child a large ammonite, complete with visible internal structures. The siphuncles were intact, and the fossil came apart like a puzzle so you could examine and understand how this thing jetted around in the ocean a kabillion years ago in Kansas. A very special gift.
Please publish your findings in a journal at some point 🙏 Its important to have someone open up the dialogue also with the broader scientific community. Also you clearly have the ability to do so, based on fantastic investigation.
@@HistoryforGRANITEA first step could be an arXiv publication. This is without peer-review, however, most e.g. computer science publications first are uploaded there. It basically signals to the community that you claim to have some serious findings, and you are willing to defend them in a scientific discourse. Good luck!
I never would've expected to find the subject of ancient masonry so fascinating, but you present it with such a unique and unbiased interpretation I can't help but be excited every time a new video drops! Can't wait to hear from you again
I don't think I've ever commented on a YT video saying it was "amazing" but this video actually is the definition of amazing. As in: Causing wonder and amazement; possessing uniquely wonderful qualities, inspiring awe or admiration or wonder. Those definitions fit the subject, work, thought and effort you and your viewers put into this. I'm so looking forward to the next videos. I applaud your dedication.
Love your analysis method and commitment to this type of work. There are still so many questions these enigmatic structures invite asking and it’s fantastic that we get to see you answering some of them in your very well produced videos.
Best history channel on youtube. You can feel the passion you have. Also going out and doing your own research like this is more effort than most youtubers do
Perhaps this pattern you found is for some sort of external scaffolding that was used solely for the purpose of finishing the upper portion of the pyramid. Internal ramp still makes the most sense for the majority of the pyramid but the space constraints make it impossible after a certain height. The wedge shape would help keep the stone in place without support from beneath since you would have to fill these gaps left for scaffolding from the top down. So you would end up putting blocks in that had no block under them.
Internal ramp is unnecessary. Simple wooden beams place against the side of the pyramids would serve as ramps. Please read my longer explanation on this thread.
@@mokiloke The beams(rails) are laid against the side of the pyramid, so the pyramid acts as a foundation. Maybe think of it as a railroad up the side of the pyramid. Only humans are pulling the load up with ropes, instead of a locomotive.
@@MariusNinjai Correct. Evidence would have been removed when they polished the casing stones. I got the idea from Petra and the need for workers to safely get down after pyramidion placement. All ramps would have been on the west side with all ropes being pulled from the east. I'm building models and will do very short videos.
Thank you for your diligence, attention to detail, careful planning, scientific labor, skilled video editing and masterful public speaking. These are very interesting findings and I look forward to sharing them with people. I've always loved this topic since I was a kid and I still look for compelling receipt, revelatory content like this. This time, however, I got a lot more than expected. Thank you again.
Brilliant content, as usual. I've learnt so much watching this channel, and I absolutely love it. I can't think of another channel that educates people in an area in which they possess expert knowledge, that is better than this one overall. Thank you for sharing your passion and knowledge with us in such a wonderful way.
No doubt that when they were originally constructed, they appeared to be one giant stone with no seams. Under a full moon, with the still water surrounding them, reflecting the image was amazing to behold. Good channel focusing on the workers methods.
Обожаю твои видео. Сразу видна точность подачи информации - только разгадки с доказательствами, без шуток, еженедельных видео.Мне нравится, что ты искал разницу между планом и подстройками, которые приходилось делать.
Well done! I appreciate your meticulous research, planning and common sense approach to solving mysteries of construction. Thank you for sharing your findings and keep up the great content!
In some ways this supports the internal ramp theory. Perhaps the Khafre pyramid had internal ramps and grand galleries (used as counterweight runs for hoists), but that they were later filled in making them invisible to muon scans. It seems much more efficient to use the unseen internal structure as its own temporary ramps than to use any sort of external ramp. The top few courses could have been built partly hollow with the capstone being raised vertically from inside and the 1 or 2 supporting courses immediately below being pulled or levered in.
I'm blown away by your findings and the excellence of your presentation. Thank you for your research, diligence, and passion. I hope your literally amazing work receives the recognition and appreciation it deserves. Time to rewrite the architectural history books!
My father was a mason, and both of us are professional rope technicians/riggers with extensive experience with rigging tripods, A-frames, etc. Based on that and what youve shown, this is my take: What I see is, by and large, vertical lines up the structure where the last joining/closure stones are generally on top of each other or at least near each other. As the pyramid comes to a point, these lines get eliminated, moving from four vertical lines to two. To me, this suggest that there were lifting stations at each of these points where stones were raised up the side of the structure via ropes, and the location of the lifting frame was also where the final stones were laid for each course. The frame would be moved up to the top of the new course, and the cycle would be repeated. As the pyramid tapers to a point, there would be less and less room for fewer and fewer and fewer frames, to the point that eventually each face would only have two frames, then only one frame, and finally, only a final frame for all the faces to share as the capstone was put in place.
Excellent work. Wow! Stunning. This channel is doing more to accurately and logically re-experience our true human history than anything else (that I can recall) previously! I was not able to go to Egypt with Douglas and Matt last month, but I'll be going back next year. Between now and then, I have their fantastic footage/research and I look forward to viewing more of their work in the next few months! Please keep up the great work! I've been a subscriber since you started,, but I just 'joined' today!
@HistoryforGRANITE Could you guys do a video that showcases all of the design flaws that you see on Giza, or the other less known well constructed non-hieroglyph pyramids? I think pointing out the mistakes ancients made gives a more realistic view of their true intelligence/experience. I like how you do this in the video when discussing the casing stones, rather than people who always point out what was done perfectly which seems to conflate the idea that deities were involved (eg: hairline precision, crystalized granite, fine tuned acoustics, etc.); rather than imperfect construction methods from a, seemingly, more advanced civilization.
A thought I had was that the building techniques used in the Great Pyramid were probably evolutionary from earlier monuments. The builders probably would have innovated as needed to accomplish the larger scale of construction of the Great Pyramid, but otherwise maintained many of the same methods used in earlier projects. It might be of interest to look at, e.g. the Pyramid of Djoser or the Buried Pyramid or even the earlier mud-brick monuments to try to get a sense of the knowledge and techniques the builders would have been familiar with as they approached the Great Pyramid.
This is the most comprehensive explanation I’ve seen yet. Absolutely stunning work! The level of detail is impeccable. Have you had much feedback from Egyptologist? Surely this is groundbreaking!? ❤️
Your dedication to this endeavor is admirable. Your satisfaction is your reward but you have provided a valuable service for those you will follow you. Congratulations you are a true pioneer. Best wishes for continued success.
This observation further suggest the extensive use of the internal galleries for the movement of the building material: without them the use of a ramp would have made sense. The fact even the lowest levels uses bonding stones suggest no external ramps were ever used. I suppose it gave the workers a chance to finalize their methods before they were ‘set in stone’
I disagree. Multiple wooden ramps against the side of the pyramids are the solution to raising the blocks. These blocks are 3 ton or less, not the 100 ton behemoths. Works stops as a new course starts and the beams would be removed or moved to allow the next course to start without hindrance. Binding blocks would not reveal where the ramps were placed. Ramps are removed as they become useless. External nubs are used to transport a blocks. Nubs are removed just before final placement, except for the nubs on the exterior side of the casing stones. . These will be used as anchors for rope and wood beams to be secured against the pyramid's surface. There would probably be netting for safer movement around the pyramid's exterior, but not necessary there would be a nub every meter in every direction. The wood beams would be used as rails(external, inclined ramp) to move the 2 ton blocks up the pyramid. Counterweight systems would assist workers moving the blocks up the side of the pyramid. This ramp should probably be centered as it simplies raising the blocks of the top courses. Levels are completed external first and then filled from the outside in. The corners would be laid first and their surface etched with where the next course should be placed. Note: this etching would allow the builders to notice if the pyramid was moving when they 'finishing' it. As each level is completed, the working surface area is reduced. At the point where that area becomes too small to work safely, workers would probably hang off the opposite side of the pyramid to raise stone, using the nubs to secure themselves safely. When the last course is completed, the pyramidion raised and then placed on top. This would have been wonderful to watch. Note: the top remaining course of Khafre's pyramid has an square indentation. This was probably used to hold the pyramidion in place. The finishing process begins. Nubs would be removed from the blocks of the highest course and the surfaces of each casing stone would be 'sanded'* until flat. Then they 'finished' the next lower course repeating the process until they were at ground level.
Great study! While I agree with most of your findings, I don't think the ramp / scaffolding would show as the scaffold would go up to a layer of stones, they would build all of that level flat, then build more ramp/scaffold above. I agree that each crew builds a section and then there is a joining block with more crews on the wider levels and less crews on the upper level. What are thoughts on when the "smoothing" was done? Many half completed structures from antiquity show nubs or were set rough and then finished smooth after. Could one option be that a side of the pyramid was left rough, the scaffold stepped on that side building up and then finished and removed on the way down. So glad you are pushing the boundaries and not just saying that's all we know.
On such a huge structure the wooden scaffolding likely wouldn't be secured to the ground and built up wards as it may eventually collapse under its own weight and would require a huge amount of materials. So it could be secured to the building itself regularly perhaps every 20ft then moved upwards as the build progressed. Good question about finish but I imagine it would be easier to get the outwards angle of the casing stone right, put it in place aligned up, then infill to the rear.
My solution... Multiple wooden ramps against the side of the pyramids are the solution to raising the blocks. These blocks are 3 ton or less, not the 100 ton behemoths. Works stops as a new course starts and the beams would be removed or moved to allow the next course to start without hindrance. Binding blocks would not reveal where the ramps were placed. Ramps are removed as they become useless. External nubs are used to transport a blocks. Nubs are removed just before final placement, except for the nubs on the exterior side of the casing stones. . These will be used as anchors for rope and wood beams to be secured against the pyramid's surface. There would probably be netting for safer movement around the pyramid's exterior, but not necessary there would be a nub every meter in every direction. The wood beams would be used as rails(external, inclined ramp) to move the 2 ton blocks up the pyramid. Counterweight systems would assist workers moving the blocks up the side of the pyramid. This ramp should probably be centered as it simplies raising the blocks of the top courses. Levels are completed external first and then filled from the outside in. The corners would be laid first and their surface etched with where the next course should be placed. Note: this etching would allow the builders to notice if the pyramid was moving when they 'finishing' it. As each level is completed, the working surface area is reduced. At the point where that area becomes too small to work safely, workers would probably hang off the opposite side of the pyramid to raise stone, using the nubs to secure themselves safely. When the last course is completed, the pyramidion raised and then placed on top. This would have been wonderful to watch. Note: the top remaining course of Khafre's pyramid has an square indentation. This was probably used to hold the pyramidion in place. The finishing process begins. Nubs would be removed from the blocks of the highest course and the surfaces of each casing stone would be 'sanded'* until flat. Then they 'finished' the next lower course repeating the process until they were at ground level. I think visitors were supposed to ask "How did you get the pyramidion on top?" and not "How was it built?"
With all due respect it seems to me that the important thing is to finally determine how these blocks were transported and lifted into place. It seems that using dolomite and fire are sufficient means for shaping the stone but the above problems seem not to have been solved. It would also be desirable for some theorist to actually quarry, transport and raise the blocks.
What I love most about your content is that it is not full of drama, music cut scenes, attempts at humor, and any of the other things that many TH-cam creators put in their videos that simply fill up time. Thanks for keeping things to the point, well thought out, and delivered concisely. And thanks most of all for your scientific approach to what so many others have just overlooked or assumed.
It's my first time here and I am enjoying this too 👍
The rod measurement for this pyramid, is 6.75 royal cubits.
You can derive this measurement from the dimension of the large chamber.
When applied to the external dimension of the pyramid, the true math is revealed.
Delete the two granite courses at the base of the pyramid.
Then measure the dimensions in 6.75 cu rods.
And voila - the Second Pyramid reveals itself as a simple multiple of the 3-4-5 pythagorean triangle.
All these pyramids were mathematical.
See book ‘K2, Quest of G-ds’.
R
@@RalphElliswhy would the bottom two courses need to be removed for the math to work?
History for Granite is a play on words. You probably didn't notice that attempt at humor.
100% AGREE
🙋🏾Brick and Stone Mason for 27 years here. Love the details that you brought up that most don’t care about or just simply overlook. Great job keep up the good work 💪🏾😤
Very sloppy joints on this old girl , I don’t think they ran a string line either
I am a paramotor pilot and we are a pretty big community. I can't afford it, but every year there is a handful of people who go fly around the pyramids, as in very close to them. I know of one or two people who are also photographers. I wonder how much detail you could get out of an 8k video flying around the sides up top, because it seems like some of the limitations and red tape you ran into are ignored for us.
Anyway, this is fantastic work. Definitely looks like signs of individual teams working side by side and joining their work once they meet. Its ridiculous that there are limits on the quality of camera gear you can bring to the pyramids, I'm almost convinced the Egyptian government doesn't want any discoveries made.
That's precisely the reason. Their whole tourist market would collapse once the truth is exposed.
What is that truth? @@mavenfeliciano1710
It's just a matter of how much you pay the guard to let you take your equipment there. I also believe they don't want foreigners unveiling any more secrets
@@mavenfeliciano1710why would it collapse? the more we learn, the more interesting the site becomes
@@mesofius except if it's all lies amd fraud.
I have no words sufficient to thank you for this incredible work you are doing. I am near 70 years old and have spent much of that time wondering where the application of methodical study has gone missing concerning the construction of the pyramids. You are doing the hard work, and most often that is how great discoveries are made.
😮
Great work
It is incredibly regrettable that the Egyptian authorities are so resistant to legitimate scientific investigation, and so resistant to any challenge to their favorite stories and explanations. They are clearly in it for the money.
You and Mat have single handedly done so much amazing stuff for Egyptology that it's actually embarrassing for the egyptian government that two single people do more for the world than a whole government.
It's true.
Who Is Mat?
Zahi Hawas is a crook.
ha ha ha
its not there job to do so.. they are a government...
I have waited anxiously for your safe return, anticipating that your observations, findings and conclusions would be of great interest. What I hadn't considered was how moved I was, watching and hearing you share your experience -- you have single-handedly answered questions humanity has posited for nearly 5,000 years. I am overwhelmed, and I believe your achievement surpasses even the importance of the recent chamber discoveries, as the patterns you have mapped now serve as a demonstrative proof illustrating the method of construction and its preservation, without which the interiors could not have survived in the first place. (I may have said this to you before, but I can't help but imagine Mary and Joseph bringing home a tri-fold brochure from 'Nazareth Travel', surprising a teenaged Jesus with news of their summer vacation destination-- thanks to you, the imaginary leaflet could include your comprehensive diagrams. After all, the Great Pyramid was already 2,000 years old at the time). I would like to help any way I can, and hope we may speak to that end.
Amusing Hebrew myth jest, you sharpwit
The Egyptians hieroglyphs and pictograms are only 2D. Thus prior to the Giza plateau development a Pharaoh may have just said that a few giant triangles would brighten up the boring skyline putting Cairo on the map
The fact that there are tapered stones on every face, shows that the corner blocks were all placed first. Otherwise, you'd only need one stone to be dropped in from above, and could put them all one the side fewest people would see the pyramid from. I suspect every pyramid has a small vertical shaft in the center, that may or may not have been filled in later. That's just the best way to build a pyramid. You hang a plumb line down the shaft, and you're always working off the same reference point, so errors don't compound. Then you know where the corners need to be, in relation to the center line. They likely had markers built in the distance, along a line extending from the center of the pyramid, through the corners
The plumb line in the center and alignment markers in the distance only let you make a perfect square with perfect alignment, but they don't really determine the size of that square.
The corner not being laid last only makes sense if you have to lay them first. They would be trivial to slide into position if they were last. Which would make building from the center of each face to the corners and then finishing it off by sliding the corner stones into place diagonally an obvious first guess on how to build the casing. It avoids the problem of having to slot bonding stones into place (since the corner stones do that job) and it lets 8 crews work on the casing of a layer at once (plus an arbitrary number of crews doing the interior fill).
The only reason why you would NOT do that is that there are alignment advantages to putting the corner stones in first.
The conclusion that I arrive at is that they left the whole edges un-covered, which let them see straight down that line in order to align the scorner stones. And with the corner stones of a certain layer in place, laying the remaining casing stones is merely a matter of forming a straight line between the corner stones - even if there is an external ramp blocking the center of a face.
An intersting idea. But would a central verticle shaft mean that stones would have to be drug in a tunnel beneath the completed lowest course of the pyramid to reach the central shaft? And depending on the width, that requires finished masonry along the roof of the entire tunnel's lenght, not roughly laid core masonry. Nothing like this has been discovered (yet?). More importantly, one central verticle shaft seems like a choke point for moving that much stone if the time to build was similar to the Great Pyramid (lay a block every few minutes). And then that still leaves, how do did the Ancient Egyptians finish the very top layers? Still, an interesting idea that bears further though of how it could be used wholly or partially to construct Khafre's pyramid.
@@eric1752 huh? Noooo. I mean a very small shaft. Just a few inches. Not for moving stones through, but to hang a plumb line down, so that as the pyramid gets taller, the center is always known
@@eric1752 I don't think that shaft would have been a route to move stones through.
Also, you don't need to access the bottom. You can use 2 lines. 1 plumb line with a weight on the end to make it perfectly vertical, and a second line that's anchored to the bottom of the shaft. When both lines are parallel, you're directly above the center. The shaft only needs to be a foot wide for that.
I like your thinking.The plumb line was an essential piece of equipment back then.Everybody knows to put a gigs away together you do the corners first.The total lack of finishing stones in these areas does add weight to this position.
I’m here because Stefan Milo said how much he respects your work, and I respect Stefan’s work. So I thought I’d check you out. I like what I see so far. You have earned my subscription.
New videos on History for Granite means time to take a break at work.
Edit: At 12:36, when you presented the pattern, my jaw dropped and eyes widened. Has no one seen this before?!? Simply incredible.
you need to publish this!
Yes! I laughed when the pattern was revealed. Under our noses all the time. But, it happens in other fields. Many times I've seen a group of programmers huddled around a screen trying work out why a program isn't doing what they think it should be doing. Then, a third party turns up, scans the screen, points and says "There". And walk away.
This comment ignores the effort of traveling to Egypt with photographic kit he might be forbidden to use and then take photos that would be a challenge, even without restriction. The best angle to photograph buildings is when the plane of the camera sensor is parallel to the building. There are even specialist lenses for that purpose ($$$$). Correcting for that slope from such a distance was no small matter.
I love everything about this channel... the video production, the data-driven approach, the clarity of your explanations, the dedication to travel to Egypt in pursuit of a hypothesis + spend hours meticulously inspecting photos/videos, the consistent uploads, and so much more.
You're killing it man, keep up the good work!!
Second that 👌
@hudsonhamman3285 This episode isn't about the great pyramid, it's about the second in size. And it's the great pyramid that has the chambers you write about.
@@rogerkarlsson3996 Whilst you are correct about the Great pyramid, the hypothesis was presented as an inference that this was typical design for all the pyramids.
ABSOLUTELY AWESOME WORK!!!
@@doctormarazanvose4373 No, as you're quoting above: "Our present knowledge of *this* pyramid" - and earlier he names Khafre and only Khafre.
Thank God for people like you. Seriously. Your independent study is some of the best pyramid content I watch. Well done! Thank you. I hope your channel grows beyond belief. You deserve it.
Definitely
He might have shown what the blocks properties are in terms of material and shape, and the pattern in which they are placed all together to form the whole structure. But he hasn't proven who built it, and what techniques were used to gather all the material, how it was transported from the source to the building site, how it was cut into those laser precise shapes despite the mass and size, and how it was lifted and moved into all the right spots and by who or what.
You speak my mind!
The Giza pyramids honestly appear as if restoration work was done on them several times over multiple centuries by the society that built them until they ultimately stopped for one reason or another.
Edit: And it appears that the quality of the restoration work was less and less as time went by.
Thank you for your hard work! This is a great step forward to unlocking the mysteries of how these were constructed.
Agreed 🤝 this work can't be underestimated. Feels like they'll be studying these models in 10 years or less.
The rod measurement for this pyramid, is 6.75 royal cubits.
You can derive this measurement from the dimension of the large chamber.
When applied to the external dimension of the pyramid, the true math is revealed.
Delete the two granite courses at the base of the pyramid.
Then measure the dimensions in 6.75 cu rods.
And voila - the Second Pyramid reveals itself as a simple multiple of the 3-4-5 pythagorean triangle.
All these pyramids were mathematical.
See book ‘K2, Quest of G-ds’.
R
@@RalphEllis You better call Zahi Hawass - he would love your story!
ok
I’m a mason , and I think you are right. It’s no different than laying a brick or block wall today. On a long wall, there is someone on each end , establishing the corners, then there are people in the middle. When you come together you install a “closure” ( that’s what you refer to as a bonding stone). Bricks are all uniform lengths now so you can make it look seamless but 100 years ago when common brick varied significantly, you can usually find the “ closure” brick
Being a mason doesn’t mean anything 😂
@@Quavan-yi9rwWhat you said only makes you look stupid.
@@Quavan-yi9rwDepends on if you mean freemason or actual tradesman.
@@Quavan-yi9rwthat’s like saying a rancher’s opinion on husbandry has nothing to do with some ancient shepherd’s work. Or a plumber’s or architect’s insight is meaningless to Roman aqueducts.
Quavan is a moron. Lmfao.
One thought on the bonding stones. I am wondering if perhaps they were not lowered into place from above, but pushed into place from behind. Perhaps the taper isn't top to bottom, but actually back to front, like a pizza slice. A wedge shaped block could be pushed in from the back until it stops, and then the front cut down off to match the face of the pyramid once it's in place. A block placed in this manner could fill a wide range of gaps without having to be measured carefully. A wedge shaped block would look like it tapers top to bottom, thanks to the sloped side at the front of the pyramid.
That's an interesting thought. Considering there is the hypothesis that casing stones were grounded/polished to perfection after being placed (I forget which pyramid still has convex casing stones left, red pyramid?), it would not be much additional work to cut down the bonding stones. It does pose the question as to how they were cut if there was no external ramp/structure to help workers work the surfaces.
Houdin's Internal ramp theory? Built in advanced, brought up from inside, pushed into place. the casing stones always higher, and before the filling stone.
I thought he said that was a possibility during the video. I could be wrong though.
@@SandstoneMan does Houdin theorize how the top layers would be placed with an internal ramp? The pyramidion would be difficult to place
@@asdfghjsdfgg1841 the top area would of been no different in placing the outer facing stones and corner stones first to keep the shape of construction. It was built up at one level at a time they would of left a tunnel, possibly a stepped tunnel leading up to the next level big enough for them to climb up and big enough to pull a stone up. It would of been a stepped tunnel as that would be easier to backfill in once the construct was built to its hight.
The most clear explanation I have ever seen on pyramids and how the were build.
And I have seen quite a lot of them.
Great work!!
Wonderful to see more engineering and science in egyptology. I earnestly look forward to every one of your videos and can only imagine the countless hours spent in research
You're not just a historian now, you're now adding to history - You're adding to the knowledge base
Well the truly learned, the "experts", will sit in their ivory day care centers and refuse to ever look at this sort of stuff. They’ll protect themselves from such mis/dis/mal-information with the very earth itself - by sticking their heads into the dirt.
Is this kind of investigation even allowed? Next thing we know all pyramid videos on youtube can only be viewed at 360p and no photografy at Giza.
@@MrAwesomeBikerDude Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I know. I kept thinking why didn’t he just formally ask permission? That’s one thing, but to then tell the whole world in intricate detail how he shirked the rules and his better judgement to do it anyway, moots the plausible deniability that he would’ve had since as he mentioned it wasn’t 100% clear that it was explicitly forbidden but implicitly understood. He was super lucky that he wasn’t arrested bc Egyptian Jail and interrogation by torture would’ve fucking sucked. I’m just saying this because I don’t want him to get in trouble nor the things you mentioned.
@@annascott3542 It would seem that you don't know about the history of gatekeeping and opposition to critical inquiry among the Egyptian authorities who control access to the pyramids and other ancient sites. Asking for permission is the best way to ensure your visit would be either denied entirely, or that you'll be followed at all times by not one but likely a group of armed security guards making sure you don't do anything they don't approve of. For God's sake they didn't even want to allow researchers to do entirely unobtrusive scanning of the pyramids, even though it had huge potential for discovering its many secrets. As unfortunate as this attitude is, it's understandable in many ways, the history of colonialism, exploitation and unscrupulous grave robbing by Europeans has made many in Egypt skeptical of all outsiders coming to research these sites. The British still refuse to return thousands of artifacts they stole and pompously display in their museums as if they are part of their own great culture and not the proceeds of a criminal enterprise. When you add extensive corruption in contemporary Egyptian governments, its not a environment conducive to free scientific inquiry.
@@annascott3542 I think you misunderstood his method. He didn't shirk the rules, he outlined the difficulties and stayed within the bounds of the law. Didn't carry/use a tripod and didn't attempt to photograph the western face, as to do so would have meant accessing an area that was forbidden. So he just used a digital SLR with the longest lens practicable without using a tripod. Common equipment for any tourist photographer. The interpretation and explanation of the resulting images is truly amazing part.
Would love to help you count and map a few rows - that would be awesome. The work you are doing is incredible, literally putting Egyptologists to shame. They need to step up their game massively because there is clearly so much more to learn about the pyramids.
I think at this point even after the ScanPyramids hubbub it is viewed as something of a low hanging fruit mass media subject for many academics when there is far more higher hanging furit associated with the lives of "everyday dynastic Egyptians" to ply the archaeology skillset to that the public mostly doesn't care about, but the understanding of these minor things as a whole can give us a much greater insight into the world of ancient Egypt than obsessing over minutae of their monuments.
Why on earth are tripods not allowed? That makes no sense to me. In fact a lot of the rules that I’m hearing about. Don’t make a lot of logical sense to me.
One of the things I always think about with the pyramids is how glorious they must have looked when new. With the sun hitting the casing stones, they must have shone brilliantly. They are a spectacular sight today, they must have been utterly mindblowing to see when they were still fairly new.
Something I try my best to do, is to understand how something must have looked back in the day. Both in general and to the people of that time period. The pyramids are one of the best examples I know (if not the best), which I can then tell other people about. Since basically everybody knows at least a little about them.
addendum: The second best example I can think of is to get people thinking about what bronze armor must have looked like when new. Since people are familiar with how bronze armor looks in museums with a lovely patina, but don't have a lot of experience with fresh bronze.
I like to know how they decorate the pyramid at the time. Like every year, they change the look of it, or decorate it with ton of gold. I remember this pyramid at one time have a gold top.
@@gioviocorleone6577 Nobodys quite sure where the idea that the great pyramids would be gold-tipped came from, only very small pyramids (10m size individual tombs) have ever been found with evidence of this. Its also been pointed out by academics that it would be pretty hard to see a small golden tip atop a colossal structure of gleaming white limestone shining intensely in the egyptian sun.
Ah, that's just what I need today in all this craziness: a sane view of Egypt's history!
🤣😂🤣
I think you're work work on construction techniques is unique, i certainly haven't come across anyone else describing the casing stones like you have , the sloting of a last block with an angle is a pratice used in woodworking, the ancient Egyptians were very good at wood working ,
I watched so many videos about ancient Egyptian monuments but this is by far the most educated, scientific and comprehensible work, spanned over dozens of pieces. My deepest admiration for such an lost devotion in a time stained by exaggerated, gimmicky, clickbaiting works.
I love when new independent researches come along and offer new perspectives on this subject. Outstanding job!!. Just found your channel and look forward to catching up with the rest of your work.
Clearly your methodology deserves respect. I'm intrigued with not just the pyramids themselves, but also how well spoken and thought out all of this in summary(and entirety)shows. Thank you for your efforts..
Voice sounds like a typical monolog...
AI lol
Khafre's has always been my favourite Pyramid. It's simply huge but due to a slightly steeper slope it looks even bigger, it's very well preserved, has the outer layer still in place so we can see how these structures were supposed to look, and there is something weirdly astethic about a pyramid with a "missmatching" top.
The bent pyramid is a close second for similar reasons. Then Khufu's
Isn't it taller because its base plateau is a little higher ?
It’s nice to know how the pyramids were finally built . After all these years of not knowing.
Thank you for TH-cam!!!
One of the most compelling and highly factual documents about the pyramids I have ever seen! It created a lot of emotion on me! Congratulations and keep up the excellent work!
Like many, many others here, I am so fascinated by the pyramids not matter how many videos I watch about them. I sit here and just look at my screen in awe and try to imagine how they were constructed with such primitive technology thousands of years ago. Not only the building of the pyramids but the planning that went behind it. It's not like they woke up one day and said "let's build some pyramids". My simple mind cannot even fathom all the planning that went into this. Another GREAT video by the way. Your knowledge on the subject is world class.
Egyptian tech was far from primitive, they had math, astronomy the list goes on, they are problem solvers, just like we are.
I'd redefine primitive technology, we can't even fathom it.
@@MrRecklessryan I could have worded that better. I strictly meant the tools and heavy machinery that we have today. No electricity etc...
@@WorldwideDarts True, I think you're right about the planning, the logistics are even more impressive than the actual construction, just feeding that many people would have been a logistical nightmare.
Primitive? They were exceptionally advanced (the wheel hadn’t been invented just yet) with maths (about another 2000 yrs before Arabic numbering was used and which we use today) & physics, astronomy etc and it naturally flowed from that they could work out how to carve some rocks and shift ‘em up higher and higher. Some pyramids were not so successful and they took many decades to complete. Of course they had cordless power tools to help them, they couldn’t pronounce Milwaukee so they used Makita, charging batteries was a problem as electricity generation was a few thousand years away (and don’t give me that about the supposed Baghdad “battery”, it wasn’t). 😅
Every time your videos come out, I am glued to the computer. It is so refreshing to see actual progress being made toward solutions that have seemingly been intentionally obfuscated for as long as I can remember. I certainly hope you're receiving the respect you deserve for this fine work. Thank you.
Thanks for your unwavering determination
There is no thanks enough for this seminal work you do. What is so mind blowing is the fact that so important historical research is being done by such a tiny body of dedicated brilliant men such as yourself. Unbelievable. Hope you get the funding and definitely the accolades acclaim and respect you so definitely deserve. Your passion is advancing knowledge on a subject that is long overdue is fantastic. Thank heavens for men of your ilk.
E
The more evidence we gather, the closer we get to solving the puzzle.
I commend you on your work and efforts. Keep it up!
There is no puzzle fool lmao if this still intrigues you after high school then you need to be held back
@ThePrinceofallsayain
Then why are you here
I wouldn't be surprised if the puzzle has already been solved/discovered, but it's not in the immediate interest of Egypt to disclose it because of fear of losing tourism revenue...
@@ThePrinceofallsayain pump the breaks ya fukkin nerd
@@ThePrinceofallsayainThere are different ways and theories … we will never be able to say how exactly they were build as we can inly assume using the evidence we collected … meanwhile even their age being disputed again.
Wow. Forgive me for the long comment, but I must say how great this work is. I love all your videos, but this one may be the best yet. This is groundbreaking work. When you showed the block patterns, I was amazed. The work it took for you to get to that point is not lost on me, and many others who enjoy your content. My second thought when seeing the patterns, was how in the world has no one done this work before? My theory is that if the Great Pyramid still had casing stones, this would’ve already been researched thoroughly. I’ve said many times that Khafre’s pyramid is criminally understudied in the modern era. I’ve actually been laughed at by others for saying that Khafre’s pyramid still holds secrets and deserves MUCH more attention than it gets today. You sir are my hero today for doing this work. I hope you publish this and it goes around the world where other researchers can take it and run with it now. That’s how we learn and figure mysteries like this out. But someone has to do the hard work to start the ball rolling, and thankfully you’ve done it. It’s hard to tell what things we will learn from this work after it’s been studied for some time. Id be interested to hear thoughts on this from people who do stone work or are experts in ancient stone masonry. I’m just amazed at having any new knowledge about the construction of monuments that have been studied for thousands of years. You’ve done something amazing here imo. This also is a good example of how valuable it can be to get to go to these monuments to study in person. I can only imagine how enthused you and my other favorite creator Matt are right now after getting to see and touch these structures in person. I’m sure there will be more great videos coming soon, and I can’t wait. Thank you.
Staying away from proposed solutions (thinking out of the box), here is my idea that could work, step-by-step:
1. Centre-Outward Construction
- Starting each layer from the center and working outward would allow a controlled stacking process, reducing the need for large external ramps or complex transportation on higher layers.
- This method would ensure that workers had stable ground as they moved outward, with the base of each layer already supporting the weight of the stones.
2. Counterweight and Crankshaft System
- Using a **crankshaft mechanism** with a counterweight, such as a large container filled with sand, could allow for a controlled lifting of each stone. Here’s how this could work:
- One end of a crankshaft is attached to the stone, and the other to a large container.
- As sand is poured into the container, its weight creates a downward force. Once the weight of the sand exceeds the weight of the rock, the rock would start to lift.
- The "crankshaft" enables a controlled, smooth lift by converting rotational motion into linear motion, making it easier to hoist the stone precisely to the desired height.
3. Advantages of a Sand-Based Counterweight
- Using sand as the counterweight is brilliant because "sand’s weight can be adjusted gradually" by adding or removing sand, allowing fine control over the lift.
- Sand is also abundant, especially in Egypt, and easy to move, making it a practical resource for a counterweight.
4. How This Method Could Work in Practice
- As each layer is completed from the center outward, workers could dismantle and move the counterweight system to the next location where lifting is needed.
- Once a stone reaches the desired height, it could be maneuvered into place using small ramps or levers for final positioning.
5. Practicality of my method
- This method could potentially eliminate the need for massive ramps, leveraging "internal structural support" from completed layers.
- Building from the center outward would minimize the distance each stone needs to travel horizontally, especially as the pyramid narrows near the top.
Possible Challenges
- Constructing and maintaining crankshaft mechanisms capable of lifting such heavy weights without modern materials would be a challenge, but with wood, stone, and simple tools, the Egyptians might have crafted durable, if basic, crankshafts.
- Precision placement of each stone might require additional guidance systems, like sledges or rollers, but this approach could be adapted with small adjustments.
My concept of "using a crankshaft with a sand counterweight" could indeed have been a practical and achievable method for lifting large stones with minimal force, especially if they built from the center outward. This system leverages both ancient engineering principles and available materials, making it a highly plausible alternative to traditional theories!
A total of 16 starting points around the perimeter means they might have 32 teams working the course of casing stones. 1 team on each end of each starting point. More teams must have been doing the filler stones. This gives an idea of how many masons were employed (enslaved?) on the pyramid itself. More teams would be cutting blocks, quarrying, transporting to the pyramid construction site and lifting the stone blocks to the course level (my guess is wooden ramps laying against the lower casing stones making wooden ramps straight up midway between the 16 starting points. A wooden fixture would hold a stone block with ropes pulling it up the ramp like a sled. They may have had oxen on top of the working level course to pull the ropes. They may have used dual levers to ratchet the wood sled & block up the ramp.)
Getting food, water, other necessaries up was probably done on sleds sliding up a vertical wooden ramp resting on the pyramid outer casing wall. also. People may have walked up/down a wooden staircase resting on the outer wall. There must have been 500 workers up there, maybe 1000. That’s a lot of food and water
Most likely it was seasonal - when the Nile flooded thousands would b available, then when the Nile receded they returned to their farms leaving skeleton crew behind@@douginorlando6260
@@douginorlando6260 What puzzles me is that if there was any sort of structure resting on the casing stones, it would have likely left visible marks. But no marks of any kind are visible.
@@FUZxxl yeah. I suspect even if it was like laying a ladder against the pyramid, I bet they had some kind of anchor points to keep it from slipping every few casing levels. It would be logical to look for evidence where such a wooden ramp would likely have been. If evidence of anchor points could be found, that would prove it. If not, then they could have supported the ramp from slipping with ropes coming down from the top supporting its weight and holding it from moving out from straight up the pyramid side.
Another site showed a technique where 4 semi circular wood Rims could be lashed to the 4 edges of the stones( ie draw a square , now draw a circle touching all 4 edges - you see his proposal) and with a few men in a walking drum taking up rope , rolled it up a ramp . A whole lot of mechanisms along with it I wont go into
I’ve been watching your content from the start of your channel and I’m happy to be a day 1 “channel member”. Keep up the good work.
It was a small group in the early days, I appreciate you sticking around!
@@HistoryforGRANITE You came out the door with great quality content and I always eagerly anticipate your next video. I appreciate the massive effort you clearly put in.
The pyramid is for underwater that's why they lost all of that white limestone and casing stones That's what you see erosion of the Great Sphinx water erosion All of the Great pyramids were underwater
lol “day one” suuure you were bud
@@DeecentAnimal I posted this the day he first offered channel memberships, champ
What's good to see here is there aren't many, if not no, comments complaining about this video. It's very informative and well received..
The snobbery and gatekeeping common within Egyptology specifically and archaeology generally is absolutely amazing, with the photography restrictions at Giza in particular absolutely baffling.
Simply put, wow! Your comment that this observation of casing stones, is eliminating some of the building concepts, is THE top aspect to me at present. I am so impressed that no one else has done this, and I will be pulling for you as you continue this work. You may be the only person (or group by now) that is really going to figure out how the pyramids were really built. Bravo and persevere!!!
I don't think his logic is sound. The casing stones were likely laid from the top down, not the bottom up - after the fill stones were placed.
@@aidasworthington9129 I thought the same, and would explain why it branches from the center out - a ramp would begin at the top center and then spread towards the edges the lower you go. Perhaps a system of 4 lower ramps and 2 upper ramps was used in order to work on as much of the face as possible.
The ramp was inside the pyramid. There was no external ramp.
@@cnlienI don’t believe that is accurate. The ramp and transportation are the biggest mystery.
Dropping the bonding stones into place from above (as illustrated at 10:43) would probably have been too much unnecessary work. A stone narrower at its base than at its top would only need to be raised a few inches to create enough gap on the two sides to facilitate sliding it into place. Then, the wooden shims (or whatever they might have used to raise the stones the few inches) could be pulled from beneath to allow the stone to fall into its place.
Also, the shims would probably serve best if they were somewhat short of the outside of the pyramid's facing. The shims would only need to extend far enough to keep the stone from tipping off them prematurely. This way, once the outside face of the stone was aligned with the face of the pyramid, a lever could be used to raise the backside of the stone enough to free up the shims for easy removal.
Also, dropping it from a high above increases the risk of it not landing in the exact position.
And dropping them from so high increases the risk of cracking
Wood can easily hold a stone like this if you use enough of it.
Why do you think a wooden crane would hold more weight than a solid piece of wood? Makes no sense. @@doesnotcompute6078
@@doesnotcompute6078 the stones could weigh upwards of 25 tons. the heaviest stones at Göbekli Tepe are 50 tons and that was build more then 8000 years before that and they didn't need cranes. There are multiple proven ways you can move these large rocks something as simple as a pebble can work.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. "Inserted form above" cannot be exactly right. If you slid a stone in from the next course up and dropped it, it would break... You can see how after every 8 or ten blocks, an adjustment block needs to be inserted to fit the available space. And in fact that would make quarrying stone easier, for the vast majority of blocks you give them a height spec and the rest of the dimensions don't matter. then every 8 or 10 blocks, you insert a block tapered to fit and slide it in on wood strips and pull the strips. there may be evidence on the bottom of these joining blocks showing how they were manipulated...
Cool video! Fascinating stuff for sure.
I appreciate the kind words! Your channel is amazing.
@@HistoryforGRANITE Last stone to be laid in a course is called a "closure stone". So your "bonding stone" already has a name in the world of masonry.
Woooow, so unexpected to see you here Zack! Awesome to know you're into egyptology too
@@HistoryforGRANITE
Regarding the tripod problem, I see a monopod has been mentioned. IF you can get away with even a short monopod that can help by using your belt as a support point.
Method 2 that I don't see mentioned, a chain or light cord with a screw for the tripod mount in the lens can be used. You just drop the cord, step on it and lift up. This has been used in museums that don't allow tripods, its quick and does not block the tourists around you.
True, and glad to see you here. You keep your good work too.
God bless you all
While you have identified, how the casing stone walls were joined. I think some of your key assumptions on how they were built are incorrect.
This pattern does not prevent the use of an external ramps. Infact they probably used a dual ramp method method I have suggested on your internal ramp video.
The draft angles , (tapers), on the bonding stone you show, can have the taper at the front and also be shaped like a wedge wider at the back . This would make them easy to push in, rather than drop in.
There is a wedge shaped block in the top view of the pyramid, 8 minutes and also can be seen 9.06 minutes, where the 3rd stone , in from the left , 17 rows down, has a couple of stones missing below it , showing a taper and wedge.
The pattern shown has little to do with the ramp. For example if I put ramp at the side of a table, flatening as it reached the table top. Blocks could be pushed from the floor to the same level as table top. I can then arange the blocks any way I like on the table, in the pattern shown in the photos.
A ramp would still put the corners in first, the corners keeping everything lined up. Nothing is obscured , and once that level was complete, outside blocks first, in patterns you highlight. The ramp would then be raised and flattened on the next level. Repeating the pattern.
This would continue to the top.
It would also make sense for faces to be unfinished, looking like the core stones we see today. Then the faces were chiseled from top to bottom, corners first. In fact I think I detect a spiral pattern in the groups of highlighted blocks in the video .
A ramp going up 1 in 20 , near the bottom of the pyramid, could easily be used for 10 courses, before it needed to take a corner.
For the heaviest granite stones, they could be brought in at the first level. In my table example, when the table is half covered by core blocks , I bring up the granitie blocks, I then lift them up onto the core blocks , using levers or a temporary internal ramp at each level ,a dual ramp method, in the centre of the table. I can do this as high as they need to go, only ever having to lift the heavy granite one layer at a time. They dont have to come up the external ramp, only the core blocks do.
That is the simplest way to build a pyramid.
Excellent observation on your part. The fact that you use engineering, geology, construction methodology, and science to come to your conclusions gives me a great deal of respect for what you’re doing. It also gives you an enormous amount of credibility that the Egyptian government does not merit. Thank you .
I thoroughly enjoy your analysis. When you revealed the patterns of the casing stones my jaw dropped. To have potentially seen / discovered something that no one else may have known for thousands of years should be a milestone in anyone's life. I can't wait to see future videos of what you discover next. What lies in store for exploring the great void!!?!!!
12:41 Maybe the bonding stones will tell you how many crews there were. Let's say you had five crews per side laying blocks, and when their row met another crew's row, they would connect them with these stones.
It seemed to me at a glance that there might be 4? What do you think?
Was going to mention this too, seems likely doesn't it. You'd expect the most skilled crews would be assigned to the corners as that's where the pitch angle had to be set with great accuracy. So there could be four teams one for each corner with three or so teams in between each corner crew laying out until a small enough gap presented itself for a bonding stone. Maybe there was a dedicated bonding stone crew too. Modern bricklayers will build up several courses in the corners first to get an accurate build so the corners could have gone up well before the central part of the layers were complete.
@benedictearlson9044 yeah that's a sound thought. It's like a lot of these ancient sites. If you have worked with your hands and on building sites you could well have better grasp of how these amazing structures were built.
4/5 on each face@@mixolydian2010
Four crews _per side_ though, so they could be working all four sides at the same time.
Sorry if I've missed your thoughts on the French architect theory of the internal ramp. There was a documentary several years ago and it seemed to me that his theory was spot on. They even found the ruins of another pyramid that showed exactly, his theory.
By looking at the number of vertical rows of bonding stones, it might be reasonable to conclude that there were that many crews working simultaneously on each course.
For instance, say five rows of bonding stones on each face, leaving 6 gaps between on each side.
If one crew worked on each corner, that leaves 5 crews for each face, letting us know that there may have been 24 crews working all at the same time for that particular course
I had that same realization. But that's surely not the limit of what that fact can tell us?
If we know the total number of workers who worked on these layers (specifically the upper fraction that is still present), then we can divide that by the number of crews. The resulting crew size would tell us how many logistical workers (moving stones up the pyramid and towards their destination in the layer) and aligning workers (taking the stones over somewhere close to their final destination and moving them precisely into place) there were taken together. And to get an upper bound for how many workers could have been in one aligning crew, we could measure how many workers fit around a typical corner casing stone (specifically a corner one because we need to see it from 2 sides to get all 3 of its dimensions).
Also, if they built the casing stones from the corners inwards, it's more likely than not that they also built the filling stones from the edges inwards. In which case the total number of crews would be the number of crews laying casing stones. (24)
But there may also have been crews that only worked on filling stones, and whose work was later merged with the work of the crews laying the casing stones and the fill directly behind. In that case the total number of crews would be the square of the number of crews laying casing stones on one side (36), since the crews laying interior fill would likely have a similar distance between each other, at least roughly. On one hand, they can work faster (and thus fill a larger area on each layer) because the interior stones don't have to be aligned as neatly. On the other hand, the crews laying casing stones would benefit from having their area of responsibility be wider than it is deep. Since they'd work slightly slower this would result in their designated area being mainly less deep and similarly wide.
Yes this is what I thought too. Say we have 3 sets of joining stones on a course. If the joining stones on the right side are the closest to the end, then they would have had 3 teams, the first starts on the left side and works to the right. The other teams start to the right of where the joining stones are and they too work towards the right.
They also appear to have a preference to work from left to right as the right edge has predominately more joining stones. Where a joining stone is absent on the right I expect one team worked in reverse direction till the met the team working the other way.
Yep thats my thought, teams starting at different points to expedite the process.
Exactly. Going off my experience in construction (which admittedly was electrical work and only about 6 years), it makes sense to have different crews working on only one task. That's how we do things today, and it's most efficient to have people handle one system or one area of a floor when building a building. I think having more skilled facing stone crews makes sense, as those would have to be the most precise blocks, and with the filler stones, yeah it makes sense for them to have built it from the outside in.
Just like previously mentioned, each section between the bonding stone would have to be made by separate crews, because if there was only say, two crews per face, each face would have only one row of bonding stones, since each crew would just ass a block next to the one they just laid down.
If there were crews dedicated to particular areas of filler stones (which seems likely in my mind), there may have even been another more skilled crew handling the bonding stones, possibly having that one be made of workers from the facing stone crews as well, since once the facing stones were laid, they would have to get at least the perimeter bonding stones installed on that course before the next course of facing stones could be laid. @@Pystro
Your content keeps getting better and better! It can't be easy to continue to create interesting videos on what is, essentially, the same topic. However, you haven't disappointed me yet. Your increasing subscriber count indicates that I'm not alone. Luckily, I found your channel when you'd only posted 4 videos. I look forward to seeing your 100th in the future! Keep up the fantastic job.
Amazing that you have come this far, mostly on your own. Great work for someone who operates on passion rather than funding and notoriety.
Awesome research. You could actually be the guy in history that solved one of the most intriguing enigmas EVER.
Great work! The research and presentation result in a fascinating video. Keep it up.
My thoughts, suggestions, ideas on these new fantastic findings:
1) Using multiple "in-between filling stones" (IFS) per row suggests that multiple groups of people worked simultaneously on one row
2) The strands of IFS blocks from bottom to top are the same in number on all sides. This suggests that there was a "cooke-cutter-approach". The architects probably thought about how to build one side and copy-pasted the approach to the other sides.
3) The idea that the Grand Gallery actually was a big ramp to get the stones to each row, now even makes more sense.
4) The big void above the Grand Gallery might be the second ramp up that points into the opposite direction. Like a staricase winding upwards.
Different pyramid. The Grand Gallery is in the next one over....
@@redjohnson4859 You're right :)
@@redjohnson4859 Doesn't mean anything. All the big pyramids could have grand galleries, going all the way up, and we'd have no idea.
Look at the way the tying blocks are staggered. It was not a cookie cutter approach. I would suggest that there were multiple teams working, and they worked at different paces. Where they met was determined by the speed of the teams, how many blocks each team could place. When they got close, the Master architect would do some measuring, select the final blocks and had them dressed to the correct angles.
Your illustrations depicting four Egyptians moving a 2 ton block of limestone with sticks was hilarious. 🤣
Hilarious, this video is completely so far from how they did anything. These things were built with ancient lost high-technology .
exactly there is literally no way u can move those stones with man power and wooden tools or any wooden machine. And i am so surprised just few people realizing that fact. This video is not even scratching surface of reality. Thanks god for people like Graham Hancock at least speaking about it loud.@@AlexanderTheGreat1000
@@AlexanderTheGreat1000 Right. And where can we find this high-technology? Which museum exactly? Where was this technology developed and how? Where did the resources came from? Who developed it?
No fr they had to be strong af lol
@@AlexanderTheGreat1000 LOL.
Frankly I'm surprised they didn't voice match you and have you arrested on the spot. You must surely be the most wanted man in Egypt thanks to your myth-busting and the light you have shone on this jealously guarded subject. I didn't know that there was such a clamp-down on photography at this site - no tripods outside? How crazy. I would have taken a collapsible monopod and pretended it was a walking aid because I had a disability (yes, I have used that excuse in order to photograph where tri and monopods are not allowed). As a fellow photographer who enjoys getting photos of things others have not or could not image, I salute you! Well done sir.
This is groundbreaking work and so important for understanding the mind and methods of the builders. What a great idea to crowd source the work as this is increasingly how the best results are achieved, after all, a million minds are better than one. This is a story I will definitely watch with huge interest! Well done!
As always, these videos of yours are just next level. Amazing to see our knowledge of how they built the pyramids move one step forward with each of these presentations of yours.
I lived in Egypt from 1960- 1964 age 5-10. We lived in a far suburb called Maadi .
At age 9 I went to Giza with my family and as soon as possible, I ran away from the group and began climbing up the great pyramid stone by stone .
The guards spotted me after I was about 3 levels up , they shouted at me in Arabic , but I kept climbing , more slowly as time went by since it was extremely tiring to pull myself up each step . I was a cub scout and had a canteen to drink water on my blue scout belt . I did not have gloves and my fingers started hurting , but I kept going .
Eventually a guard started climbing up after me , and to get away , I just ran around on the level I was on to another side and began climbing up again , going around again whenever I noticed the guard under me . I made it up about 1/3 of the total height before getting too tired, and also I was getting scared of what the guards might do to me when I got caught .
On the way down , I did the same thing to avoid capture, running around as I went down . The guards had to run farther than I did since they were on a lower level that was longer around . I was also faster than they were .
I got down ok , found the tour group near some buses and hid among the crowd .
My father asked where I had been for the last hour or so and I just said I got lost in a tomb walkway inside the pyramid .
I believe Egypt determines what you have "every legal right" to do within its borders, so if a security guard can inhibit your movements with impunity, then do you still have "every legal right"? Its like when Bane asked the guy in Batman, "Do you feel in charge?".
Chat GPT now does image analysis, I wonder if it could spot anything a human would miss if you gave it the right images and prompts.
You’re doing great work, always interesting to see what you find!
It can spot smth a human would miss but it for sure will also miss smth which a human will spot.
What prompts and images would you suggest? It's not like there is a any previous reference you could feed the machine. Only now after all the work we could attempt to use the findings as reference although each pyramid is different so it may not work.
@@kacperwoch4368 prompt: "how was this pyramid built?" + image + part of script of this video
It can do more than image analysis it can test the feasibility of various proposed construction methods in great detail if you are patient with it.
We might live to late to discover the world or too early to discover space but we live at the right time to solve the pyramids.
You are doing an awesome job
Thank you for effort in understanding this mystery. It is truly perplexing, but progress is being made and I agree with you that it is possible to fully understand the methods and techniques utilized to build these amazing structures. The drone footage gave me a new respect for the pyramids as I have never seen them in person but got a better perspective of how truly awe inspiring they are. Your photos that show the outlined casing stones amaze me also. It almost looks like the whole pyramid but the fact it is only a small fraction of the remaining casing stones around the top blew my mind, Thank you
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Your video is proof to me that the same builders that built the interior of the pyramid almost perfect did not install the casing stones. Bet we find out some day that the pyramids were built on top of previously built pyramids like Chichen Itza. Would also explain how they were "constructed" so quickly, because they simply added the casings stones.
Excellent work. So great to see such analytical thinking applied to solving these mysteries. We all appreciate your effort!
Amazing! I am so excited about your findings! The security and hostility around researching the pyramids always blows my mind, there really is a clear incentive in place by the authorities to keep a veil of secrecy and mystery in place. But, this work you are doing is far more interesting to me than anything else I've ever seen discussed about the pyramids. This is true detective work, the real tedious science that is required to make definitive discoveries. Thank you for bringing us along on this journey, I will be watching for your updates and maybe some live streams!
There's no "veil of secrecy" kept in place by the Egyptian authorities, except in the mind of conspiracy theorists.
Access to the pyramids and research work around them is understandably restricted, as is the case for virtually every famous ancient monument on the planet.
In fact, all things considered, few other ancient monuments have been more accessible to foreign researchers of all sorts than the pyramids and temples of Egypt.
That was the case in the recent past (last few centuries) when foreigners didn't bother to ask for permission, of course, but still up until quite recently, researchers and academics from around the world were able to conduct extensive and sometimes even invasive research into the pyramids.
Given the excesses that sometimes took place it would be understandable if the Egyptians were now a little more careful, but that's all.
Go to Stonehenge for example and see how much "research" you're able to do before you're stopped if you didn't go first through the proper channels and obtained the permission to work there...
@@elchapito4580 This isn't a conspiracy theory post, it's a compliment to the hard work that the author of this TH-cam video had to go through just to get some pictures, and only of 3 out of 4 sides at that.
@@elchapito4580 What harm is a photograph with professional equipment going to do? So why restrict it?
Never disappoints, love it. One of your best works yet. Thank you for all the fine details and the way you exhibit all your data.
Can’t wait for the next one…a live stream would be amazing.
I’m exited to have found History for Granite just yesterday! It is a binge-worthy channel and I’m doing just that. This video, however, is exceptional. Your bonding block work is ingenious and the accompanying graphics are illuminating.
Keep up the great work! I love your work, you have brilliant insights.
This is amazing, I had almost given up hope on how the pyramids were built but you make me find my curiosity again, you do a fantastic job and it is deeply appreciated.
As a fairly experienced mason myself, I have observed similar patterns in modern masonry. Check out big, functional structures. Fortifications, retaining walls alongside railway tracks and so on. They happen when multiple teams work at long walls. Typically, you would build up the corners first. They give you visual reference to build the wall in between completely straight. But since they had ropes and lines back then, they probably used it the same way as modern masons. The emerging patterns in modern brick or stone walls indicate how many teams worked on a stretch of wall. For nicer masonry with uniform bricks, one would of course avoid these patterns by laying down the first row continuously before building up the corners, which of course doesn't apply to a pyramid with its tapered corners.
I could think of some simple contraption to get the corner stones of a pyramid right just by eye. All you need is the center and some basic knowledge on how to construct a right angle and fractions of it, which they had. Then maybe put up lines to fill in the rows but this could also be done very accurate just by eye. Maybe a guy for each team at the corner, showing with a coloured flag where to move the stones. As furter up you get, the less teams can work on a row, because pyramid. There you have your pattern, I would speculate..
I love your content, keep up the great work!
Slightly off topic, but I knew a stone mason that had the most amazing fossil collection gathered from years of working with local limestone. He gave my fossil crazy child a large ammonite, complete with visible internal structures. The siphuncles were intact, and the fossil came apart like a puzzle so you could examine and understand how this thing jetted around in the ocean a kabillion years ago in Kansas. A very special gift.
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Please publish your findings in a journal at some point 🙏 Its important to have someone open up the dialogue also with the broader scientific community. Also you clearly have the ability to do so, based on fantastic investigation.
Thank you! It remains to be seen if the journals will have me. But it is on the to-do list.
@@HistoryforGRANITEA first step could be an arXiv publication. This is without peer-review, however, most e.g. computer science publications first are uploaded there. It basically signals to the community that you claim to have some serious findings, and you are willing to defend them in a scientific discourse. Good luck!
I never would've expected to find the subject of ancient masonry so fascinating, but you present it with such a unique and unbiased interpretation I can't help but be excited every time a new video drops! Can't wait to hear from you again
I don't think I've ever commented on a YT video saying it was "amazing" but this video actually is the definition of amazing. As in: Causing wonder and amazement; possessing uniquely wonderful qualities, inspiring awe or admiration or wonder. Those definitions fit the subject, work, thought and effort you and your viewers put into this. I'm so looking forward to the next videos. I applaud your dedication.
Thank you very much for those kind words!
Love your analysis method and commitment to this type of work. There are still so many questions these enigmatic structures invite asking and it’s fantastic that we get to see you answering some of them in your very well produced videos.
Best history channel on youtube. You can feel the passion you have. Also going out and doing your own research like this is more effort than most youtubers do
You are back! Missed you as much as a big sized block of granite. Can’t wait for more content from your trip in Egypt!
Perhaps this pattern you found is for some sort of external scaffolding that was used solely for the purpose of finishing the upper portion of the pyramid. Internal ramp still makes the most sense for the majority of the pyramid but the space constraints make it impossible after a certain height. The wedge shape would help keep the stone in place without support from beneath since you would have to fill these gaps left for scaffolding from the top down. So you would end up putting blocks in that had no block under them.
Internal ramp is unnecessary. Simple wooden beams place against the side of the pyramids would serve as ramps. Please read my longer explanation on this thread.
@@charliespeegleokliving8595 How does simple wooden beams support 2 tonne stones?
@@mokiloke The beams(rails) are laid against the side of the pyramid, so the pyramid acts as a foundation. Maybe think of it as a railroad up the side of the pyramid. Only humans are pulling the load up with ropes, instead of a locomotive.
@@charliespeegleokliving8595 do you think we could see any evidance of that or it would have been on the outside layer and its gone
@@MariusNinjai Correct. Evidence would have been removed when they polished the casing stones. I got the idea from Petra and the need for workers to safely get down after pyramidion placement. All ramps would have been on the west side with all ropes being pulled from the east. I'm building models and will do very short videos.
Meticulous, carefully thought out, and interesting! Excellent video, thank you.
@16:45 you can clearly see the face of the Khufu's spirit guarding the pyramid, dead center.
Thank you for your diligence, attention to detail, careful planning, scientific labor, skilled video editing and masterful public speaking. These are very interesting findings and I look forward to sharing them with people. I've always loved this topic since I was a kid and I still look for compelling receipt, revelatory content like this. This time, however, I got a lot more than expected. Thank you again.
This is basically Wikipedia. Anyone could do this.
Brilliant content, as usual. I've learnt so much watching this channel, and I absolutely love it. I can't think of another channel that educates people in an area in which they possess expert knowledge, that is better than this one overall. Thank you for sharing your passion and knowledge with us in such a wonderful way.
No doubt that when they were originally constructed, they appeared to be one giant stone with no seams. Under a full moon, with the still water surrounding them, reflecting the image was amazing to behold.
Good channel focusing on the workers methods.
Well, that was ridiculously educational. Great work!
Обожаю твои видео. Сразу видна точность подачи информации - только разгадки с доказательствами, без шуток, еженедельных видео.Мне нравится, что ты искал разницу между планом и подстройками, которые приходилось делать.
Well done! I appreciate your meticulous research, planning and common sense approach to solving mysteries of construction. Thank you for sharing your findings and keep up the great content!
In some ways this supports the internal ramp theory. Perhaps the Khafre pyramid had internal ramps and grand galleries (used as counterweight runs for hoists), but that they were later filled in making them invisible to muon scans. It seems much more efficient to use the unseen internal structure as its own temporary ramps than to use any sort of external ramp.
The top few courses could have been built partly hollow with the capstone being raised vertically from inside and the 1 or 2 supporting courses immediately below being pulled or levered in.
Have there even been muon scans on this pyramid?
Studying older pyramids in detail would certainly be helpful as the builders must have learned many lessons there. I loved your presentation!
I'm blown away by your findings and the excellence of your presentation. Thank you for your research, diligence, and passion. I hope your literally amazing work receives the recognition and appreciation it deserves. Time to rewrite the architectural history books!
My father was a mason, and both of us are professional rope technicians/riggers with extensive experience with rigging tripods, A-frames, etc.
Based on that and what youve shown, this is my take:
What I see is, by and large, vertical lines up the structure where the last joining/closure stones are generally on top of each other or at least near each other. As the pyramid comes to a point, these lines get eliminated, moving from four vertical lines to two. To me, this suggest that there were lifting stations at each of these points where stones were raised up the side of the structure via ropes, and the location of the lifting frame was also where the final stones were laid for each course. The frame would be moved up to the top of the new course, and the cycle would be repeated. As the pyramid tapers to a point, there would be less and less room for fewer and fewer and fewer frames, to the point that eventually each face would only have two frames, then only one frame, and finally, only a final frame for all the faces to share as the capstone was put in place.
You keep producing excellent, detailed and data driven work. Each of your videos is a joy to watch.
This belongs in a peer-reviewed journal. Well done.
Excellent work. Wow! Stunning. This channel is doing more to accurately and logically re-experience our true human history than anything else (that I can recall) previously! I was not able to go to Egypt with Douglas and Matt last month, but I'll be going back next year. Between now and then, I have their fantastic footage/research and I look forward to viewing more of their work in the next few months! Please keep up the great work! I've been a subscriber since you started,, but I just 'joined' today!
You’ve been an awesome supporter from the beginning, I greatly appreciate it.
@HistoryforGRANITE Could you guys do a video that showcases all of the design flaws that you see on Giza, or the other less known well constructed non-hieroglyph pyramids? I think pointing out the mistakes ancients made gives a more realistic view of their true intelligence/experience. I like how you do this in the video when discussing the casing stones, rather than people who always point out what was done perfectly which seems to conflate the idea that deities were involved (eg: hairline precision, crystalized granite, fine tuned acoustics, etc.); rather than imperfect construction methods from a, seemingly, more advanced civilization.
A thought I had was that the building techniques used in the Great Pyramid were probably evolutionary from earlier monuments. The builders probably would have innovated as needed to accomplish the larger scale of construction of the Great Pyramid, but otherwise maintained many of the same methods used in earlier projects. It might be of interest to look at, e.g. the Pyramid of Djoser or the Buried Pyramid or even the earlier mud-brick monuments to try to get a sense of the knowledge and techniques the builders would have been familiar with as they approached the Great Pyramid.
That's a good thought! Might also look at how the Mexican pyramids were made.
This is the most comprehensive explanation I’ve seen yet. Absolutely stunning work! The level of detail is impeccable. Have you had much feedback from Egyptologist? Surely this is groundbreaking!? ❤️
no egyptologists are robbers... 😂😂😂
Your dedication to this endeavor is admirable. Your satisfaction is your reward but you have provided a valuable service for those you will follow you. Congratulations you are a true pioneer. Best wishes for continued success.
Great work. Very interesting and awesome approach. Looking forward to whatever you discover along the way. Three thumbs up.
This observation further suggest the extensive use of the internal galleries for the movement of the building material: without them the use of a ramp would have made sense. The fact even the lowest levels uses bonding stones suggest no external ramps were ever used. I suppose it gave the workers a chance to finalize their methods before they were ‘set in stone’
I disagree. Multiple wooden ramps against the side of the pyramids are the solution to raising the blocks. These blocks are 3 ton or less, not the 100 ton behemoths.
Works stops as a new course starts and the beams would be removed or moved to allow the next course to start without hindrance. Binding blocks would not reveal where the ramps were placed. Ramps are removed as they become useless.
External nubs are used to transport a blocks. Nubs are removed just before final placement, except for the nubs on the exterior side of the casing stones. . These will be used as anchors for rope and wood beams to be secured against the pyramid's surface. There would probably be netting for safer movement around the pyramid's exterior, but not necessary there would be a nub every meter in every direction.
The wood beams would be used as rails(external, inclined ramp) to move the 2 ton blocks up the pyramid. Counterweight systems would assist workers moving the blocks up the side of the pyramid. This ramp should probably be centered as it simplies raising the blocks of the top courses.
Levels are completed external first and then filled from the outside in. The corners would be laid first and their surface etched with where the next course should be placed. Note: this etching would allow the builders to notice if the pyramid was moving when they 'finishing' it.
As each level is completed, the working surface area is reduced. At the point where that area becomes too small to work safely, workers would probably hang off the opposite side of the pyramid to raise stone, using the nubs to secure themselves safely.
When the last course is completed, the pyramidion raised and then placed on top. This would have been wonderful to watch. Note: the top remaining course of Khafre's pyramid has an square indentation. This was probably used to hold the pyramidion in place.
The finishing process begins. Nubs would be removed from the blocks of the highest course and the surfaces of each casing stone would be 'sanded'* until flat. Then they 'finished' the next lower course repeating the process until they were at ground level.
bingo
Great study! While I agree with most of your findings, I don't think the ramp / scaffolding would show as the scaffold would go up to a layer of stones, they would build all of that level flat, then build more ramp/scaffold above. I agree that each crew builds a section and then there is a joining block with more crews on the wider levels and less crews on the upper level. What are thoughts on when the "smoothing" was done? Many half completed structures from antiquity show nubs or were set rough and then finished smooth after. Could one option be that a side of the pyramid was left rough, the scaffold stepped on that side building up and then finished and removed on the way down. So glad you are pushing the boundaries and not just saying that's all we know.
On such a huge structure the wooden scaffolding likely wouldn't be secured to the ground and built up wards as it may eventually collapse under its own weight and would require a huge amount of materials. So it could be secured to the building itself regularly perhaps every 20ft then moved upwards as the build progressed. Good question about finish but I imagine it would be easier to get the outwards angle of the casing stone right, put it in place aligned up, then infill to the rear.
My solution... Multiple wooden ramps against the side of the pyramids are the solution to raising the blocks. These blocks are 3 ton or less, not the 100 ton behemoths.
Works stops as a new course starts and the beams would be removed or moved to allow the next course to start without hindrance. Binding blocks would not reveal where the ramps were placed. Ramps are removed as they become useless.
External nubs are used to transport a blocks. Nubs are removed just before final placement, except for the nubs on the exterior side of the casing stones. . These will be used as anchors for rope and wood beams to be secured against the pyramid's surface. There would probably be netting for safer movement around the pyramid's exterior, but not necessary there would be a nub every meter in every direction.
The wood beams would be used as rails(external, inclined ramp) to move the 2 ton blocks up the pyramid. Counterweight systems would assist workers moving the blocks up the side of the pyramid. This ramp should probably be centered as it simplies raising the blocks of the top courses.
Levels are completed external first and then filled from the outside in. The corners would be laid first and their surface etched with where the next course should be placed. Note: this etching would allow the builders to notice if the pyramid was moving when they 'finishing' it.
As each level is completed, the working surface area is reduced. At the point where that area becomes too small to work safely, workers would probably hang off the opposite side of the pyramid to raise stone, using the nubs to secure themselves safely.
When the last course is completed, the pyramidion raised and then placed on top. This would have been wonderful to watch. Note: the top remaining course of Khafre's pyramid has an square indentation. This was probably used to hold the pyramidion in place.
The finishing process begins. Nubs would be removed from the blocks of the highest course and the surfaces of each casing stone would be 'sanded'* until flat. Then they 'finished' the next lower course repeating the process until they were at ground level.
I think visitors were supposed to ask "How did you get the pyramidion on top?" and not "How was it built?"
With all due respect it seems to me that the important thing is to finally determine how these blocks were transported and lifted into place. It seems that using dolomite and fire are sufficient means for shaping the stone but the above problems seem not to have been solved. It would also be desirable for some theorist to actually quarry, transport and raise the blocks.