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{\an1}Tonight,
impressive and mysterious,
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{\an1}they are among the wonders
of the ancient world.
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{\an1}These are the monuments
that define innovation
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{\an1}and technology that were meant
to last forever.
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{\an1}But to this day,
no one fully understands
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{\an1}how they were built or why.
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{\an1}CAROLINE CORY: Despite how much
we've learned
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{\an1}from the writings
on the pyramids,
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{\an1}it's not always
very complete or specific.
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{\an1}Now, we explore the top theories
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{\an1}surrounding these
4,600-year-old puzzles.
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{\an1}The pyramids really have nothing
to do with the afterlife at all.
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{\an1}MICAH HANKS: Are these markers
left for aliens
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{\an1}arriving to Earth from space?
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{\an1}CAROLINE: The pyramids
could have been built
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{\an1}to provide a roadmap
to paradise.
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{\an1}Can we ever decipher
the true purpose
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{\an1}of Egypt's astonishing pyramids?
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{\an1}[music]
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{\an1}Saqqara, Egypt,
2650 B.C.
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{\an1}Workers serving under
Pharoah Djoser
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{\an1}are nearing completion on one
of the ancient world's
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{\an1}largest construction projects,
a pyramid.
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{\an1}MICAH: We can't definitively say
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{\an1}which was the very first
Egyptian pyramid,
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{\an1}but Djoser's is certainly
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{\an1}one of the first.
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{\an1}It's 205 feet tall
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{\an1}with a base of 358 by 397 feet,
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{\an1}the size of two football fields
side by side,
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{\an1}and it's an amazing feat
of engineering and technology.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Many others are built
in the same area.
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{\an1}JASON MARTELL:
There are probably even more,
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{\an1}but we know of at least
118 Egyptian pyramids
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{\an1}that still exist today
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{\an1}with extensive ruins.
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{\an1}Most of them have been intact
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{\an1}almost perfectly preserved
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{\an1}over the millennia.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Including the largest
ever built,
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{\an1}the Great Pyramid of Giza.
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{\an1}SAMI JARROUSH: The Great Pyramid
is equivalent
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{\an1}to the Empire State Building
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{\an1}of its day.
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{\an1}It reaches 480 feet tall,
46
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{\an1}and for about 4,000 years,
47
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{\an1}it is the tallest manmade
structure on the planet,
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{\an1}until it's finally dethroned
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{\an1}by England's Lincoln Cathedral
in the year 1311.
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{\an1}JASON: It's composed
of an estimated
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{\an1}2.3 million blocks of stones,
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{\an1}weighing an estimated
six million tons.
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{\an1}And some of these stones
individually
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{\an1}are 50 to 80 tons each.
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{\an1}The workforce that was needed
to lift these stones
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{\an1}must have been massive.
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{\an1}According to ancient Greek
and Roman historians,
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{\an1}it is suggested that
it was a labor workforce
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{\an1}of around 100,000
enslaved people.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: And it's not just
the size that's impressive.
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{\an1}CHRISTOPHER DUNN:
The Great Pyramid is probably
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{\an1}one of the most unique
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{\an1}and most precise buildings
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{\an1}that has ever been built.
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{\an1}It is aligned to true north
within 1/20th of a degree.
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00:03:02,375 --> 00:03:05,042
{\an1}That is remarkable
when you consider
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{\an1}the time period when
the Great Pyramid was built.
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{\an1}ROBERT CARGILL: The entire base
of the Great Pyramid
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{\an1}is nearly a perfect square,
with the western side
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{\an1}being only 5.5 inches longer
than the eastern side.
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{\an1}This is .01% difference.
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{\an1}This is an amazing
amount of accuracy
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{\an1}for a structure this big
this long ago.
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{\an1}The Great Pyramid dates back
to the year 2570 B.C.
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{\an1}Within a span of 100 years,
ancient Egyptians have gone
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{\an1}from the seemingly modest
Pyramid of Djoser
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{\an1}to this stunning masterpiece.
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{\an1}MICAH: But soon after,
the period of pyramid building
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{\an1}in ancient Egypt just stops
right around 2500 B.C.
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00:03:51,125 --> 00:03:53,833
{\an1}And we're not sure
really why that is.
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{\an1}Eventually, the knowledge
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{\an1}of how these buildings
were built is lost.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Also lost,
the reason why they were built.
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00:04:03,417 --> 00:04:06,000
{\an1}CAROLINE: Starting thousands
of years ago,
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00:04:06,125 --> 00:04:08,083
{\an1}people were already
trying to find out
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{\an1}the purpose of the pyramids.
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{\an1}You can imagine
the first explorers
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{\an1}crawling in by torchlight.
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{\an1}The first thing they would see
in these narrow chambers
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00:04:18,125 --> 00:04:20,332
{\an1}would be these
thousands of lines
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{\an1}of hieroglyphic inscriptions
carved into the stone.
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{\an1}SAMI: Can you imagine?
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{\an1}You go in to solve the mystery,
and all of a sudden,
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{\an1}you're given a brand-new mystery
that you have to work on.
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{\an1}What is all of this?
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{\an1}MICAH: At this point,
no one understands
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{\an1}what these hieroglyphics mean.
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00:04:38,707 --> 00:04:40,792
{\an1}But there's more than just
writing inside.
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{\an1}SAMI: There are these
sarcophagus-shaped stones
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{\an1}that are cut right into
the central chambers,
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{\an1}and they're also the right size
to hold a human body.
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{\an1}Now, the bodies are not there,
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{\an1}and that's because
maybe they were stolen
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{\an1}at a certain point in time.
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{\an1}MICAH: We do know
that this evidence
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{\an1}has been found
by the 5th century B.C.,
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{\an1}because it's at this time
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{\an1}that we get the very first
written theory
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{\an1}about the pyramids.
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{\an1}Because in the 5th century B.C.,
Greek historian Herodotus
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00:05:07,542 --> 00:05:10,167
{\an1}describes the sarcophagi,
and he writes
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{\an1}that the pyramids
are burial chambers.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Other pyramids
provide more clues.
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{\an1}JASON: Herodotus visits Egypt
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{\an1}and speaks with many
of the local guides
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{\an1}who have been taking people
to the pyramids for years.
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00:05:25,542 --> 00:05:27,500
{\an1}And they describe
seeing mummified remains,
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{\an1}sarcophagi, wooden coffins--
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{\an1}enough evidence to support
the theories of Herodotus,
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{\an1}that these are tombs.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: For centuries,
this remains the accepted theory
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{\an1}on why the pyramids were built.
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{\an1}But without understanding what
the hieroglyphics say,
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{\an1}this is all
somewhat speculative,
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00:05:44,917 --> 00:05:46,582
{\an1}because they might describe
these buildings
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{\an1}as something totally different.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Then, a visit to Egypt
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{\an1}by a famous emperor
changes that.
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{\an1}JASON: In a way, we have
Napoleon Bonaparte to thank
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{\an1}for our current knowledge
of the pyramids.
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{\an1}The emperor
has a great appreciation
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{\an1}for art and culture.
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00:06:01,833 --> 00:06:04,750
{\an1}During his campaign in Egypt,
he orders a team of scholars
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{\an1}to take possession
of key artifacts
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{\an1}for the glory of France.
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{\an1}SAMI: In 1799, you've got
Napoleon's soldiers
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{\an1}that are digging out
the foundation of a fort
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{\an1}near the Egyptian town
of Rosetta.
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{\an1}And they come across
this four-foot-long black stone
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{\an1}that's just embedded
right into the wall.
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{\an1}JASON: It's completely smooth
on one side
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{\an1}and covered with three
different languages--
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{\an1}ancient Greek,
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{\an1}an ancient Egyptian
Demotic script,
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{\an1}and hieroglyphics.
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{\an1}But this time, we have
two accompanying languages
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{\an1}telling the same story.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: The Greek
and Demotic texts are the same.
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{\an1}Translations of a royal decree
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{\an1}from Egyptian King Ptolemy V
in 196 B.C.
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00:06:51,125 --> 00:06:54,332
{\an1}ROBERT: The message is
essentially royal propaganda,
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00:06:54,457 --> 00:06:58,375
{\an1}and it's declaring how wonderful
and how generous
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{\an1}the newly coronated king was.
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00:07:02,417 --> 00:07:05,042
{\an1}But that's not
the real importance.
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{\an1}JASON: What is important is that
we have the same story
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{\an1}written in three
different languages.
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{\an1}All of a sudden, after thousands
of years of wondering,
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{\an1}we finally have the ability
to translate
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{\an1}Egyptian hieroglyphics.
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{\an1}We can use
the ancient Greek inscription
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{\an1}to finally understand
what they had to say.
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{\an1}SAMI: It is not an overstatement
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{\an1}to say that this is probably
one of the most important
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{\an1}historical finds of all time.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: The Rosetta Stone,
as it's called,
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{\an1}becomes the key
to unlocking ancient Egypt,
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{\an1}and perhaps the secrets
of the pyramids.
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{\an1}ROBERT:
Jean-Francois Champollion
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{\an1}is able to crack the code
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{\an1}hidden within
the hieroglyphs,
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{\an1}and it took him
20 years to decipher
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{\an1}what the Rosetta Stone
actually said.
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{\an1}Champollion published
his findings in 1822,
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{\an1}and he had actually created
a decoder ring
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{\an1}for Egyptian hieroglyphics.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: According to
the hieroglyphic texts,
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{\an1}the pyramids are indeed tombs.
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{\an1}JASON: But we get a lot
more insight
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{\an1}into the nature of the tombs.
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{\an1}Finally, for the first time,
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{\an1}we know who the tombs
were built for.
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{\an1}As the hieroglyphics describe,
these buildings are meant
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{\an1}to be much more
than just a burial place.
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00:08:18,207 --> 00:08:20,167
{\an1}They're massive monuments
built to the power
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{\an1}of the Egyptian kings.
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{\an1}MICAH: The hieroglyphics
identify each one
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{\an1}of the pyramids with
the pharaoh who commissioned it.
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{\an1}And according to these
hieroglyphics,
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{\an1}each pyramid is given
a boastful name
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{\an1}like "Enduring are the Places
of Nyuserre,"
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{\an1}"Great is Khafre,"
or "Menkaure is Divine."
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{\an1}These were designed
to be big boastful monuments
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{\an1}to each of the pharaoh's
power and permanence.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: But could there be
more to the pyramids?
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{\an1}CAROLINE: Despite how much
we've learned from the writings
196
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{\an1}on the pyramids, it's not always
very complete or specific.
197
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{\an1}That's the reason
why some suspect
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00:08:56,375 --> 00:08:58,000
{\an1}we don't really have
the full picture.
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00:08:59,208 --> 00:09:00,667
{\an1}SAMI: This has been suspected
200
00:09:00,792 --> 00:09:02,917
{\an1}since long before
hieroglyphics were translated.
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00:09:03,042 --> 00:09:05,000
{\an1}In fact,
during the 10th century A.D.,
202
00:09:05,167 --> 00:09:08,667
{\an1}the Arab historian al-Masudi
theorizes that these pyramids
203
00:09:08,792 --> 00:09:10,000
{\an1}are more than likely tombs.
204
00:09:10,125 --> 00:09:12,708
{\an1}However, he also posits
that they could contain
205
00:09:12,833 --> 00:09:15,667
{\an1}a wealth of scientific,
mathematical,
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{\an1}and astrological knowledge.
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00:09:18,083 --> 00:09:19,583
{\an1}One of the greatest minds
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00:09:19,708 --> 00:09:21,875
{\an1}of the late 17th
and early 18th century,
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00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,542
{\an1}Sir Isaac Newton,
also believes that the pyramids
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{\an1}had additional secrets
hidden within.
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{\an1}MICAH: Newton was really
only speculating in his day,
212
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{\an1}but thanks to modern research
and technological advances
213
00:09:32,667 --> 00:09:35,042
{\an1}we now have available,
we're still uncovering
214
00:09:35,208 --> 00:09:38,167
{\an1}new information about
these incredible buildings.
215
00:09:38,292 --> 00:09:41,375
{\an1}And as it turns out,
Newton may have been right.
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{\an1}There's in fact a lot more
to the pyramids
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{\an1}than meets the eye.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: When hieroglyphics are
first translated in the 1820s,
219
00:09:52,042 --> 00:09:55,000
{\an1}it unlocks a trove
of new information
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{\an1}about the pyramids of Egypt
and why they were built.
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{\an1}SAMI: They were long suspected
to be tombs for pharaohs,
222
00:10:01,750 --> 00:10:03,292
{\an1}and the hieroglyphics
confirm this.
223
00:10:03,375 --> 00:10:05,667
{\an1}But as more of these
hieroglyphics are translated,
224
00:10:05,792 --> 00:10:08,167
{\an1}we find out that maybe
these pyramids
225
00:10:08,333 --> 00:10:09,792
{\an1}had another function as well.
226
00:10:11,042 --> 00:10:12,500
{\an1}JASON: There's a group
of hieroglyphics
227
00:10:12,625 --> 00:10:14,292
{\an1}that line
the subterranean chambers
228
00:10:14,375 --> 00:10:15,833
{\an1}of the pyramids at Saqqara,
229
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,500
{\an1}and these date to around 2300
230
00:10:17,667 --> 00:10:19,167
{\an1}or 2400 B.C.
231
00:10:19,292 --> 00:10:22,750
{\an1}And they've become known
as the Pyramid Texts.
232
00:10:22,875 --> 00:10:25,667
{\an1}SAMI: They're written
in vertical lines,
233
00:10:25,750 --> 00:10:28,667
{\an1}and they cover the walls
of almost every single room
234
00:10:28,750 --> 00:10:30,000
{\an1}of these pyramids.
235
00:10:30,083 --> 00:10:32,042
{\an1}Most Egyptian hieroglyphics,
even the ones
236
00:10:32,208 --> 00:10:34,458
{\an1}inside the pyramids,
they're offering you names,
237
00:10:34,583 --> 00:10:35,875
{\an1}they're offering you dates.
238
00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:37,625
{\an1}They're offering you
legacies of the pharaohs,
239
00:10:37,750 --> 00:10:39,250
{\an1}who the rulers were.
240
00:10:39,375 --> 00:10:41,167
{\an1}They're talking about
the afterlife a little bit.
241
00:10:41,250 --> 00:10:43,500
{\an1}But in terms of why these
pyramids were built,
242
00:10:43,667 --> 00:10:45,708
{\an1}we don't seem
to have that information.
243
00:10:45,875 --> 00:10:49,333
{\an1}LAURENCE: But these
particular texts are different.
244
00:10:49,417 --> 00:10:50,708
{\an1}These hieroglyphics suggest
245
00:10:50,875 --> 00:10:52,208
{\an1}a potential purpose
246
00:10:52,375 --> 00:10:53,833
{\an1}for the pyramids, and it starts
247
00:10:53,917 --> 00:10:56,333
{\an1}with a fundamental
ancient Egyptian belief.
248
00:10:56,417 --> 00:10:58,333
{\an1}Like many other
world traditions,
249
00:10:58,500 --> 00:11:00,708
{\an1}these texts reveal
that they believe
250
00:11:00,833 --> 00:11:02,542
{\an1}in an eternal soul,
which the Egyptians
251
00:11:02,708 --> 00:11:04,500
{\an1}call the ka.
252
00:11:04,583 --> 00:11:06,375
{\an1}The hieroglyphics suggest
that the Egyptians
253
00:11:06,500 --> 00:11:10,042
{\an1}believe that the pharaoh's ka
travels to the starry heavens,
254
00:11:10,167 --> 00:11:13,000
{\an1}where he'll live in eternity
amongst the gods.
255
00:11:13,125 --> 00:11:14,833
{\an1}CAROLINE: To some,
that means the pyramids
256
00:11:14,958 --> 00:11:16,333
{\an1}could have been built to provide
257
00:11:16,500 --> 00:11:18,292
{\an1}a roadmap to paradise.
258
00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,667
{\an1}MICAH: In 1994,
Belgian engineer Robert Bauval
259
00:11:24,833 --> 00:11:26,833
{\an1}and British historian
Adrian Gilbert
260
00:11:26,958 --> 00:11:28,875
{\an1}publish their book
"The Orion Mystery,"
261
00:11:29,042 --> 00:11:31,708
{\an1}which becomes an international
bestseller.
262
00:11:31,875 --> 00:11:33,208
{\an1}JASON: The central
crux of the book
263
00:11:33,333 --> 00:11:36,208
{\an1}is what is known
as the Orion correlation theory.
264
00:11:36,333 --> 00:11:38,125
{\an1}The authors propose
that the pyramids of Giza
265
00:11:38,250 --> 00:11:40,333
{\an1}are designed to match
a star alignment
266
00:11:40,458 --> 00:11:43,000
{\an1}in the belt constellation
of Orion.
267
00:11:43,167 --> 00:11:45,792
{\an1}If you look at an overlay
of the Giza pyramids,
268
00:11:45,875 --> 00:11:48,625
{\an1}and line them up with stars
in Orion's belt,
269
00:11:48,750 --> 00:11:51,333
{\an1}they almost line up.
270
00:11:51,417 --> 00:11:53,750
{\an1}It's uncanny.
271
00:11:53,875 --> 00:11:56,000
{\an1}LAURENCE: According
to Bauval and Gilbert,
272
00:11:56,125 --> 00:11:59,167
{\an1}this alignment isn't accidental.
273
00:11:59,292 --> 00:12:02,667
{\an1}It could also help answer
a long-running question
274
00:12:02,833 --> 00:12:05,167
{\an1}about the pyramids' design.
275
00:12:05,250 --> 00:12:07,667
{\an1}CAROLINE: Inside the Great
Pyramid of Giza,
276
00:12:07,792 --> 00:12:10,000
{\an1}there are four
long, narrow shafts
277
00:12:10,083 --> 00:12:12,833
{\an1}that lead out from the King's
and the Queen's Chambers
278
00:12:12,958 --> 00:12:14,708
{\an1}up towards the sky.
279
00:12:14,875 --> 00:12:16,833
{\an1}Now, that's a strange
design element,
280
00:12:16,958 --> 00:12:19,000
{\an1}supposedly for ventilation.
281
00:12:19,125 --> 00:12:21,500
{\an1}JASON: But why would the tomb
need ventilation?
282
00:12:21,583 --> 00:12:24,333
{\an1}If that was the goal, there are
much easier ways to achieve it.
283
00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:27,458
{\an1}These shafts required a much
more intricate construction
284
00:12:27,583 --> 00:12:29,542
{\an1}in engineering techniques.
285
00:12:29,667 --> 00:12:32,292
{\an1}The Egyptians went to a lot
of extra trouble to build them.
286
00:12:33,667 --> 00:12:36,000
{\an1}SAMI: Bauval, Gilbert, and a few
other authors propose the idea
287
00:12:36,083 --> 00:12:38,417
{\an1}that these aren't
ventilation shafts at all,
288
00:12:38,542 --> 00:12:40,000
{\an1}and instead,
that they're windows
289
00:12:40,125 --> 00:12:43,583
{\an1}that align specifically with
the stars in Orion's belt--
290
00:12:43,708 --> 00:12:47,000
{\an1}Sirius, Alnitak, and Kochab.
291
00:12:47,083 --> 00:12:49,958
{\an1}According to references
in ancient Egyptian texts,
292
00:12:50,083 --> 00:12:52,292
{\an1}those stars are where
the pharaoh's ka
293
00:12:52,375 --> 00:12:54,333
{\an1}is supposed to join
the father of the gods,
294
00:12:54,500 --> 00:12:57,167
{\an1}known as Sah, in the afterlife.
295
00:12:57,333 --> 00:12:59,875
{\an1}SAMI: In addition to being
the home for the gods
296
00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,167
{\an1}and for the pharaohs
that make it to the afterlife,
297
00:13:02,292 --> 00:13:04,500
{\an1}Orion's appearance
in the night sky
298
00:13:04,625 --> 00:13:07,208
{\an1}serves another very important
purpose for Egyptians.
299
00:13:07,375 --> 00:13:10,375
{\an1}Every year when the stars of
Orion would appear in the sky,
300
00:13:10,542 --> 00:13:12,167
{\an1}the Nile River would overflow,
301
00:13:12,292 --> 00:13:15,167
{\an1}bringing life-renewing
irrigation to the crops.
302
00:13:15,292 --> 00:13:16,917
{\an1}So, through the hieroglyphics,
we actually have
303
00:13:17,042 --> 00:13:18,792
{\an1}a written record
that the Egyptians
304
00:13:18,875 --> 00:13:21,500
{\an1}believe their pharaoh
is traveling to Orion
305
00:13:21,583 --> 00:13:23,125
{\an1}after his death.
306
00:13:23,250 --> 00:13:24,917
{\an1}And then, we also have
a potential correlation
307
00:13:25,042 --> 00:13:26,833
{\an1}between a pyramid's design
308
00:13:26,958 --> 00:13:28,833
{\an1}and the stars
in that constellation.
309
00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,667
{\an1}So, it's as if the pyramid
was specifically built
310
00:13:31,833 --> 00:13:33,417
{\an1}to aim to that region
in the night sky.
311
00:13:34,958 --> 00:13:37,000
{\an1}LAURENCE:
However, some think it's more
312
00:13:37,125 --> 00:13:39,667
{\an1}than just souls that travel.
313
00:13:39,750 --> 00:13:43,250
{\an1}JASON: In 2012, Belgian author
Philip Coppens takes the idea
314
00:13:43,375 --> 00:13:46,083
{\an1}of the Orion correlation theory
and expands on it.
315
00:13:46,208 --> 00:13:48,500
{\an1}He supports the idea that
the builders of the pyramids
316
00:13:48,667 --> 00:13:50,500
{\an1}may have aimed
their pyramid shafts
317
00:13:50,625 --> 00:13:52,458
{\an1}directly at Orion.
318
00:13:52,583 --> 00:13:54,917
{\an1}But rather than transport
the ka of the pharaoh
319
00:13:55,042 --> 00:13:56,667
{\an1}to the heavens,
he suggested
320
00:13:56,750 --> 00:13:57,792
{\an1}they could have actually been
transporting
321
00:13:57,917 --> 00:13:59,500
{\an1}the physical bodies.
322
00:13:59,625 --> 00:14:02,167
{\an1}MICAH: I mean, it's a pretty
fantastical interpretation.
323
00:14:02,333 --> 00:14:05,833
{\an1}How do the bodies levitate
and stay up there in the sky?
324
00:14:05,917 --> 00:14:07,875
{\an1}Coppens doesn't explain that,
but he does cite
325
00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,375
{\an1}what he claims is evidence
that the pharaohs' bodies
326
00:14:10,500 --> 00:14:12,042
{\an1}were somehow transported.
327
00:14:12,208 --> 00:14:15,042
{\an1}JASON: As Coppens describes,
a great many of the sarcophagi
328
00:14:15,167 --> 00:14:17,458
{\an1}inside the pyramids
are found empty.
329
00:14:17,583 --> 00:14:19,292
{\an1}This is true,
and Egyptologists
330
00:14:19,417 --> 00:14:21,625
{\an1}generally attribute that
to graverobbers.
331
00:14:21,750 --> 00:14:24,167
{\an1}SAMI: But Coppens cites
multiple examples
332
00:14:24,250 --> 00:14:27,792
{\an1}of completely untouched
burial chambers inside pyramids.
333
00:14:27,917 --> 00:14:29,833
{\an1}No graverobbers
have accessed them,
334
00:14:29,917 --> 00:14:31,375
{\an1}and yet, when modern
archaeologists
335
00:14:31,500 --> 00:14:33,458
{\an1}finally open these chambers,
336
00:14:33,583 --> 00:14:36,292
{\an1}bodies are nowhere
to be found.
337
00:14:36,417 --> 00:14:37,917
{\an1}CAROLINE: Coppens states
that after the pharaohs
338
00:14:38,042 --> 00:14:40,833
{\an1}are laid to rest,
their sarcophagi
339
00:14:40,958 --> 00:14:43,333
{\an1}and burial chambers
are sealed up,
340
00:14:43,417 --> 00:14:46,667
{\an1}and then the pyramid somehow
moves their actual bodies,
341
00:14:46,792 --> 00:14:48,375
{\an1}and you're left
with an empty tomb.
342
00:14:49,750 --> 00:14:51,375
{\an1}LAURENCE: Coppens also points
343
00:14:51,500 --> 00:14:53,750
{\an1}to another ancient Egyptian
burial practice
344
00:14:53,875 --> 00:14:55,833
{\an1}as further proof.
345
00:14:55,958 --> 00:14:58,000
{\an1}MICAH: As we've seen inside
many pyramids,
346
00:14:58,125 --> 00:15:00,167
{\an1}along with the pharaoh's body,
the ancient Egyptians
347
00:15:00,333 --> 00:15:03,000
{\an1}often left thousands
of physical objects as well.
348
00:15:03,167 --> 00:15:05,292
{\an1}ROBERT: Egyptian burial chambers
are large
349
00:15:05,417 --> 00:15:08,000
{\an1}because they need to be able
to hold quite a few things.
350
00:15:08,125 --> 00:15:09,833
{\an1}Inside of these chambers
351
00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,917
{\an1}we have found all of the things
352
00:15:12,042 --> 00:15:13,500
{\an1}that a pharaoh would need
353
00:15:13,625 --> 00:15:15,125
{\an1}to be happy in the afterlife.
354
00:15:15,250 --> 00:15:17,375
{\an1}His pets were often mummified.
355
00:15:17,542 --> 00:15:21,333
{\an1}His slaves were often killed
and mummified along with him,
356
00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:23,917
{\an1}because he's gonna need servants
in the afterlife.
357
00:15:24,042 --> 00:15:26,333
{\an1}It's not uncommon to find
large quantities
358
00:15:26,500 --> 00:15:29,542
{\an1}of beer and bread
so that the pharaoh
359
00:15:29,708 --> 00:15:30,875
{\an1}can have something to eat
and drink
360
00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:32,917
{\an1}in the afterlife as well.
361
00:15:33,042 --> 00:15:35,708
{\an1}MICAH: Coppens asks,
if the journey to the afterlife
362
00:15:35,875 --> 00:15:38,500
{\an1}is only a metaphorical trip
by one's soul,
363
00:15:38,667 --> 00:15:40,292
{\an1}then why pack up
all this stuff?
364
00:15:40,375 --> 00:15:41,875
{\an1}You know, why leave it there
to be wasted?
365
00:15:42,042 --> 00:15:44,458
{\an1}Again, to him,
this could prove
366
00:15:44,542 --> 00:15:47,042
{\an1}that the Egyptians intended
the voyage to be literal.
367
00:15:47,208 --> 00:15:48,958
{\an1}JASON: This of course fails
to account
368
00:15:49,042 --> 00:15:50,542
{\an1}for all the many mummies
that we have found
369
00:15:50,708 --> 00:15:52,167
{\an1}inside the pyramids.
370
00:15:53,167 --> 00:15:54,833
{\an1}SAMI: Is it likely
that physical bodies
371
00:15:54,958 --> 00:15:57,000
{\an1}were actually being shot up
to the stars?
372
00:15:57,125 --> 00:15:59,125
{\an1}Probably not.
But what we can see though,
373
00:15:59,250 --> 00:16:00,792
{\an1}is that these pyramids
were designed
374
00:16:00,917 --> 00:16:02,208
{\an1}with the afterlife in mind,
375
00:16:02,375 --> 00:16:04,375
{\an1}specifically a journey
to the afterlife.
376
00:16:04,542 --> 00:16:07,333
{\an1}Whether it's the ka
or something else entirely,
377
00:16:07,458 --> 00:16:09,333
{\an1}the Egyptians believed
in the pharaoh's ability
378
00:16:09,500 --> 00:16:11,333
{\an1}to make it to their place
in the heavens
379
00:16:11,417 --> 00:16:13,083
{\an1}with the help
of these buildings.
380
00:16:17,417 --> 00:16:18,958
{\an1}LAURENCE: For thousands of years
scholars have debated
381
00:16:19,083 --> 00:16:21,417
{\an1}why the pyramids were built.
382
00:16:21,542 --> 00:16:24,500
{\an1}But few questioned
how they were built,
383
00:16:24,625 --> 00:16:28,333
{\an1}assuming vast numbers of slaves
were forced to construct them.
384
00:16:28,417 --> 00:16:30,000
{\an1}MICAH: The ancient Greeks
estimated
385
00:16:30,083 --> 00:16:31,083
{\an1}that the Egyptians had used
386
00:16:31,208 --> 00:16:33,708
{\an1}a labor force of 100,000 slaves
387
00:16:33,833 --> 00:16:35,000
{\an1}to build the Great Pyramid.
388
00:16:35,083 --> 00:16:37,542
{\an1}LAURENCE:
Then, in the late 1990s,
389
00:16:37,667 --> 00:16:40,375
{\an1}a surprising archaeological find
390
00:16:40,500 --> 00:16:42,583
{\an1}upends that notion.
391
00:16:42,708 --> 00:16:45,458
{\an1}JASON: Egypt's chief
archaeologist Zahi Hawass
392
00:16:45,542 --> 00:16:47,542
{\an1}is responsible for countless
amazing discoveries
393
00:16:47,708 --> 00:16:48,667
{\an1}in the country.
394
00:16:48,833 --> 00:16:50,208
{\an1}But starting in 1990,
395
00:16:50,333 --> 00:16:52,542
{\an1}he embarks on a 20-year-long dig
396
00:16:52,667 --> 00:16:54,042
{\an1}at the Great Pyramid.
397
00:16:54,167 --> 00:16:56,042
{\an1}ROBERT: He makes
an incredible discovery
398
00:16:56,208 --> 00:16:57,833
{\an1}that makes us rethink
399
00:16:57,917 --> 00:17:00,500
{\an1}how the pyramids
were constructed.
400
00:17:02,042 --> 00:17:03,667
{\an1}SAMI: He locates the tombs
of the people
401
00:17:03,792 --> 00:17:07,000
{\an1}who built the Great Pyramid,
and he learns two things.
402
00:17:07,166 --> 00:17:08,958
{\an1}First, they weren't
enslaved people.
403
00:17:09,083 --> 00:17:10,166
{\an1}And secondly,
404
00:17:10,250 --> 00:17:12,000
{\an1}it wasn't 100,000 people.
405
00:17:12,125 --> 00:17:13,875
{\an1}It was more around 10,000.
406
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,041
{\an1}ROBERT: The evidence he finds
is that these men were buried
407
00:17:18,208 --> 00:17:20,833
{\an1}according to Egyptian
religious burial customs--
408
00:17:20,958 --> 00:17:23,208
{\an1}meaning that the men
who built the pyramids
409
00:17:23,375 --> 00:17:26,208
{\an1}were from working-class
Egyptian families.
410
00:17:26,375 --> 00:17:29,125
{\an1}JASON: The tombs are built right
next to the king's pyramid.
411
00:17:29,208 --> 00:17:31,083
{\an1}Now, the workers are buried
more modestly,
412
00:17:31,208 --> 00:17:34,000
{\an1}but they're entombed with beer
and bread for the afterlife,
413
00:17:34,125 --> 00:17:36,250
{\an1}an honor not provided to slaves.
414
00:17:36,375 --> 00:17:38,333
{\an1}The tombs also have
graffiti on their walls
415
00:17:38,458 --> 00:17:40,833
{\an1}calling them "friends of Khufu,"
the pharaoh.
416
00:17:40,958 --> 00:17:43,125
{\an1}According to Hawass,
there's no way
417
00:17:43,208 --> 00:17:45,500
{\an1}that would have happened
if these were slaves.
418
00:17:45,583 --> 00:17:48,500
{\an1}SAMI: Hawass also finds evidence
of how well these people lived.
419
00:17:48,667 --> 00:17:50,667
{\an1}They were given
a great quantity of food,
420
00:17:50,750 --> 00:17:53,000
{\an1}and luxurious food like meat.
421
00:17:53,125 --> 00:17:56,167
{\an1}So here, we have a labor force
that is skilled,
422
00:17:56,250 --> 00:17:58,375
{\an1}they're well taken care of,
they're not enslaved,
423
00:17:58,500 --> 00:18:00,667
{\an1}and there's only
10,000 of them.
424
00:18:00,750 --> 00:18:02,292
{\an1}How does this make any sense?
425
00:18:03,542 --> 00:18:06,667
{\an1}MICAH: How exactly
do 2.3 million
426
00:18:06,750 --> 00:18:09,042
{\an1}gargantuan stone blocks get cut,
427
00:18:09,167 --> 00:18:12,167
{\an1}moved, and fit together
so precisely
428
00:18:12,292 --> 00:18:13,958
{\an1}that it's literally impossible
429
00:18:14,042 --> 00:18:16,167
{\an1}to slide even a credit card
between 'em,
430
00:18:16,292 --> 00:18:18,333
{\an1}all by 10,000 people?
431
00:18:19,542 --> 00:18:21,208
{\an1}JASON: Did the Egyptians
use ramps?
432
00:18:21,333 --> 00:18:23,042
{\an1}That seems implausible,
since a ramp
433
00:18:23,208 --> 00:18:24,250
{\an1}with a low enough slope
434
00:18:24,375 --> 00:18:26,708
{\an1}would have to be
over a mile long.
435
00:18:26,833 --> 00:18:29,417
{\an1}It would be bigger than
the Great Pyramid itself.
436
00:18:29,542 --> 00:18:32,542
{\an1}Had the Egyptians built canals
capable of raising water levels
437
00:18:32,667 --> 00:18:34,833
{\an1}high enough to allow some
of these massive stones
438
00:18:34,958 --> 00:18:36,375
{\an1}to float to the top?
439
00:18:36,500 --> 00:18:38,125
{\an1}Again, at the very least,
that would take
440
00:18:38,208 --> 00:18:41,000
{\an1}many more
than 10,000 individuals.
441
00:18:41,167 --> 00:18:44,375
{\an1}LAURENCE: According to author
Erich von Daniken,
442
00:18:44,542 --> 00:18:47,458
{\an1}there's only one possible
explanation.
443
00:18:47,542 --> 00:18:50,042
{\an1}JASON: In his bestselling
1968 book
444
00:18:50,167 --> 00:18:52,500
{\an1}"Chariots of the Gods?",
Erich von Daniken writes
445
00:18:52,625 --> 00:18:55,417
{\an1}that the Egyptians didn't build
the pyramids all on their own.
446
00:18:55,542 --> 00:18:58,583
{\an1}They might have had help
from extraterrestrials.
447
00:18:59,750 --> 00:19:02,333
{\an1}MICAH: So, if we can't
figure out how 100,000 Egyptians
448
00:19:02,458 --> 00:19:05,167
{\an1}built the pyramids,
then we certainly have an issue
449
00:19:05,292 --> 00:19:08,167
{\an1}with trying to figure out how
10,000 could have done it.
450
00:19:08,292 --> 00:19:11,792
{\an1}In that regard,
maybe von Daniken has a point.
451
00:19:13,042 --> 00:19:16,875
{\an1}SAMI: He calls it the Ancient
Astronaut hypothesis.
452
00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:21,042
{\an1}It states that extraterrestrials
came to Earth in ancient times
453
00:19:21,167 --> 00:19:24,542
{\an1}and helped human beings
build these various
454
00:19:24,708 --> 00:19:26,542
{\an1}architectural marvels.
455
00:19:26,667 --> 00:19:28,417
{\an1}CAROLINE: In this case,
they taught
456
00:19:28,542 --> 00:19:31,333
{\an1}advanced engineering techniques
to the ancient Egyptians
457
00:19:31,417 --> 00:19:33,583
{\an1}and instructed them on how
458
00:19:33,708 --> 00:19:35,333
{\an1}to build the pyramids.
459
00:19:35,417 --> 00:19:37,208
{\an1}LAURENCE: According to
this theory,
460
00:19:37,333 --> 00:19:40,042
{\an1}the pyramids were built
as a navigational tool,
461
00:19:40,208 --> 00:19:42,750
{\an1}not to help the pharaohs
reach heaven,
462
00:19:42,875 --> 00:19:46,417
{\an1}but to help
extraterrestrials reach Earth.
463
00:19:49,375 --> 00:19:51,167
{\an1}MICAH: With the help
of modern photography
464
00:19:51,292 --> 00:19:53,083
{\an1}from satellites and the
International Space Station,
465
00:19:53,208 --> 00:19:55,000
{\an1}we know that
the Pyramids of Giza
466
00:19:55,125 --> 00:19:56,958
{\an1}are indeed visible from space.
467
00:19:57,042 --> 00:19:59,667
{\an1}And if you look at the pyramids
from that vantage point,
468
00:19:59,750 --> 00:20:01,167
{\an1}I mean, you can't help
but wonder if that's how
469
00:20:01,250 --> 00:20:03,292
{\an1}they were intended to be seen.
470
00:20:03,417 --> 00:20:07,083
{\an1}Could they be markers for aliens
visiting from outer space?
471
00:20:07,208 --> 00:20:09,500
{\an1}This could also explain
why the pyramids
472
00:20:09,583 --> 00:20:12,208
{\an1}may be aligned
with certain stars.
473
00:20:12,333 --> 00:20:15,208
{\an1}It's the final stop
of a landmark-based
474
00:20:15,333 --> 00:20:18,042
{\an1}navigational system
helping aliens
475
00:20:18,167 --> 00:20:20,250
{\an1}reach our planet
from their home world
476
00:20:20,375 --> 00:20:23,583
{\an1}somewhere beyond
the constellation of Orion.
477
00:20:23,708 --> 00:20:27,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: These theorists
also point to alleged evidence
478
00:20:27,792 --> 00:20:29,667
{\an1}of alien encounters.
479
00:20:29,833 --> 00:20:32,417
{\an1}According to von Daniken
and many other authors
480
00:20:32,542 --> 00:20:35,417
{\an1}who followed this hypothesis,
at the time of their arrival,
481
00:20:35,542 --> 00:20:38,042
{\an1}extraterrestrial beings
would have been considered gods
482
00:20:38,167 --> 00:20:39,625
{\an1}by the ancient Egyptians.
483
00:20:39,708 --> 00:20:41,667
{\an1}This notion actually mirrors
what we see
484
00:20:41,792 --> 00:20:43,500
{\an1}in the ancient
hieroglyphic texts.
485
00:20:43,583 --> 00:20:46,167
{\an1}Many hieroglyphic inscriptions
do tell us
486
00:20:46,292 --> 00:20:48,875
{\an1}that the ancient Egyptians
believed that their gods
487
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:50,667
{\an1}came from the stars.
488
00:20:50,792 --> 00:20:53,167
{\an1}The story sounds a lot
like what von Daniken
489
00:20:53,292 --> 00:20:54,458
{\an1}is writing about.
490
00:20:54,542 --> 00:20:56,875
{\an1}According to
Egyptian mythology,
491
00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,167
{\an1}the gods lived among them
on Earth
492
00:20:59,292 --> 00:21:02,125
{\an1}and had a great impact
on their daily life.
493
00:21:02,250 --> 00:21:05,167
{\an1}Then, after a time,
the gods left Earth.
494
00:21:05,333 --> 00:21:07,000
{\an1}SAMI: Where did they go?
495
00:21:07,125 --> 00:21:08,333
{\an1}The hieroglyphics
are pretty clear.
496
00:21:08,458 --> 00:21:11,625
{\an1}They went back beyond the stars.
497
00:21:11,708 --> 00:21:14,375
{\an1}LAURENCE: Some also believe
this Egyptian encounter
498
00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:16,042
{\an1}wasn't an isolated incident.
499
00:21:16,208 --> 00:21:18,833
{\an1}CAROLINE: It may have been one
of the first visits from aliens,
500
00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:20,958
{\an1}but it wouldn't be the last,
501
00:21:21,042 --> 00:21:22,708
{\an1}because Ancient Astronaut
theorists
502
00:21:22,833 --> 00:21:25,667
{\an1}believe this has happened
all over our planet.
503
00:21:25,750 --> 00:21:28,458
{\an1}SAMI: Now, to date,
you have 118 pyramids
504
00:21:28,583 --> 00:21:31,167
{\an1}that have been found
all across Egypt.
505
00:21:31,333 --> 00:21:33,500
{\an1}But you can double that number
for Sudan.
506
00:21:33,667 --> 00:21:36,250
{\an1}They've been found all across
China, the Middle East.
507
00:21:36,375 --> 00:21:38,750
{\an1}And the Americas
contain more pyramids
508
00:21:38,875 --> 00:21:42,250
{\an1}than all other parts
of the world combined.
509
00:21:42,375 --> 00:21:43,958
{\an1}JASON: There's another
great pyramid complex
510
00:21:44,042 --> 00:21:45,625
{\an1}at Teotihuacan in Mexico.
511
00:21:45,708 --> 00:21:47,625
{\an1}Just like at Giza,
these pyramids
512
00:21:47,708 --> 00:21:51,000
{\an1}are astronomically aligned
to certain stars.
513
00:21:51,125 --> 00:21:52,500
{\an1}There are three main temples.
514
00:21:52,583 --> 00:21:54,417
{\an1}You've got the Pyramid
of the Sun,
515
00:21:54,542 --> 00:21:57,917
{\an1}the Pyramid of the Moon,
and the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl.
516
00:21:58,042 --> 00:21:59,583
{\an1}LAURENCE: Just like at Giza,
517
00:21:59,708 --> 00:22:02,750
{\an1}these pyramids appear
to align with the stars
518
00:22:02,875 --> 00:22:05,042
{\an1}in Orion's belt.
519
00:22:05,208 --> 00:22:07,333
{\an1}And here again,
just like Giza,
520
00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:09,583
{\an1}the smallest temple,
the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl
521
00:22:09,708 --> 00:22:13,417
{\an1}is offset from the others
and aligned with Mintaka,
522
00:22:13,542 --> 00:22:15,667
{\an1}the faintest star
in Orion's belt.
523
00:22:15,833 --> 00:22:19,167
{\an1}They're mapped according
to the very same principles,
524
00:22:19,250 --> 00:22:21,500
{\an1}and display the same
astronomical message.
525
00:22:21,625 --> 00:22:25,042
{\an1}So, it's easy to wonder,
were these pyramids
526
00:22:25,167 --> 00:22:29,375
{\an1}designed by the same beings,
the same alien civilization
527
00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:32,417
{\an1}based somewhere around
the constellation Orion?
528
00:22:33,958 --> 00:22:36,833
{\an1}If these structures were
designed by extraterrestrials--
529
00:22:36,917 --> 00:22:38,792
{\an1}and of course, I'm not saying
that they were--
530
00:22:38,917 --> 00:22:41,625
{\an1}but if so, it's easy
to see the parallels.
531
00:22:41,750 --> 00:22:43,375
{\an1}And you could see
how some people
532
00:22:43,500 --> 00:22:45,083
{\an1}might believe
they are connected.
533
00:22:45,208 --> 00:22:49,208
{\an1}LAURENCE: Most Egyptologists,
however, reject this theory.
534
00:22:49,375 --> 00:22:52,042
{\an1}There's simply no real proof.
535
00:22:52,167 --> 00:22:54,333
{\an1}It is all speculation.
536
00:22:54,458 --> 00:22:56,500
{\an1}See, for me,
the alien theory
537
00:22:56,583 --> 00:23:00,000
{\an1}detracts from something
that's way more awe-inspiring.
538
00:23:00,083 --> 00:23:01,833
{\an1}The ability of human beings,
539
00:23:01,917 --> 00:23:05,208
{\an1}especially at such an early time
in our history,
540
00:23:05,333 --> 00:23:07,667
{\an1}to come together,
and to design,
541
00:23:07,833 --> 00:23:10,625
{\an1}and to build these
architectural marvels,
542
00:23:10,708 --> 00:23:11,583
{\an1}is a wonder.
543
00:23:15,583 --> 00:23:18,125
{\an1}When it comes to solving
the mysteries of the pyramids,
544
00:23:18,208 --> 00:23:19,833
{\an1}the biggest challenge
is the lack
545
00:23:19,958 --> 00:23:21,833
{\an1}of recorded evidence.
546
00:23:21,958 --> 00:23:25,833
{\an1}But in 1947, new writings
are discovered
547
00:23:25,917 --> 00:23:29,375
{\an1}that suggest
a surprising purpose.
548
00:23:30,583 --> 00:23:31,833
{\an1}JASON: There are two primary
sources of information
549
00:23:31,958 --> 00:23:33,000
{\an1}about the pyramids.
550
00:23:33,083 --> 00:23:34,375
{\an1}First, there are the Greeks.
551
00:23:34,500 --> 00:23:36,458
{\an1}But when you read
their histories,
552
00:23:36,542 --> 00:23:38,208
{\an1}you can see that they're just
as mystified as we are.
553
00:23:38,375 --> 00:23:40,167
{\an1}They're mostly guessing.
554
00:23:40,292 --> 00:23:41,708
{\an1}MICAH: Then we have
the hieroglyphics,
555
00:23:41,875 --> 00:23:43,667
{\an1}which have taught us
a tremendous amount
556
00:23:43,750 --> 00:23:46,792
{\an1}about the ancient Egyptian
cosmology and their myths.
557
00:23:46,875 --> 00:23:48,333
{\an1}But there's nothing in these
inscriptions,
558
00:23:48,500 --> 00:23:50,375
{\an1}nowhere that says why
559
00:23:50,542 --> 00:23:51,958
{\an1}they had to build the biggest
560
00:23:52,042 --> 00:23:54,750
{\an1}and most durable structures
anywhere on the planet.
561
00:23:54,875 --> 00:23:58,292
{\an1}LAURENCE: There is, however,
one ancient text
562
00:23:58,417 --> 00:24:00,458
{\an1}that may provide
an explanation.
563
00:24:00,583 --> 00:24:02,417
{\an1}ROBERT: In the spring of 1947,
564
00:24:02,542 --> 00:24:05,833
{\an1}an amazing trove
of Hebrew scrolls
565
00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:07,958
{\an1}is discovered
on the northwest shore
566
00:24:08,083 --> 00:24:09,333
{\an1}of the Dead Sea.
567
00:24:09,500 --> 00:24:12,750
{\an1}A Bedouin shepherd boy
is out tending his sheep,
568
00:24:12,875 --> 00:24:15,500
{\an1}and one of his sheep
walks up into a cave.
569
00:24:15,625 --> 00:24:17,875
{\an1}And he's trying to get his sheep
out of the cave,
570
00:24:18,042 --> 00:24:19,833
{\an1}so he throws a rock.
571
00:24:19,958 --> 00:24:22,833
{\an1}And instead of a sheep
coming out, he hears a crash.
572
00:24:22,958 --> 00:24:24,875
{\an1}SAMI: The noise scares him,
and he runs away.
573
00:24:25,042 --> 00:24:26,708
{\an1}But later, he comes back
with a friend,
574
00:24:26,875 --> 00:24:28,833
{\an1}and both of them enter the cave.
575
00:24:28,917 --> 00:24:30,125
{\an1}They find a number
576
00:24:30,208 --> 00:24:32,042
{\an1}of long clay jars.
577
00:24:32,167 --> 00:24:33,542
{\an1}But then, they look inside,
578
00:24:33,708 --> 00:24:37,375
{\an1}and they see
this dark object.
579
00:24:37,542 --> 00:24:38,875
{\an1}They bring the jars out
into the light,
580
00:24:39,042 --> 00:24:40,625
{\an1}and they see
that the objects are wrapped
581
00:24:40,708 --> 00:24:43,875
{\an1}in a layer of fine linen,
and they're covered in wax.
582
00:24:44,042 --> 00:24:45,542
{\an1}And when they start
unrolling them,
583
00:24:45,667 --> 00:24:49,167
{\an1}they find long pieces
of parchment covered in writing
584
00:24:49,333 --> 00:24:50,583
{\an1}that have been sewn together.
585
00:24:51,792 --> 00:24:53,417
{\an1}LAURENCE: They have just
stumbled upon
586
00:24:53,542 --> 00:24:55,792
{\an1}the Dead Sea Scrolls.
587
00:24:55,875 --> 00:24:58,000
{\an1}Dating back
to the 3rd century B.C.,
588
00:24:58,125 --> 00:25:01,667
{\an1}they're the oldest surviving
biblical texts.
589
00:25:01,792 --> 00:25:04,250
{\an1}It's an archaeological
and religious revelation
590
00:25:04,375 --> 00:25:05,667
{\an1}beyond compare.
591
00:25:05,792 --> 00:25:07,417
{\an1}Some would even say
it's the most important
592
00:25:07,542 --> 00:25:10,500
{\an1}archaeological find in history.
593
00:25:10,625 --> 00:25:12,667
{\an1}JASON: The Dead Sea Scrolls
expand our knowledge
594
00:25:12,792 --> 00:25:15,208
{\an1}of the ancient world
in countless ways.
595
00:25:15,375 --> 00:25:17,042
{\an1}One of those ways
has to do with Egypt.
596
00:25:17,208 --> 00:25:20,083
{\an1}MICAH: Among these scrolls
is a very old version
597
00:25:20,208 --> 00:25:21,500
{\an1}of the Book of Genesis.
598
00:25:21,583 --> 00:25:23,333
{\an1}This ends up, of course,
being the first book
599
00:25:23,458 --> 00:25:25,667
{\an1}of the Jewish Torah
and the Christian Bible.
600
00:25:25,750 --> 00:25:29,167
{\an1}And in it is the story of Jacob
and his son Joseph.
601
00:25:31,042 --> 00:25:34,417
{\an1}LAURENCE: According to Genesis,
Jacob has 12 sons
602
00:25:34,542 --> 00:25:37,042
{\an1}whose descendants
eventually become
603
00:25:37,208 --> 00:25:39,333
{\an1}the 12 Tribes of Israel.
604
00:25:39,417 --> 00:25:41,833
{\an1}Jacob favors
his most beloved son Joseph,
605
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,125
{\an1}which causes tremendous friction
with his brothers.
606
00:25:44,250 --> 00:25:47,375
{\an1}In a fit of jealousy,
they sell him into slavery.
607
00:25:47,542 --> 00:25:49,500
{\an1}Where is he taken?
To Egypt.
608
00:25:50,708 --> 00:25:52,542
{\an1}MICAH: There in Egypt,
Joseph is able
609
00:25:52,667 --> 00:25:54,708
{\an1}to turn his luck around
by interpreting a dream
610
00:25:54,833 --> 00:25:57,333
{\an1}for the pharaoh
about an approaching famine.
611
00:25:57,417 --> 00:26:00,000
{\an1}And Joseph warns the pharaoh
to start stockpiling grain
612
00:26:00,125 --> 00:26:01,708
{\an1}as soon as possible.
613
00:26:01,875 --> 00:26:04,000
{\an1}Some biblical scholars
believe that this grain
614
00:26:04,083 --> 00:26:06,917
{\an1}ends up being stored
in the pyramids.
615
00:26:10,167 --> 00:26:11,542
{\an1}JASON: There are two versions
of this theory.
616
00:26:11,708 --> 00:26:13,667
{\an1}Some theorists believe
that the pyramids
617
00:26:13,792 --> 00:26:16,125
{\an1}were always meant
to be used for grain storage.
618
00:26:16,208 --> 00:26:18,417
{\an1}That was one of the reasons
why they were designed.
619
00:26:18,542 --> 00:26:21,208
{\an1}Others believe that they weren't
built for that purpose at all,
620
00:26:21,375 --> 00:26:24,583
{\an1}but got enlisted to store grain
because of the impending famine.
621
00:26:24,708 --> 00:26:27,250
{\an1}LAURENCE: Religious historians
have long proposed
622
00:26:27,375 --> 00:26:31,875
{\an1}that the pyramids were built
by Joseph as grain silos.
623
00:26:32,042 --> 00:26:34,083
{\an1}MICAH: In the 5th century,
Julius Honorius,
624
00:26:34,208 --> 00:26:36,333
{\an1}a renowned Christian grammar
and rhetoric teacher,
625
00:26:36,458 --> 00:26:38,167
{\an1}creates a geographical manual
626
00:26:38,292 --> 00:26:40,292
{\an1}to help his students
understand the world.
627
00:26:40,375 --> 00:26:42,333
{\an1}His research is compiled
into a book
628
00:26:42,458 --> 00:26:44,042
{\an1}called the "Cosmographia,"
629
00:26:44,167 --> 00:26:46,917
{\an1}and it explicitly references
the pyramids of Egypt
630
00:26:47,042 --> 00:26:50,042
{\an1}as the horrea Ioseph,
or the granaries of Joseph.
631
00:26:50,167 --> 00:26:53,750
{\an1}SAMI: In the 6th century,
this theory pops up again,
632
00:26:53,875 --> 00:26:56,250
{\an1}and this time it's found in
the work of Gregory of Tours.
633
00:26:56,375 --> 00:26:57,708
{\an1}He's a historian
who also becomes
634
00:26:57,875 --> 00:26:59,917
{\an1}a saint in the Catholic Church.
635
00:27:00,042 --> 00:27:02,500
{\an1}CAROLINE: In the first volume
of his master work,
636
00:27:02,583 --> 00:27:04,667
{\an1}"Decem Libri Historiarum,"
637
00:27:04,750 --> 00:27:07,500
{\an1}Gregory of Tours explains,
638
00:27:07,625 --> 00:27:10,292
{\an1}quote, "Joseph built granaries
639
00:27:10,375 --> 00:27:14,958
{\an1}"of wonderful workmanship made
of square stones and cement.
640
00:27:15,042 --> 00:27:17,375
{\an1}"They're constructed
in such a way
641
00:27:17,542 --> 00:27:19,417
{\an1}"that they are very broad
at the base
642
00:27:19,542 --> 00:27:20,875
{\an1}"but narrow at the top,
643
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,417
{\an1}"so that corn
could be poured into them
644
00:27:23,542 --> 00:27:25,667
{\an1}"through a small aperture.
645
00:27:25,833 --> 00:27:29,625
{\an1}These granaries are still
to be seen to this day."
646
00:27:30,833 --> 00:27:32,833
{\an1}Gregory of Tours has to be
talking about the pyramids.
647
00:27:32,958 --> 00:27:34,833
{\an1}He's even referencing
those enigmatic shafts
648
00:27:34,958 --> 00:27:36,875
{\an1}that appear at the top
of the Great Pyramid.
649
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:38,750
{\an1}Now, due to the degree
of incline,
650
00:27:38,875 --> 00:27:40,958
{\an1}it is plausible
that these kernels of corn
651
00:27:41,083 --> 00:27:43,042
{\an1}could have been poured in
from above.
652
00:27:43,208 --> 00:27:44,875
{\an1}JASON: You can see
that this theory
653
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,792
{\an1}is represented visually
in Christian artworks as well.
654
00:27:47,875 --> 00:27:50,833
{\an1}The pyramids are very clearly
depicted as grain silos
655
00:27:50,917 --> 00:27:52,792
{\an1}in a prominent
12th century mosaic
656
00:27:52,917 --> 00:27:54,917
{\an1}in St. Mark's Basilica
in Venice.
657
00:27:56,208 --> 00:27:58,542
{\an1}MICAH: What's more,
the granary idea
658
00:27:58,708 --> 00:28:01,000
{\an1}does not just exist
in European circles.
659
00:28:01,083 --> 00:28:04,500
{\an1}In fact, we find it both in
Islamic and in Byzantine texts.
660
00:28:04,583 --> 00:28:06,625
{\an1}The "Etymologicum Magnum,"
661
00:28:06,708 --> 00:28:09,000
{\an1}the Byzantine Empire's
largest encyclopedia,
662
00:28:09,125 --> 00:28:10,875
{\an1}explicitly references
the pyramids
663
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,042
{\an1}as royal granaries
constructed by Joseph.
664
00:28:15,208 --> 00:28:17,833
{\an1}LAURENCE: As further proof
of the alleged theory,
665
00:28:17,917 --> 00:28:20,667
{\an1}some authors cite the fact
that grain has been found
666
00:28:20,833 --> 00:28:23,417
{\an1}inside Egyptian pyramids.
667
00:28:23,542 --> 00:28:24,792
{\an1}SAMI: Now, to an outside
observer,
668
00:28:24,875 --> 00:28:26,958
{\an1}you can kinda see
how this theory makes sense.
669
00:28:27,042 --> 00:28:29,208
{\an1}Think about it, the pyramids
sort of have a shape
670
00:28:29,333 --> 00:28:31,833
{\an1}similar to, like the salt domes
that you'll see
671
00:28:31,917 --> 00:28:33,583
{\an1}on the side of the highway
when you're driving, right?
672
00:28:33,708 --> 00:28:37,542
{\an1}The idea is that these grains
will be poured in from the top,
673
00:28:37,667 --> 00:28:39,167
{\an1}and as they go in,
they'll form
674
00:28:39,250 --> 00:28:41,000
{\an1}like a mound-like
shaped structure,
675
00:28:41,125 --> 00:28:42,958
{\an1}similar to like sand
in an hourglass.
676
00:28:44,208 --> 00:28:46,500
{\an1}LAURENCE: Modern Egyptologists,
however,
677
00:28:46,625 --> 00:28:49,708
{\an1}find a glaring flaw
in this argument.
678
00:28:49,875 --> 00:28:51,500
{\an1}If the pyramids
were hollow inside,
679
00:28:51,625 --> 00:28:53,042
{\an1}this theory would fit
like a glove.
680
00:28:53,167 --> 00:28:54,917
{\an1}But unfortunately, they're not.
681
00:28:55,042 --> 00:28:56,833
{\an1}They're mostly solid rock,
682
00:28:56,917 --> 00:28:59,250
{\an1}so there's very little
storage room inside.
683
00:29:00,542 --> 00:29:03,583
{\an1}LAURENCE: But there is evidence
that the pyramids were used
684
00:29:03,708 --> 00:29:06,208
{\an1}to provide sustenance
to the community,
685
00:29:06,333 --> 00:29:08,250
{\an1}just in a different way.
686
00:29:08,375 --> 00:29:10,000
{\an1}SAMI: The Nile River
couldn't always be relied on
687
00:29:10,125 --> 00:29:11,667
{\an1}to flood and irrigate crops.
688
00:29:11,750 --> 00:29:13,958
{\an1}As it says
in the Book of Genesis,
689
00:29:14,042 --> 00:29:17,375
{\an1}it references times of both
feast and famine.
690
00:29:17,500 --> 00:29:18,958
{\an1}ROBERT: In times of famine,
691
00:29:19,083 --> 00:29:21,500
{\an1}a pharaoh doesn't want
his subjects to starve.
692
00:29:21,625 --> 00:29:23,333
{\an1}But he also wants
to keep them busy
693
00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:25,458
{\an1}because they're not working
out in the fields.
694
00:29:25,542 --> 00:29:28,667
{\an1}So, in exchange for payment
in the form of grain,
695
00:29:28,792 --> 00:29:30,875
{\an1}he puts them to work
on government projects.
696
00:29:31,042 --> 00:29:32,917
{\an1}And one of these projects
may have been
697
00:29:33,042 --> 00:29:34,250
{\an1}building the pyramids.
698
00:29:35,875 --> 00:29:38,167
{\an1}SAMI: So, the pyramids
did provide grain,
699
00:29:38,333 --> 00:29:39,667
{\an1}but in a different way
700
00:29:39,750 --> 00:29:41,375
{\an1}than what early
Christian theorists thought.
701
00:29:42,500 --> 00:29:44,042
{\an1}MICAH: The fact that a theory
is widely believed
702
00:29:44,208 --> 00:29:45,917
{\an1}doesn't mean
it's actually feasible.
703
00:29:46,042 --> 00:29:49,000
{\an1}We assume the Egyptians
had many better options
704
00:29:49,083 --> 00:29:50,708
{\an1}for storing their grain
than the pyramids,
705
00:29:50,833 --> 00:29:53,125
{\an1}which included
actual grain silos.
706
00:29:57,500 --> 00:29:59,333
{\an1}LAURENCE: There is no more
iconic representation
707
00:29:59,417 --> 00:30:03,500
{\an1}of the might of ancient Egypt
than its famed pyramids.
708
00:30:03,667 --> 00:30:05,583
{\an1}The pyramids might be
the most famous
709
00:30:05,708 --> 00:30:06,708
{\an1}and remarkable aspect
710
00:30:06,875 --> 00:30:08,500
{\an1}of the Kingdom of Egypt.
711
00:30:08,625 --> 00:30:10,792
{\an1}But they were only being built
712
00:30:10,917 --> 00:30:12,167
{\an1}for a relatively short time.
713
00:30:12,333 --> 00:30:13,708
{\an1}You have a civilization
that's around
714
00:30:13,875 --> 00:30:15,292
{\an1}for about 2,000 years,
715
00:30:15,417 --> 00:30:17,625
{\an1}yet they only spent
about 300 to 400 years
716
00:30:17,708 --> 00:30:19,542
{\an1}designing these magnificent
structures.
717
00:30:19,708 --> 00:30:22,875
{\an1}So, among the many mysteries
surrounding the pyramids,
718
00:30:23,042 --> 00:30:28,083
{\an1}one important question is,
why did they stop being built?
719
00:30:28,208 --> 00:30:30,375
{\an1}MICAH: In the late '90s
and early 2000s,
720
00:30:30,542 --> 00:30:31,667
{\an1}an all-new theory emerges
721
00:30:31,792 --> 00:30:32,917
{\an1}that attempts to explain
722
00:30:33,042 --> 00:30:34,125
{\an1}what might have happened.
723
00:30:34,250 --> 00:30:35,875
{\an1}And according to this theory,
724
00:30:36,042 --> 00:30:39,292
{\an1}the pyramids were built with
a very specific purpose in mind.
725
00:30:39,417 --> 00:30:41,375
{\an1}And once this purpose
was fulfilled,
726
00:30:41,500 --> 00:30:43,542
{\an1}the Egyptians didn't need
to make any more.
727
00:30:43,708 --> 00:30:46,250
{\an1}SAMI: In 1998,
engineer Christopher Dunn
728
00:30:46,375 --> 00:30:48,250
{\an1}publishes a book,
and in that book,
729
00:30:48,375 --> 00:30:51,458
{\an1}he posits that the pyramids
really have nothing to do
730
00:30:51,583 --> 00:30:52,833
{\an1}with the afterlife at all.
731
00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:55,083
{\an1}They're there to serve
the everyday life
732
00:30:55,208 --> 00:30:57,500
{\an1}of the people of Egypt
living throughout the kingdom
733
00:30:57,667 --> 00:30:59,875
{\an1}by providing electrical power.
734
00:31:04,208 --> 00:31:07,500
{\an1}LAURENCE: Dunn's theory starts
with one significant word.
735
00:31:07,583 --> 00:31:10,167
{\an1}CHRISTOPHER: When you consider
the word "pyramid,"
736
00:31:10,292 --> 00:31:12,792
{\an1}you've got "pyra,"
which is fire,
737
00:31:12,917 --> 00:31:14,833
{\an1}and then "mid,"
which is the middle.
738
00:31:14,917 --> 00:31:17,000
{\an1}So, when you bring
the two together,
739
00:31:17,125 --> 00:31:18,667
{\an1}you got "fire in the middle,"
740
00:31:18,792 --> 00:31:20,500
{\an1}and that is essentially
what I'm proposing
741
00:31:20,667 --> 00:31:22,167
{\an1}for the Great Pyramid,
742
00:31:22,292 --> 00:31:25,000
{\an1}except that it's not a fire
of combustion,
743
00:31:25,125 --> 00:31:27,542
{\an1}but it's an energetic
environment.
744
00:31:27,667 --> 00:31:28,667
{\an1}JASON: With that in mind,
745
00:31:28,833 --> 00:31:30,042
{\an1}modern-day engineers like Dunn
746
00:31:30,167 --> 00:31:31,833
{\an1}start to examine the layout
747
00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:33,667
{\an1}of the pyramids'
internal structures.
748
00:31:33,792 --> 00:31:35,667
{\an1}SAMI: Inside of
the Great Pyramid of Giza,
749
00:31:35,833 --> 00:31:36,958
{\an1}you have three chambers.
750
00:31:37,083 --> 00:31:38,792
{\an1}You have a subterranean chamber.
751
00:31:38,917 --> 00:31:40,333
{\an1}You've got a chamber
that's been named
752
00:31:40,458 --> 00:31:41,833
{\an1}the Queen's Chamber,
753
00:31:41,958 --> 00:31:44,333
{\an1}and one that's been called
the King's Chamber.
754
00:31:44,500 --> 00:31:46,833
{\an1}Traditional Egyptologists
have been long focused
755
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,167
{\an1}on this building as a tomb.
756
00:31:48,333 --> 00:31:50,083
{\an1}So, they've taken
the conventional view
757
00:31:50,208 --> 00:31:52,333
{\an1}that the pharaoh's body was
placed in the King's Chamber,
758
00:31:52,458 --> 00:31:54,417
{\an1}and the other two
could have been used
759
00:31:54,542 --> 00:31:57,333
{\an1}if the pharaoh died before
the pyramid was finished.
760
00:31:57,417 --> 00:32:00,500
{\an1}However, no human remains
or funerary objects
761
00:32:00,667 --> 00:32:03,625
{\an1}have ever been found inside
of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
762
00:32:03,750 --> 00:32:05,333
{\an1}But that might be the point.
763
00:32:06,708 --> 00:32:09,500
{\an1}When you look at these chambers
through the eyes of an engineer,
764
00:32:09,583 --> 00:32:12,458
{\an1}you see that they might
be serving a different function.
765
00:32:12,542 --> 00:32:14,542
{\an1}LAURENCE: American engineer
John Cadman
766
00:32:14,708 --> 00:32:16,958
{\an1}also supports this theory.
767
00:32:17,083 --> 00:32:18,708
{\an1}Cadman is looking
into this problem
768
00:32:18,833 --> 00:32:21,667
{\an1}at the same time as Dunn
in the late 1990s,
769
00:32:21,750 --> 00:32:23,875
{\an1}and he really seizes
upon the idea
770
00:32:24,042 --> 00:32:26,333
{\an1}that this building
has a mechanical function
771
00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:28,250
{\an1}as some kind of pump.
772
00:32:28,375 --> 00:32:30,417
{\an1}JASON: Water would flow in
via the tunnels
773
00:32:30,542 --> 00:32:33,042
{\an1}from an ancient lake
at a higher elevation.
774
00:32:33,208 --> 00:32:35,167
{\an1}The water would then flow
through a duct
775
00:32:35,292 --> 00:32:36,833
{\an1}up into the Queen's Chamber,
776
00:32:36,958 --> 00:32:38,833
{\an1}and then exit through
an outflow tunnel
777
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:40,833
{\an1}to the Nile River.
778
00:32:40,958 --> 00:32:43,250
{\an1}The next question is,
why a water pump?
779
00:32:43,375 --> 00:32:46,375
{\an1}LAURENCE: To find out,
Cadman makes his own model
780
00:32:46,542 --> 00:32:50,000
{\an1}of the pyramids'
subterranean chambers.
781
00:32:50,167 --> 00:32:53,917
{\an1}In the year 2000, Cadman uses
a 500-pound block of cement
782
00:32:54,042 --> 00:32:56,667
{\an1}to carve out a smaller replica
of the Great Pyramid
783
00:32:56,750 --> 00:32:58,042
{\an1}to study the fluid dynamics
784
00:32:58,167 --> 00:32:59,458
{\an1}that were happening
inside the chambers.
785
00:32:59,583 --> 00:33:02,125
{\an1}MICAH: Incredibly,
when he runs water through,
786
00:33:02,250 --> 00:33:03,833
{\an1}the block actually
starts shaking
787
00:33:03,958 --> 00:33:06,208
{\an1}with long,
and then short pulses.
788
00:33:06,375 --> 00:33:07,792
{\an1}Now, if you scaled up
this experiment
789
00:33:07,917 --> 00:33:09,833
{\an1}to the full size of the pyramid,
790
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:12,042
{\an1}Cadman believes the system
would have created
791
00:33:12,208 --> 00:33:16,000
{\an1}a heartbeat-like vibration
that shook the entire structure.
792
00:33:16,125 --> 00:33:19,833
{\an1}LAURENCE: Eventually Dunn
further expands on this idea.
793
00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:21,667
{\an1}He outlines that
the Great Pyramid
794
00:33:21,792 --> 00:33:24,000
{\an1}is actually a coupled oscillator
795
00:33:24,083 --> 00:33:26,875
{\an1}which transforms vibrations
into energy,
796
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,333
{\an1}and that generates power.
797
00:33:29,458 --> 00:33:31,208
{\an1}Dunn's hypothesis
also could account
798
00:33:31,333 --> 00:33:32,792
{\an1}for findings
in the Queen's Chamber
799
00:33:32,917 --> 00:33:34,833
{\an1}that have never been
fully understood.
800
00:33:34,958 --> 00:33:37,292
{\an1}Those twin shafts
diagonally extending upwards
801
00:33:37,375 --> 00:33:40,167
{\an1}from this chamber were once
thought of as airducts.
802
00:33:40,292 --> 00:33:42,042
{\an1}And others have hypothesized
803
00:33:42,208 --> 00:33:44,500
{\an1}that they target certain stars
in the night sky.
804
00:33:45,708 --> 00:33:48,208
{\an1}SAMI: Now, early explorers
reported that the walls
805
00:33:48,375 --> 00:33:50,917
{\an1}and the ceilings
of the Queen's Chamber
806
00:33:51,042 --> 00:33:54,167
{\an1}were covered with up
to about an inch of salt,
807
00:33:54,292 --> 00:33:56,000
{\an1}and that there was gypsum
coming out of the cracks
808
00:33:56,125 --> 00:33:57,833
{\an1}in the limestone.
809
00:33:57,958 --> 00:34:00,083
{\an1}Nobody knew what to make of this
at the time.
810
00:34:00,208 --> 00:34:03,208
{\an1}LAURENCE: According to Dunn,
it's evidence that the pyramid
811
00:34:03,375 --> 00:34:06,000
{\an1}served as a chemical reactor.
812
00:34:06,167 --> 00:34:09,458
{\an1}My theory on the Queen's Chamber
is that chemicals
813
00:34:09,583 --> 00:34:12,667
{\an1}were delivered to the chamber
through shafts.
814
00:34:12,792 --> 00:34:16,000
{\an1}Those solutions
were dilute hydrochloric acid
815
00:34:16,167 --> 00:34:18,292
{\an1}and a hydrated zinc solution.
816
00:34:18,375 --> 00:34:20,417
{\an1}Those two chemicals
brought together
817
00:34:20,542 --> 00:34:22,083
{\an1}would boil off hydrogen.
818
00:34:22,208 --> 00:34:24,667
{\an1}JASON: This hydrogen would cause
a chemical reaction
819
00:34:24,833 --> 00:34:27,625
{\an1}with the chamber's limestone,
which would explain the presence
820
00:34:27,750 --> 00:34:29,167
{\an1}of salt and gypsum.
821
00:34:29,292 --> 00:34:31,000
{\an1}The hydrogen reaction compounds
822
00:34:31,167 --> 00:34:33,167
{\an1}the pyramid's vibrations
exponentially.
823
00:34:33,292 --> 00:34:36,333
{\an1}It's now really moving
and can generate a lot of power.
824
00:34:36,417 --> 00:34:38,167
{\an1}SAMI: Dunn believes
all of these vibrations
825
00:34:38,333 --> 00:34:40,167
{\an1}charge up the quartz
and granite stones
826
00:34:40,292 --> 00:34:41,917
{\an1}in the center of the pyramid.
827
00:34:42,042 --> 00:34:43,208
{\an1}This is why they're putting
these stones
828
00:34:43,375 --> 00:34:45,833
{\an1}that weigh 50 to 80 tons
in the center.
829
00:34:45,958 --> 00:34:47,292
{\an1}They're almost like batteries.
830
00:34:47,417 --> 00:34:50,167
{\an1}And with that, you have yourself
an energy source.
831
00:34:50,292 --> 00:34:54,167
{\an1}LAURENCE: Just how would
the Egyptians use that energy?
832
00:34:54,333 --> 00:34:56,458
{\an1}CAROLINE: According to
a 1996 book
833
00:34:56,542 --> 00:35:00,292
{\an1}by Austrian writers Peter Krassa
and Reinhard Habeck,
834
00:35:00,417 --> 00:35:02,125
{\an1}the ancient Egyptians may have
835
00:35:02,250 --> 00:35:04,333
{\an1}actually had electric lights.
836
00:35:04,417 --> 00:35:06,375
{\an1}SAMI: Their theory is based
on a relief sculpture
837
00:35:06,542 --> 00:35:08,417
{\an1}that was found
in the 2,000-year-old
838
00:35:08,542 --> 00:35:11,167
{\an1}Temple of Hathor
in Dendera, Egypt.
839
00:35:11,292 --> 00:35:14,042
{\an1}It shows what they believe
to be a massive light bulb
840
00:35:14,167 --> 00:35:17,250
{\an1}with a socket, a cable,
and a filament.
841
00:35:17,375 --> 00:35:20,000
{\an1}These so-called light fixtures
appear prominently
842
00:35:20,167 --> 00:35:22,500
{\an1}in several other
Egyptian artworks as well.
843
00:35:22,625 --> 00:35:26,458
{\an1}Krassa and Habeck also cite
a 1982 experiment
844
00:35:26,542 --> 00:35:29,000
{\an1}by Austrian engineer
Walter Garn.
845
00:35:29,167 --> 00:35:31,208
{\an1}He sees the so-called
Dendera light
846
00:35:31,333 --> 00:35:33,917
{\an1}and decides to test
if such a device
847
00:35:34,042 --> 00:35:36,042
{\an1}could have been built
using the materials
848
00:35:36,208 --> 00:35:38,083
{\an1}available
to the ancient Egyptians.
849
00:35:38,208 --> 00:35:41,125
{\an1}He was able to make
a working model of the device,
850
00:35:41,208 --> 00:35:43,792
{\an1}but his used traditional
electricity,
851
00:35:43,917 --> 00:35:46,125
{\an1}not pyramid power.
852
00:35:46,208 --> 00:35:48,792
{\an1}Did the Egyptians
actually have electricity?
853
00:35:48,917 --> 00:35:51,417
{\an1}According to this theory,
they did.
854
00:35:51,542 --> 00:35:53,000
{\an1}And once they had built
enough pyramids
855
00:35:53,167 --> 00:35:54,458
{\an1}to light and power
their civilization,
856
00:35:54,542 --> 00:35:55,667
{\an1}they could stop.
857
00:35:55,833 --> 00:35:59,583
{\an1}It's-- it's out there,
but hey, it's a theory.
858
00:36:03,750 --> 00:36:06,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: In the late 1990s,
two American engineers
859
00:36:06,792 --> 00:36:10,458
{\an1}make headlines when they suggest
that the Egyptian pyramids
860
00:36:10,542 --> 00:36:12,625
{\an1}were used to generate power.
861
00:36:12,708 --> 00:36:16,083
{\an1}But they may not be the first
to propose this.
862
00:36:16,208 --> 00:36:17,500
{\an1}There are reports
863
00:36:17,625 --> 00:36:20,667
{\an1}of a declassified KGB operation
864
00:36:20,792 --> 00:36:22,625
{\an1}known as Project ISIS.
865
00:36:22,750 --> 00:36:25,500
{\an1}It allegedly takes place
in the 1960s,
866
00:36:25,583 --> 00:36:27,833
{\an1}and the purpose
was to take a look
867
00:36:27,958 --> 00:36:30,750
{\an1}at these ancient Egyptian
artifacts and knowledge
868
00:36:30,875 --> 00:36:34,167
{\an1}to see if they would be of use
to the Soviet Union militarily.
869
00:36:34,292 --> 00:36:36,417
{\an1}MICAH: One alleged KGB report
from scientists
870
00:36:36,542 --> 00:36:37,958
{\an1}on the Giza plateau stated
871
00:36:38,042 --> 00:36:39,167
{\an1}that, "during inspection
872
00:36:39,333 --> 00:36:40,625
{\an1}"of the wall segment, we noted
873
00:36:40,750 --> 00:36:41,917
{\an1}"an odd sensation.
874
00:36:42,042 --> 00:36:44,167
{\an1}"A magnetic repulsive force
875
00:36:44,292 --> 00:36:46,292
{\an1}"seemed to be emanating
from the rock.
876
00:36:46,375 --> 00:36:49,167
{\an1}We were unable to find
any scientific explanation."
877
00:36:50,333 --> 00:36:52,125
{\an1}CAROLINE: In the 1960s,
878
00:36:52,208 --> 00:36:54,000
{\an1}you have the Cuban
Missile Crisis happening.
879
00:36:54,125 --> 00:36:56,292
{\an1}And right around the same time,
880
00:36:56,375 --> 00:36:58,833
{\an1}the KGB scientists
are walking around Giza.
881
00:36:58,958 --> 00:37:03,458
{\an1}LAURENCE: In the late 1980s,
as the Cold War rages on,
882
00:37:03,542 --> 00:37:05,750
{\an1}the Russian Academy
of Medical Scientists
883
00:37:05,875 --> 00:37:11,125
{\an1}funds additional research
into the power of the pyramids.
884
00:37:11,250 --> 00:37:14,125
{\an1}These studies are performed
by Ukrainian scientist
885
00:37:14,250 --> 00:37:17,250
{\an1}and defense contractor
Alexander Golod.
886
00:37:17,375 --> 00:37:19,375
{\an1}According to his research,
887
00:37:19,500 --> 00:37:22,542
{\an1}the pyramids do indeed have
the ability to harness energy.
888
00:37:22,708 --> 00:37:25,292
{\an1}But he doesn't think
it's electrical power
889
00:37:25,375 --> 00:37:27,167
{\an1}the Egyptians
were trying to use.
890
00:37:27,250 --> 00:37:29,708
{\an1}He thinks it was used
for healing.
891
00:37:32,333 --> 00:37:34,000
{\an1}LAURENCE:
As part of his research,
892
00:37:34,125 --> 00:37:36,250
{\an1}Golod builds a series
of pyramids
893
00:37:36,375 --> 00:37:38,583
{\an1}across the Soviet Union.
894
00:37:38,708 --> 00:37:41,125
{\an1}MICAH: Golod builds
over a dozen pyramids,
895
00:37:41,250 --> 00:37:42,667
{\an1}each one is bigger
than the last.
896
00:37:42,833 --> 00:37:44,458
{\an1}And inside,
he does various tasks
897
00:37:44,542 --> 00:37:46,333
{\an1}measuring their
vibration frequencies,
898
00:37:46,458 --> 00:37:49,542
{\an1}and their ability to focus
and direct energy.
899
00:37:49,708 --> 00:37:51,083
{\an1}JASON: Golod finds
that the shape
900
00:37:51,208 --> 00:37:52,375
{\an1}and size of the pyramid
901
00:37:52,542 --> 00:37:54,083
{\an1}dictates its energy field.
902
00:37:54,208 --> 00:37:56,417
{\an1}He builds his 17th
and largest pyramid
903
00:37:56,542 --> 00:37:58,917
{\an1}25 miles north of Moscow.
904
00:37:59,042 --> 00:38:01,000
{\an1}It's a whopping
144 feet tall
905
00:38:01,083 --> 00:38:04,167
{\an1}and weighs about 55 tons.
906
00:38:04,292 --> 00:38:07,250
{\an1}CAROLINE: Golod conducts
a research experiment
907
00:38:07,375 --> 00:38:09,833
{\an1}in conjunction
with the Russian Air Force,
908
00:38:09,917 --> 00:38:13,333
{\an1}which shows that the pyramid
creates an energy field
909
00:38:13,458 --> 00:38:16,208
{\an1}about a mile high,
easily detected
910
00:38:16,333 --> 00:38:18,375
{\an1}by the censors on the aircraft.
911
00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:20,583
{\an1}LAURENCE:
Golod next sets out to test
912
00:38:20,708 --> 00:38:23,542
{\an1}the energy field's effect
on humans.
913
00:38:24,875 --> 00:38:26,833
{\an1}MICAH: Golod brings all sorts
of test subjects
914
00:38:26,917 --> 00:38:29,208
{\an1}into his pyramids,
but he's not yet sure
915
00:38:29,333 --> 00:38:31,208
{\an1}why the Egyptians built theirs,
916
00:38:31,333 --> 00:38:33,917
{\an1}or what the pyramid energy
is supposed to do.
917
00:38:34,042 --> 00:38:37,417
{\an1}CAROLINE: What he finds is that
after spending time
918
00:38:37,542 --> 00:38:40,500
{\an1}at the center of the pyramid,
people will actually have
919
00:38:40,583 --> 00:38:43,083
{\an1}a marked improvement
on their health.
920
00:38:43,208 --> 00:38:46,417
{\an1}So, he publishes
report after report
921
00:38:46,542 --> 00:38:50,208
{\an1}about the pyramid's energy
promoting growth,
922
00:38:50,333 --> 00:38:52,417
{\an1}health, and longevity.
923
00:38:52,542 --> 00:38:55,000
{\an1}He claims that
the subjects' blood tests
924
00:38:55,125 --> 00:38:57,542
{\an1}prove that standing
at the center of the pyramid
925
00:38:57,667 --> 00:39:00,333
{\an1}would actually boost
the immune system.
926
00:39:00,417 --> 00:39:03,458
{\an1}LAURENCE: Over the years
Golod shares his research
927
00:39:03,542 --> 00:39:05,417
{\an1}with a select few.
928
00:39:05,542 --> 00:39:07,500
{\an1}Russian athletes are known
to visit these pyramids
929
00:39:07,583 --> 00:39:09,125
{\an1}prior to major competitions
930
00:39:09,250 --> 00:39:11,333
{\an1}to boost their energy
and endurance.
931
00:39:11,458 --> 00:39:13,292
{\an1}Russian cosmonauts
are even reported
932
00:39:13,417 --> 00:39:15,583
{\an1}to have brought water
from Golod's pyramids
933
00:39:15,708 --> 00:39:17,042
{\an1}up with them to
the International Space Station
934
00:39:17,208 --> 00:39:18,833
{\an1}to maintain their health.
935
00:39:18,958 --> 00:39:21,667
{\an1}Golod's pyramids still regularly
draw visitors
936
00:39:21,792 --> 00:39:23,625
{\an1}from across the country
who are eager to experience
937
00:39:23,750 --> 00:39:25,250
{\an1}their alleged healing energy.
938
00:39:25,375 --> 00:39:27,375
{\an1}And Golod is happy
to provide access
939
00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:29,167
{\an1}to pyramid-charged water
940
00:39:29,292 --> 00:39:32,625
{\an1}or healing pyramid trinkets
for a small fee.
941
00:39:32,750 --> 00:39:35,083
{\an1}LAURENCE: Could the very same
health-inducing properties
942
00:39:35,208 --> 00:39:39,125
{\an1}have also been sought
by ancient Egypt's pharaohs?
943
00:39:39,250 --> 00:39:42,750
{\an1}According to this theory, yes.
944
00:39:42,875 --> 00:39:44,833
{\an1}CAROLINE: Golod believes that
the Egyptian pyramids
945
00:39:44,958 --> 00:39:46,833
{\an1}were used for much
of the same reason
946
00:39:46,958 --> 00:39:49,500
{\an1}that he's using
his pyramids today.
947
00:39:49,583 --> 00:39:52,167
{\an1}In fact, he thinks
they could have been used
948
00:39:52,292 --> 00:39:54,542
{\an1}while the pharaohs
were still alive.
949
00:39:54,708 --> 00:39:57,167
{\an1}SAMI: This could explain
a few things,
950
00:39:57,292 --> 00:39:58,500
{\an1}like why each pyramid was built
951
00:39:58,667 --> 00:40:00,250
{\an1}as soon as the pharaoh
was crowned.
952
00:40:00,375 --> 00:40:03,000
{\an1}Perhaps the building was meant
to be used during his lifetime,
953
00:40:03,125 --> 00:40:04,625
{\an1}even before it was finished,
954
00:40:04,708 --> 00:40:07,167
{\an1}to help grant him
health and longevity.
955
00:40:07,292 --> 00:40:09,458
{\an1}CAROLINE:
It also potentially explains
956
00:40:09,583 --> 00:40:12,292
{\an1}why there are a few other
chambers in most pyramids.
957
00:40:12,417 --> 00:40:14,667
{\an1}Like, why is there
a Queen's Chamber
958
00:40:14,833 --> 00:40:17,292
{\an1}while we don't actually have
evidence
959
00:40:17,417 --> 00:40:19,625
{\an1}that a queen was buried there?
960
00:40:19,750 --> 00:40:22,333
{\an1}Maybe she was allowed to receive
the pyramid's healing
961
00:40:22,458 --> 00:40:25,750
{\an1}in her own chamber,
but during her lifetime.
962
00:40:25,875 --> 00:40:28,167
{\an1}But in death,
all that power is reserved
963
00:40:28,292 --> 00:40:29,750
{\an1}for the pharaoh himself.
964
00:40:29,875 --> 00:40:31,833
{\an1}Everything focused
on his mummified remains
965
00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:35,417
{\an1}to protect and preserve him
for all eternity.
966
00:40:35,542 --> 00:40:37,708
{\an1}CAROLINE: Ultimately,
that's the one thing
967
00:40:37,875 --> 00:40:40,333
{\an1}we know for sure
the pyramids represent--
968
00:40:40,458 --> 00:40:43,042
{\an1}permanence, strength.
969
00:40:43,167 --> 00:40:46,417
{\an1}Whether they're actually sending
immune-boosting energy,
970
00:40:46,542 --> 00:40:50,333
{\an1}or electrical power,
whether they're storing grain
971
00:40:50,458 --> 00:40:52,833
{\an1}or serving as alien landmarks,
972
00:40:52,917 --> 00:40:55,083
{\an1}none of this can be proven
at the moment.
973
00:40:55,208 --> 00:40:57,667
{\an1}But what we can say confidently
974
00:40:57,833 --> 00:41:01,292
{\an1}is that the pyramids were built
to last the test of time.
975
00:41:01,417 --> 00:41:03,042
{\an1}And that, they have.
976
00:41:05,500 --> 00:41:06,958
{\an1}Archaeologists in Egypt
977
00:41:07,042 --> 00:41:08,167
{\an1}have no shortage of work
978
00:41:08,250 --> 00:41:09,333
{\an1}ahead of them.
979
00:41:09,417 --> 00:41:11,333
{\an1}Over 100 active dig sites
980
00:41:11,500 --> 00:41:13,292
{\an1}are currently being
investigated,
981
00:41:13,417 --> 00:41:15,667
{\an1}with many more to come.
982
00:41:15,792 --> 00:41:18,750
{\an1}As new evidence is pulled
from the desert sands,
983
00:41:18,875 --> 00:41:21,542
{\an1}new truths may be revealed.
984
00:41:21,667 --> 00:41:23,500
{\an1}I'm Laurence Fishburne.
985
00:41:23,625 --> 00:41:24,792
{\an1}Thank you for watching
986
00:41:24,875 --> 00:41:27,583
{\an1}"History's Greatest Mysteries."
106956
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