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How They Built: Ancient Egypt

A ten‑minute look at how the ancient Egyptians quarried, moved, and erected their monumental stone buildings, and the questions that still puzzle us.

Chapters

• 0:07 Quarrying the Stone
• 1:52 Transport and Ramps
• 3:37 Tools and Craftsmanship
• 5:22 Labor Organization and Modern Mysteries

On-screen text

• 0:07 Quarrying the Stone
• 0:14 Quarrying the Stone
• 0:31 Merer's log shows limestone shipments to Giza Historical record · Diary of Merer (Papyrus 10008, 4th Dynasty)
• 0:49 Hatnub reliefs show copper tools Historical record · Reliefs at Hatnub quarry (Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty)
• 1:07 Wadi Hammamat notes 1,200 workers Historical record · Wadi Hammamat quarry inscription (Middle Kingdom)
• 1:25 Senenmut notes oxen‑pulled sledges Historical record · Senenmut's quarry inscription at Deir el‑Bahri (18th Dynasty)
• 1:43 Hatshepsut's inscription mentions levers Historical record · Inscription of Hatshepsut at Deir el‑Bahri (19th Dynasty)
• 1:52 Transport and Ramps
• 1:59 Transport and Ramps
• 2:16 Senenmut notes oxen‑pulled sledges Historical record · Senenmut's quarry inscription at Deir el‑Bahri (18th Dynasty)
• 2:34 Strabo on water‑lubricated ramps The Institute's interpretation · Strabo, Geography 17.1.5 (1st century BCE)
• 2:52 Lehner: straight stone ramp at Giza The Institute's interpretation · Mark Lehner, *The Complete Pyramids* (1997)
• 3:10 Herodotus' high labor estimate The Institute's interpretation · Herodotus, Histories 2.145 (5th century BCE)
• 3:28 Great Pyramid's north alignment debated The Institute's interpretation · Zahi Hawass, *The Mystery of the Great Pyramid* (2005)
• 3:37 Tools and Craftsmanship
• 3:44 Tools and Craftsmanship
• 4:01 Copper chisels were resharpened The Institute's interpretation · J. H. Taylor, *Ancient Egyptian Tools* (2000)
• 4:19 Deir el-Medina murals show artisans Historical record · Tomb of the workmen at Deir el‑Medina (Theban Tomb 1, 20th Dynasty)
• 4:37 Papyrus Harris I lists timber imports Historical record · Papyrus Harris I (12th century BCE)
• 4:55 Rotating crews received barley rations The Institute's interpretation · Katherine A. Gleason, *Workforce of the Old Kingdom* (2015)
• 5:13 Palermo Stone records state quarrying Historical record · Palermo Stone (Royal Annals, 5th Dynasty)
• 5:22 Labor Organization and Modern Mysteries
• 5:53 Barley rations recorded on papyri The Institute's interpretation · Katherine A. Gleason, *Workforce of the Old Kingdom* (2015)
• 6:49 Alignment to true north debated The Institute's interpretation · Zahi Hawass, *The Mystery of the Great Pyramid* (2005)
• 7:21 Herodotus' high labor estimate The Institute's interpretation · Herodotus, Histories 2.145 (5th century BCE)
• 7:45 How did they coordinate?

Sources

Historical record: Diary of Merer (Papyrus 10008, 4th Dynasty) · Reliefs at Hatnub quarry (Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty) · Wadi Hammamat quarry inscription (Middle Kingdom) · Senenmut's quarry inscription at Deir el‑Bahri (18th Dynasty) · Inscription of Hatshepsut at Deir el‑Bahri (19th Dynasty) · Tomb of the workmen at Deir el‑Medina (Theban Tomb 1, 20th Dynasty) · Papyrus Harris I (12th century BCE) · Palermo Stone (Royal Annals, 5th Dynasty)

The Institute's interpretation: Strabo, Geography 17.1.5 (1st century BCE) · Mark Lehner, *The Complete Pyramids* (1997) · Herodotus, Histories 2.145 (5th century BCE) · Zahi Hawass, *The Mystery of the Great Pyramid* (2005) · J. H. Taylor, *Ancient Egyptian Tools* (2000) · Katherine A. Gleason, *Workforce of the Old Kingdom* (2015)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 226 s of CPU.