Why the pyramids are pyramids
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- I was surprised to find a decent answer.
More info and sources at bottom.
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The pyramids are almost 5000 years old and still there, and we're still fascinated with ancient Egypt, so maybe the rulers got their wish of immortality in a way.
Makes u wonder if any of our modern structures will last anywhere near as long as the pyramids.
@@AnixCo1990 most likely longer.
Ever been to new york? The subways are so poorly maintained that sparks fly off them.
We will be lucky if our economic structures last 200 years, but two thousand???? What a joke
@@AnixCo1990 Our structures could last much longer but we would have to use to the proper materials. We simply don't make our structures to last eons honestly. We could but engineers worry about $$$, time, and effort!
Roman concrete being stronger is a myth. It is amazing don't get me wrong but we make concrete that is much easier to use and pour, but we put reinforced steel into it. The steel is what makes concrete crack and degrade so relatively quickly.
So apparently they are much older than 5000 years old. Apparently like more than 10000 years old. Plus they never found any actual kings or stuff in the pyramids. So the archeologist were just guessing. They now believe they were massive batteries not burial sites. Quite an unbelievable battery too. Look it up. It's cool and crazy all in one. My brother is an engineer. He looked at the idea and was bothered no one ever put that together b4.
Ok dude I genuinely didn't think we had as much info on pyramid construction. That is interesting to think that the smoothing was an artistic and religious thing rather than a structural integrity thing.
I was surprised too, but it seems plausible even with all the uncertainty.
@@PhilEdwardsInc the fact that pyramids are comparatively 'easy' to build (maybe even the simplest) makes me feel like a big influence on the shape was also just "we need something as big as possible, no matter the shape"
I've always believed that ancient civilizations which had no contact with one another chose the pyramid shape because, when building with stone (and without the knowledge of complex engineering, architecture, and math required to erect large, tall structures with alot of internal empty volume), if they wanted to go big and high with their structures, they had to start at a wide base, and work toward an apex point. That's one of the limitations of stone.
It is pretty obvious even as a kid that the pyramid is the easiest and most sound structure to build big and tall if you aren't worried about material or inside space. Would take the dome and arch to get spacious designs but they still aren't as solid as a pyramid is.
You need to build ramps anyway which are perfect.
Now why so many pyramids are four sided is a different story. Cardinal directions? Could add more sides or do the minimum of three! Don't recall any massive three sided pyramids.
@@dianapennepacker6854 I believe the answer is simply: it's easier to make a good square or rectangle than an equilateral triangle
Possible future topics:
Why were the Twin Towers twins?
Why does the Bermuda Triangle matter?
Why is the Mona Lisa so important?
Why does Capitol Hill look Roman?
loved all the details in the pyramid conspiracy gag. Chris Rock? Sandy Loam? It's all connected, Phil. The Truth is out there!
WE HAVE TO OPEN OUR EYES!
@@PhilEdwardsInc Open our eyes? Sounds like something the Illuminati would sa-OH MY GOD ALIENS HAVE TO BE THE ANSWER
My money says stability. But I'm here to hear moustache man.
Edit: wait it's shaved off!!?
i betrayed you
@@PhilEdwardsInc hahahaha! Meanie
Fun fact: The time between now and the time when Cleopatra lived in is less years than the time from the building of the pyramids to the time of Cleopatra
Yep even to the ancient Egyptians the pyramids were ancient history.
And that’s true whichever of the seven or so Cleopatras you think is meant.
Still blows my mind that Pyramids can be found in almost every continent on Earth. In North America, we have Cahokia mounds, the Mayan and Aztec pyramids. In Africa, the pyramids of ancient Egypt. In Asia, the ziggurat from Mesopotamia, and pyramids in China for deceased emperors and don't forget Angor Wat in Cambodia. In Europe there is only one pyramid and that is located in Bosnia called they Pyramid of the Sun. I find that surprising that the same shape of a pyramid can be seen in multiple culture with different beliefs and yet not one of them thought to build a cube or a rhombus.
Shocking, right? Almost as if structures that are wide at the bottom and get thinner as you go up were obviously more stable and one would expect all humans wanting to build something tall, yet lack the knowledge required to build a modern skyscraper, to naturally gravitate to it 🤯
@@peterpodgorski hahahahahahahaha totally
@@peterpodgorski Slow down. Thinner as u go up bringing up the static electricity to use within. They might have been more knowledgeable than we are today. Just goes over your head. Smooth brain.
Sudan (A nation in Africa) has the most amount of Pyramids in the World.
Shape for building blocks that no fall down = pyramid.
Any toddler playing with wooden blocks can eventually come to this conclusion. As this brief history shows, the "classic" four-sided, smooth triangle shape is more tricky than one might think, but the basic idea of "stacking things on top of other things" naturally results in a pyramid-like shape. Stepped pyramids, Ziggurats, etc. It's just gravity and physics. No less interesting, imho, but not supernatural or anything.
Yes when I found out how brief the "pyramid boom" was I was shocked as well, I'm sure it must be a common reaction. My source seemed to suggest that they just ran out of suitable locations to place them (had to have super stable ground and a large quarry nearby). The Sudanese took up the pyramid game though and carried it on much longer, but theirs were of a more sustainable size and thus less remarked upon (there might be a lesson there).
I had the feeling the Egyptians copied the pyramid idea from the Nubians. This is because the Nubians built pointier, and but smaller, pyramids, and the very earliest Egyptian attempts at building their much larger structures were similarly pointy, and so didn’t work. So they had to flatten the shape to come up with something that would stay up without collapsing.
Jan 2022: Why the Pentagon is a Pentagon
Apr 2022: Why the Pyramids are Pyramids
Jul 2022: Why Town Squares are Square(ish)
Oct 2022: Why the UFC Octagon is an Octagon
Jan 2023: Why Hearts are Hearts
I'm available for hire, Phil!
Love almost all your videos. So the reason there's disagreement over how to spell things like Ra/Re is because the writing systems the Egyptians used DID NOT contain vowels. So when words are transliterated into English you basically just guess. Well its more than just guessing and different groups of Egyptologists have come up with different frameworks for transliterating words into English. A great short introduction to Egyptian hieroglyphs is "How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs" by Mark Collier and Bill Manley.
Hilarious that you've included the caveat "almost"
lol harsh but fair
Seems like quite a puzzle, as I know from the translation scene in Stargate.
@@PhilEdwardsInc That "almost all" wasn't intended to be criticism. It's just a quirk of word usage in my location(and maybe in other regions?). Did not want to appear to be a sycophant.
@@PhilEdwardsInc It should be noted that we can learn a fair amount about older languages by studying their more recent descendants, and that languages that don't include vowels in their writing system tend to be fairly regular in form, allowing for one with familiarity with the language to "fill in the gaps" and guess the pronunciation.
Of course, the problem is that because languages evolve and pronunciations evolve, there's only so much we can do before it becomes "best guess." Likewise, similar pronunciations can have different spellings or romanizations. For example, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese each have multiple ways of transcribing them into the Latin alphabet, even though they correspond to the same words and the same pronunciations within their respective language.
Finally, No Glasses Phil is added to the CMU
* Man emerges from goo *
Some ethereal, disembodied voice: how'd you get so funky?!
"I was born in the funk, shaped by it."
"...molded by it"
Sounds more like a threat than anything else. This one man, hoarding all the world's funk.
Phil, this is maybe one of my fav video of yours yet! the mix of humor with info was perfect.
Boy, another great video Phil! Your work on YT is always top notch and captivates me every time 😁.
AND you’ve acknowledged or engaged with every single comment I have put on your videos. I get excited just to get a thumbs up or a heart just ONCE. You’re truly great at what you do Phil and are one of a kind.
Have a great day buddy! 😁😁😁
P.S. that “graphic” was top notch! I see a bright future for you in video title cards 🤣
Thanks a lot - nice of ya to write. And thanks for the encouragement on my title cards. The Home Depot receipt I wrote that on the back of is probably just as honored.
The pyramids are so fascinating but there is a lot of noise you have to watch out for when reading about them. You will probably get some of the nonsense in the comments of this video. I love that it has its own scientific discipline, Egyptology. There aren't any Romanologists or Greekologists. My favorite thing to try and imagine is what the pyramids would have looked like just after completion. They had a covering over the stones which made them flat and smooth. It's an endlessly fascinating topic and I never thought to ask why they are pyramid shaped instead of just big cubes or rectangles like we build today. Excellent video. It's such a shame the Decepticons destroyed the biggest pyramid. Optimus Prime could have stopped it.
Yes this video also had me craving a fresh, hot out of the oven pyramid sighting.
Modern culture seems to put so much emphasis on the pyramids, you don't realise just how short lived they actually were
Why are the pyramids standing in Egypt?
Because they were too heavy to carry them to the British Museum
I came because of the interesting history stuff and stayed because of the awesome graphics (like in 1:12 ) ;) :D
Sometimes the universe crystallizes and things just sort of line up.
I’ll tell you Phil I have been on an Ancient Egypt and Pyramid kick for the past month or so… like really into them, and I’m not so sure why.
the riddler -> paul dano -> little miss sunshine -> sun god…. i get it
BE CAREfUL!
What is amazing is how distant in time pyramids were: when I read that there's less between Cleopatra and us than between her and the pyramids I was shocked
We don't get to Inverted Pyramids until TaleSpin Episode 49 "In Search of Ancient Blunders" =)
I like Terry Pratchett's take on the pyramids in the Discworld series, even if the historical accuracy isn't entirely there.
Phil what are your thoughts on Brutalist Architecture? I am an architect and find that I am often arguing the case for the style though most people find it alienating and oppressive. I’d love to hear your take on it.
This is definitely something I’ve tried to understand better. Lemme know if there are any good books.
I am so glad to hear it. Raw Concrete: The Beauty of Brutalism by Barnabas Calder is a very good series of appraisals of mainly British brutalist architecture of the 20th century though many of his assessments apply to the movement as a whole. But generally the best place to start with anything relating to Modernist architecture is Modern Architecture: a critical history, by the great Kenneth Frampton.
@@alexeyrodokanakis8827 Thanks - I have emailed these to myself and will check em out.
Ancient history is seriously amazing to research. History of society stuff and great projects are super cool.
You're right about them always being there - they were ancient history when Julius Caesar visited!
Why was the Round Table... round?
So that all members had an equal seat 🪑
fun fact because the pyramids where built roughly 4500 years ago and the earth moves at 67,000 miles per hour the pyramids where also built almost 3.5 light years away and it's very likely no human nor Remnant of humanity will ever return to that location its crazy to think about how you can go somewhere on earth a million times but you will never return to the same place that you visited the last time and no one ever will
I've found that stargate is a remarkably good source on Egyptian mythology considering it's set in a universe where all the craziest theory's are true.
This brings back memories of your vox illuminati video... One of my favorites. I think one of the reasons pyramids fell out of fashion was grave robbing... (to big of a target) I think I heard it from the history channel it was either that or aliens... Keep it up Phil!
That was what I was told when I went to Luxor. Phanonic power had shifted there in the centuries after the building of pyramids. The Valley of the Kings site was selected because at the back of the canyon is a tall hill that in the right light and maybe with a bit of makeup looks like a pyramid (it kind of just looked like a giant boob to me). It was also fairly relatively more remote yet still accessible, unlike the pyramids which lie on a flat plain, the Valley can only be accessed via a pass that doesn't face the Nile River. They also went underground and hid the entrances of the individual tombs. However, it was almost impossible to hide the construction of the tombs so, of course, they all get robbed anyway except for Tutankhamen's.
@@franzfanz good info thanks for the response
Definitely Aliens 👽.
Pssst. Do another why is the pentagon a pentagon video, but for another shape
Your conspiracy persona somehow reminded me of those small wire pyramids you had in the mid nineties (when ‘new-age’ was all the rage). You were supposed to place them over your fruit bowl and ‘through the power of pyramids’ they would supposedly keep your fruit fresh for longer. Because, you know, that’s something pyramids totally do.😅
Really tempted to do a whole pyramid power video…
lol love the montage at the beginning lol.
Hold up, is that a stack the layers joke at 3:52? Phil, did you dabble around in FL Studio?
Haha I lack that talent, though I do live in a digital world with a lot of layers (Photoshop, After Effects, etc).
This video reminded me of something. Bear in kind, the following complaint makes me feel old, but here goes:
I watch a lot of history-centered UA-cam channels. There are some great creators out there. This is one of them. When watching those videos, I notice a trend of where frequently laudatory comment threads run along the lines of,
“This is better than historical documentaries and shows on TV!”
“Yes, far more intelligent!”
“And well researched!”
“TV history programs are crap made for idiots”.
Which I always found confusing because I grew up without cable television and the only television programs and documentaries I know from television are on PBS. And PBS is free. How does something you pay for and hate take precedence in your mind over something that’s good and free?
Cancel the cable network and force your kids to watch PBS is what I’m saying.
In Sudan, we have an ancient city that has lots of bent pyramids as shown on 6:11
Many foreign archeologists say that Meroe was the capital but we Sudanese know that Meroe the city of gold was never the capital of Kush, the capital was Old Dongola where the pyramids have a more 'Cone' shape
For the record; sane Phil has glasses and wears a polo shirt, crazy Phil has no glasses and wears a hoodie.
That's all good and well, Phil, but you've glossed over the most important bit. Was the pyramid archaeology kit fun, and should I, an adult male, buy one for myself?
I’d love to give you a wittier or more exciting answer but…no. It wasn’t that fun.
It's like new vsauce
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber is a great pick for you based on what fascinates you about the pyramids
thanks for rec!
Hey Phil,
Could you please do a video on the architecture of iconic Hindu temples in India?!
I guess Imhotep sounds like a cool architect, but I can't forgive him for trying to kill Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.
What could he possibly have against George of the Jungle? Sad.
Those illustrations of the pharaohs are beautiful
Not sure if this is going to be read but, I will say it anyways because it's interesting I believe.
The pyramids (and graves at the time) were built with the express intent of preserving the person buried within, and things that they may need in the afterlife. This is because ancient Egyptians not only believed in an eternal afterlife, they also believed that it would be not easy to survive in. They thought that whatever they preserved was going to help them later -- in the afterlife.
This is why near the pyramids, the Khufu ship was found (also known as the sun barge). It was meant to carry the king in the after life to be carried across the heavens.
Probably not relevant enough to be mentioned in the video (shape of the pyramid and all), but still interesting nonetheless imo.
Read and agreed!
I don't recall if it was from a reputable source or not, but I read somewhere once that Imhotep was a very common Egyptian name, something like John is today.
Or maybe I just kept seeing the name pop up for clearly unrelated figures lmao
That’s interesting. I was pretty surprised to find out The Mummy Imhotep is supposed to be the actual Imhotep who built Djoser’s pyramid.
Imhotep became a VERY popular person/Demigod after his death, it's not that surprising that people would name their child after him.
What other shape buildings will Phil investigate?
so many dodecahedrons, so little time
Because it's a cool shape.
somewhat true
Great video as always, you should make a video about the shape triangle, the strongest shape and I think the most interesting in our history with it being associated with a lot of social, economy and geographical phenomenon from the pyramids to the Illuminati and the Bermuda triangle. I'm writing a story, in it I wanted to make a royal family that had a triangle as their unofficial symbol since the old times that define their family's true role in their world and that's when I started learning about triangles. I just found tons of very interesting things after that, like how triangle as delta in physics represent change, the Christian equilateral, the combinations of triangles that makes other iconic shapes like hexagram and valknut and more.
Btw those portraits are modern art museum material and we need more Conspiracy Phil! XD
I looked into that Bermuda triangle! Same wavelength there.
I think one of the most fascinating things/misconceptions about the pyramids (specifically the ones at Giza) that a lot of people still don't tend to know is the fact that when they were built they looked even more impressive than they do now. (As with a lot or what remains of the ancient world)
They would've had an white outer layer making the 4 sides smooth and the great pyramid especially had a golden cap covering it's tip. Sadly the only visible remains of the outer layer now can be seen round the top of the great pyramid and on the bent pyramid.
(There's a great recreation of how they would've looked in Assassin's Creed Origins)
No your saying "That is the hook" is the hook cause I just appreciate even a sprinkling of realness
Don't mind me founding my new start-up: Mastabarvana
if you do this, you owe me a free mastaba
I couldnt focus on anything aside from the lack of mustache. My day has been ruined...my life is in shambles. Im declaring bankruptcy now and now I still dont know why the pyramids are pyramids.
maybe i should start a second channel where just the mustache explains things
@@PhilEdwardsInc Hahaha! That would be a logistical and visual challenge. Awesome video by the way as always
Normal linguists : “ah yes Djoser, the D must be silent”
Americans : DOZER!
I enjoy your historical figure portraits. Please do this for all featured figures on the channel.
1:01 Oh boy! I wonder! Definitely not the Egyptian Queen! NAHHHH xD
EDIT: 7:22 OH SHIT!
damn you’re good
Yes, came to find this comment xD
i literally did not notice until now, on video, that they checked that circle. uh, where’s the spoiler alert, museum toy!
Not a bad explanation at all. Never thought of the stacking of mastaba's. But weren't there Babylonian stair pyramids as well?
Yeah I think if I'd been thorough a cross cultural analysis would have been better.
@@PhilEdwardsInc But you did well, explaining all this in a couple of minutes is an achievement.
@@PhilEdwardsInc And ziggurats are apparently more temples than burial places.
Catch me and the boys living out our best lives makin symmetrical shapes in the desert
It feels in my gut like financing a pyramid in those times would be like financing a nuclear power plant. Sure, both structures have unique utility for their time, and obviously a nuke plant is far more valuable. But the cost to construct them, to do upkeep, to make sure that grave robbers or saboteurs don't show up, is a lot of time and energy. Plus, finding a place that is near enough your habitation, suitable and all, is hard enough. It's no wonder they stopped after the first few.
Oh man, the moment I have received the youtube notification I came here
ooooof that ending was deep! loved thé video
If Casey Neistat had a mini documentary channel. Keep up the great work.
I always say, when i die, just wrap me in a quilt, dig a hole, and tip me in. I never really understood why people want to be immortalized or preserved. Let me just go back from where I came, and be forgotten by time. I'm ok with coming back as new life, and eaten by bugs and fungus and bacteria.
Thats why i don't understand why people used to build huge pyramids and mummified bodies. I guess its a belief system that I don't ascribe to.
You have a got art style ain't gonna lie :)
1. Why is the Pentagon a Pentagon?
2. Why are the pyramids pyramids?
Next one: why is the globe a globe?
I really thought you were gonna put in a few beats about what culture changed to,. We thought this wass gonna last but it changed. it just seemed so permanent. end of video
I just think the absolutely massive size and the precision of alignment leaves questions. I mean the sarcophagus at the bottom chamber couldn't of fit through the tunnels later so it would have needed to be placed first so just the amount of planning everything must of taken is enormous. Not to mention the "entrance" is like 1/4 of the way up one face of the pyramid and immediately slopes downward. It's just very curious that someone must of spend at least 30 years with the planning and construction and material gathering prior to dying wouldn't at least want an entrance that has a level floor or some sort of salon room to be recieved into. Expecially since the entrance would be covered up in the end anyway.To me it just feels a bit off and awkward.
You CAN say shape more, but a pyramid is a FORM.
I personally think it was just the easiest one to build back then. That's why it was so common, it was the easiest one to build.
However, I have no degree in history or architecture so, it's just an opinion.
Why did so many different civilizations build pyramids? Because it is the easiest way to stack rocks so that they don't fall down for a long time. That's it.
To last the test of time…it’s a large pile of rock’s built to last the test of time. It could have very well been a cone, like you said also, a pile of sand…withering away at the angle of repose.
There is an ironic intent to explain how frustrating the conspiracy theories are in a conversation about Egyptians,
or I'm going too deep in the rabbit hole?
Because they're structurally very sound shapes to build big.
Conspiracy Phil needs his own channel. 10/10 would Sub 😂
Because that (pyramid) the shape described by the word pyramid.
Egyptian Queen was marked on the box all along.
pretty sure that Djozer was in Ghostbusters
Djozer the Djozerian, Lord of the Sebouillia
that step pyramid got stuck in the nile once, that why they did that special ceremony...
That was a Stargate clip right???
Yes, the finest documentary about Ancient Egypt I know.
THOTH is " very strange " synonymous w /"alien ".
Not only were there aliens, but they were French - stinky pits and all, baby!
That was pretty interesting and learned something new, lmao at the conspiracy theory guy
Because if you built them from the pointy end up they'd fall over.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for not being a conspiracy/alien nut.
I would think a pyramid shape was the most practical shape to put
nice really neat; more history maps videos i love them
Omg, step pyramid, what are you doing :o
Every one of your videos continues to be stellar.
Because it's easiest method of stacking rocks.
Dude, you’re so much fun to watch! I don’t care what you make your subject to be about lol
Ok, that's not an accurate drawing of Ray the Sun God. Every guy I've ever met named Ray has long hair on the sides of his head, a bald dome, glasses, a handlebar moustache, and a striped polo shirt, lol.
In all seriousness though, I do really love these type of videos that show how history, just like modern day is idea->trial->error->success.
Dang it you’re right- left out the optional bowling shirt and TransAm too.
PHIL!! what's up with public bathrooms? I get it for the ancient Rome. It's 2022 I don't want to make eye contact with anyone or taste their bowl movement as it's happening. Why are we still doing this? I feel it would solve a lot of "microagressions."
I once tried to do a whole story about the movement to end pay bathrooms in America (which was a success). I couldn’t find enough visuals, but it’s crazy. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_to_End_Pay_Toilets_in_America
How do we tie this in to the Great pyramid of Cholula?
Please consider the inspiration from Mesopotamian ziggurats. Made by bricks and probably inspired the tower of Babylon since they crashed now and then. They probably knew about them and made their own even taller structures in limestone.
That seems possible! My guess is just none of my sources could prove anything like that.
don't forget the big one doesn't have a square bottom
0:52 Stargate ftw! 🙌
Young James Spader, giving Jeff Goldblum a run for his money.
Geez…this took me back to my History of Architecture course subject. Hated that thin-paged thick book of Bannister Fletcher!
haha i like the “thin paged thick book” as epithet. gonna steal that one
Saw the Steve Martin King Tut skit was trending yesterday. Then started watching Moon Knight. Then watched this video. It’s all connected….
KING TUT WAs NOt a COINCIDENCe
This episode is a real djoser
I dislike Vox content greatly, but love your channel. Keep up the great stuff!
thanks for giving me a chance and watchin’