The ancient Egyptians were seriously ahead of their time, and some of their tech still leaves us scratching our heads today! For example, we still can't quite figure out how they built the pyramids with such precision and massive stones without modern machinery. And then there’s the mystery of their medical tools—they had instruments for surgeries that look surprisingly advanced, even by today’s standards. The Egyptians also made batteries out of clay pots that could generate electricity—way before electricity was even a thing! Their use of a type of concrete that’s stronger than some modern versions also has scientists stumped. These mysteries make you wonder just how much they really knew and what other secrets they took with them. Credit: CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Pyramid of Menkaure: by PolarNick239 https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/pyramid-of-menkaure-giza-pyramid-complex-egypt-b03835b1723c4395a50d0a8c54861c6b Egyptian Character: by SkyFightUltra https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/egyptian-character-low-poly-d21202e0670a40db9013c1be67f83d3d Templo de Ramsés II: by Diego Delso, delso.photo, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Templo_de_Ramsés_II,_Abu_Simbel,_Egipto,_2022-04-02,_DD_03.jpg Brien Foerster / YouTube Brien Foerster / YouTube TN_Egyptologist / Reddit Cerinex_RL / Reddit RPBot / Reddit Luka-the-Pooka / Reddit Animation is created by Bright Side. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/ Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me
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00:00If there's a question that still baffles archaeologists to this day, it's this one.
00:05How did the ancient Egyptians build those magnificent pyramids?
00:09As far as we know today, their resources were quite limited, especially in terms of tools
00:14and building materials.
00:16We still don't have a fully satisfying answer, but hey, we've got some pretty amazing theories
00:21worth considering.
00:23The leading contender among these theories involves the clever Egyptians employing a
00:27sneaky strategy.
00:29After this, they constructed a slanted and curving mound made of bricks, earth, and sand,
00:35encircling the pyramid-to-be.
00:38As the pyramid grew taller and taller, they simply increased the height and length of
00:42this wacky structure.
00:43It's like they were playing an ancient game of Jenga.
00:47Now, how did they get those massive stone blocks up there?
00:50Well, according to the legendary ancient Greek historian Herodotus, they used sleds, rollers,
00:56and levers.
00:57It sounds like they turned construction into a super-sized game of tug-of-war.
01:01And guess what?
01:02Herodotus also claimed that the Great Pyramid – you know, the one from Giza, the granddaddy
01:08of them all – took a whopping 20 years to build.
01:11There's more!
01:12Herodotus also dropped a mind-boggling number on us.
01:16100,000 men were supposedly involved in this pyramid extravaganza.
01:21Did they hire the entire Egyptian population?
01:24Well, it might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.
01:28These men were probably mostly farmers, so they probably focused on the pyramids when
01:32there wasn't much work to be done in the fields.
01:35You know, like during the flood season of the Nile River.
01:38Obviously, specialists in the archaeological community had something to add to this theory.
01:43By the late 20th century, they discovered some evidence that suggests the workforce
01:48might've been smaller and more permanent than previously thought.
01:53Instead of a massive army of 100,000 pyramid builders, they proposed that a modest crew
01:58of around 20,000 workers, accompanied by support personnel like bakers, physicians, and even
02:04spiritual leaders, could have gotten the job done.
02:07There was also this theory that claimed that the pyramids were actually built from the
02:11top downward.
02:13It suggested that these colossal structures were nothing more than isolated hills used
02:18as quarries.
02:19The stones were supposedly drawn from these hills, and over time, competing engineers
02:24took charge and transformed them into the iconic pyramids we know today.
02:29Now, before you dismiss this theory as a wild fantasy, some folks thought it wasn't completely
02:35crazy.
02:36After all, there are instances where isolated hills exist, so maybe this theory had a tiny
02:42glimmer of truth.
02:43Whether it involved ramp-building or ingenious work schedules, one thing is clear – those
02:49pyramids have definitely left their mark on history and on our imaginations.
02:54Speaking of ancient Egyptian mysteries, there's this gigantic unfinished obelisk sitting in
03:00ancient Egypt, and scientists are trying to figure out how it was shaped.
03:05Some people suggest that our industrious ancestors used handheld pounders to get the job done.
03:11One expert has a different take on the matter, though.
03:14He argues that if we take a closer look at the pattern left behind by the shaping tool,
03:19we'll notice something peculiar.
03:21The walls of the trenches surrounding the obelisk display a neat and even pattern, which
03:27is pretty unlikely if they were pounded away by mere mortal hands.
03:31According to this expert, those horizontal striations are usually the result of a tool
03:37that takes breaks while removing material, leaving its mark on the surface.
03:42But wait, there's more!
03:43Imagine the tool being rocked back and forth against the trench walls, clearing away the
03:48waste to keep the trench from narrowing.
03:51Well, in that case, the tool might've left some funky horizontal striations where it
03:56was pressed against the sidewall.
03:58This sounds like some fancy technology at play, don't you think?
04:02And guess what – the dynastic Egyptians probably didn't have access to that kind
04:06of know-how.
04:08Another famous Egyptologist from way back also uncovered a bunch of core drills during
04:13his adventures.
04:14Although the actual drill bits are missing, his collection houses these particular core
04:19remnants made of limestone, alabaster, and even granite.
04:23These constructions aren't the only amazing thing the ancient Egyptians left behind, though.
04:28As it turns out, the Egyptians were the genius minds behind the creation of the handheld
04:34mirror.
04:35Yeah, that little mirror you use every day to check yourself out.
04:38But here's the twist.
04:40These mirrors are like pieces of art.
04:42They were decorated with inscriptions and figures.
04:45But that's not all.
04:46The Egyptians had a serious concern with their appearance.
04:50They knew the importance of personal hygiene and looking fabulous.
04:54So in their quest for pearly whites, they invented toothbrushes and toothpaste.
04:59Dental problems were pretty common back then, and their smiles weren't exactly all white.
05:04Dentistry wasn't their strongest suit, you see.
05:07Maybe their minds were distracted by all that pyramid building.
05:11So that doesn't mean those ancient toothpaste recipes weren't amazing.
05:15One delightful concoction included rock salt, mint, dried iris petals, and pepper.
05:21Some brave dentists in the 21st century tried it out, and it worked pretty well.
05:26Ground-up ash was also used in another recipe to create a tooth-cleansing paste.
05:31Mint was missing, so that didn't do much for their breath.
05:34That's when the genius Egyptians came up with the world's first breath mints.
05:39They made tablets from heated spices like cinnamon, and they mixed it with honey.
05:44Now let's shift gears to home décor, Egyptian-style.
05:47They surely took ornamentation to the next level.
05:51While the concept of decorating furniture started in Mesopotamia, the Egyptians cranked
05:56it up a notch.
05:57They went all out with different colors of ink, and even developed various weights of
06:01paper.
06:02Oh, and let's not forget about those cute little area rugs we all have in our homes
06:07today.
06:08Guess who came up with the idea?
06:09Yep, the Egyptians!
06:11They used the versatile papyrus plant to make those cozy rugs.
06:15And speaking of trends, the Egyptians loved their knick-knacks.
06:19They had an assortment of small figurines in the shapes of cats, dogs, and people.
06:25These statues were made from various materials, like simple sun-dried mud to the ultimate
06:30bling of gold.
06:32It all depended on how loaded you were.
06:35The Egyptians were also all about farming, and they knew that clean water was crucial
06:39for their crops and animals.
06:41That's why they came up with some nifty inventions and techniques to make sure their
06:45land was fertile and their plants were happy.
06:49First off, they had the genius idea of using ox-drawn plows.
06:53They had two types of plows – heavy and light.
06:56The heavy plow would strut its stuff, cutting deep furrows in the soil, while the lighter
07:01plow followed behind, fluffing up the earth.
07:04But they didn't stop there.
07:06After plowing, the Egyptians would break up clumps of soil and sow the rows with seeds.
07:11To give those seeds a good ol' squish into the furrows, they'd march their livestock
07:15across the field, effectively closing up the furrows.
07:19But hey, all that hard work would be pointless if their seeds were as dry as the Sahara.
07:24That's where irrigation comes into play.
07:27The Egyptians were so good at it that other cultures, like the Greeks and Romans, couldn't
07:32help but copy their techniques.
07:35Now let's switch gears and talk about the marvelous architecture of Ancient Egypt.
07:39These folks weren't just skilled farmers.
07:42They were also architectural maestros.
07:44They built these fancy canals to carry water to farms and villages.
07:48And boy, did they know how to make those canals look pretty.
07:52Just imagine strolling along a canal lined with ornate structures.
07:56The pharaoh Ramesses the Great was quite the overachiever when it came to construction.
08:01One of his mind-blowing creations was the construction located at Abu Simbel.
08:06This building was designed so that twice a year, the sun would shine directly into it
08:11and illuminate the statues of Ramesses.
08:14And let's not forget about the corbelled arch.
08:18Without this architectural gem, we'd be missing out on some mind-boggling structures
08:22like the Great Pyramid.
08:24The Egyptians knew how to make things stand tall and proud, thanks to their engineering
08:28and construction wizardry.
08:30They built grand halls and inner sanctums that make your jaw drop.
08:34And some of these temples doubled as astronomical observatories.
08:38That's it for today!
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08:46friends.
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