I'm so glad that there are videos of Egyptian archaeology that aren't loaded with teleportation, 10,000 year-old super technology or extraterrestrials recited in dramatic voice. Thanks

For me the most important message in this video: "everyone with a passion for the subject who takes measurements and therefore contributes to the overall knowledge should be called a colleague" Most other channels claim that anyone who does not come to the same conclusion as them is a charlatan or an impostor. This is what really sets this channel apart for me. Thank you for the video and yet again bring something to my attention I never heard before.

I love the old hand-drawn diagrams of the Pyramids and the other sites, they are not only more technically informative, but more impressive in their presentation than anything modern I see.

Speaking an an architect and builder, it’s common for structural engineers to specify strengthening measures on large structures that the architect and builder might not have thought of. Or, they might have experienced movement of the tunnel stones during construction, so they put in the girdle stones to keep everything static.

I was privileged to be able to visit the pyramids in the late 1970’s. These videos show me how much I missed at the time. I am impressed by your fact based assessments of the building of these wondrous monuments. Thank you.

I like how you said any source with accurate data is considered a colleague, regardless of their conclusions. Thanks for your videos.

3:30 I love the emphasis on listening to all perspectives, with extra emphasis on perspectives with evidence

I think that it’s fascinating that either the architect(s) or the builders were aware of the load the corridor would need to support. If one considers the other considerations of construction that were simultaneously anticipated while these measures were implemented, the quality of the engineering 4500 years ago is daunting.

Slowly becoming my favorite ancient Egypt channel

Design build style projects receive real time input from installers as their knowledge is pertinent. Seeing the improvement from the lower girdle stones to the upper ones tells a story of how the stone cutters would have worked closely with the overseers to advise changes to best suit the design. Makes me think the pointer stones are an artefact of that same process, Some clever tradesmen often create their own jigs to help simplify their tasks. Great vids ❤️

I visited that pyramid in 2019 and was able to venture inside. Because of the condition of the tunnel and it's small size and rough walls, I assumed it was dug through the pyramid by robbers and was not part of the original construction. Very interesting to learn the real story. Thank you for making these videos.

I thought I knew a great deal about the world of ancient Egypt, but I am delighted to know that there is so much to learn. These videos you make are delightful. I am so grateful to have found this channel. Thank you for all you do.

This is the most well-read and cited presentation on the Pyramids I've seen in a long time! I'm really happy I found this channel. I feel like the topic is so clouded these days between dogma and conspiracy theories, I've watched so many documentaries and videos on these pyramids and I learned more in your video than in anything I've seen in recent years. Unfortunately, most media on the pyramids never goes into the details and history of exploring the pyramids, re: old diagrams. I also appreciate your neutral stance towards people who are coming from either "camp" as it were, sometimes I feel like everybody is so busy taking digs at each other (no pun intended) they forget why they even got involved. The only reason they seem to be in it is to discredit someone else. I love history, but so often I feel like people get their egos involved and it makes it that much harder to find answers when that answer might undermine someone else's overly high opinion of themselves. This video raised my standards much higher with regards to the quality and depth of the information I'm getting for subjects that interest me.

What’s really amazing is after several thousand years details keep emerging concerning a lot of stones pieced together in varying ways. Just consider that for a moment. Thousands of years ago a lot of people pieced together a lot of stones that still stand today and we are still trying to figure it out.

A very accurate and concise description of the ascending passage and the girdle stones. One can only marvel at the design specifications, the planning logistics and the techniques carried through with each layer of stone being put in their specific place and in their specific order, as the pyramid was built; from the immense basalt foundation stones to the rising shape of the structure, as each layer was laid out put down, a single block at a time..

Always waiting for these, now today is looking up!

I salute your approach sir, being accepting of others opinion even when not ideologically aligned is an example modern society should learn from 👏

Could there be a chamber ABOVE the King's Chamber.......Designed to relieve stress on the cracking buttresses in the Chambers ceiling? Also ....Any historical accounts of chambers in any of the Giza pyramids that we cannot locate today would be another great episode!! Keep up the awesome work.

It blows my mind that structures like the pyramids were created in the first place, given the lack of modern equipment and technology.

We use support structures like this in modern construction, as well as providing additional support they can also be used to change sequence during build. In this instance it would allow them to build from the top as well as the bottom if they wanted.

Your channel is really quite excellent. I love your videos; informative, structured, brilliantly well thought-through, and thoroughly entertaining. Thank you so much for making them; I await each new release most eagerly.

Second Viewing: I must admit, I love getting my daily "fix" of Egyptology from your channel. I review them at arbitrary intervals to become more familiar with the information, and to aid the effect on the longterm memory. It's almost not fair. The Pyramids have been there for millennia, so I feel, it's worth reviewing, as a superficial perusal doesn't rally do it justice. Thank you so much for your research and thought.

My read is this. The grand gallery was obviously built as a ramp- outfitted for the wooden rails and snubbing Timbers to drag the heavy roof slabs up to the kings chamber. The grand gallery originally extended downwards to daylight at the foot of the pyramid, forming the large scale ramp needed to muscle the large granite slabs, upwards. And it was faced on either side with stone high enough to ensure it could handle the loading of the winches to pull the stones up. Picture a large SLOT in the side of the pyramid as it was built. After all the large slabs were brought up, they they had to backfill the chasm that was the grand gallery- down to a size they COULD readily plug. This turned out to be a problematic chore, and they decided to not backfill the rest of the grand gallery, as they built up from the level of the queens chamber. Its one thing to line passages with finely chiseled stone when you are adding them, layer by layer. Its entirely another to try and line passages with finely finished stone when you are sliding slabs into a narrow channel and then to hew them flat from inside. So rather than try and fill the remainder of the grand gallery as they built up, they chose to corbel it gradually narrower… which someone likely pointed out would give them some access to the ‘relieving’ chambers as work progressed beyond. The only way they could have got the massive granite slabs up to the kings chamber and queens chamber is with a structure like the Grand gallery. I believe a lateral excavation into the walls of the ascending passage would find the remnants of the wider grand gallery type construction for the lower portion of the ramp that had to be there to raise those massive granite slabs. The girdle stone are likely placed athwart the original gallery ramp and rabbeted into the walls of that robust construction to support the fill and facing stones they used to create the ascending passage, Inside the lower grand gallery section. This was needed because the floor of the ramp was smooth and inclined, and so needed slabs to act as a brake. They were solid slabs because you needed to transfer the load from the separate passage lining stones across and into the more solid masonry of the former ramp/gallery walls and floor. This also explains their vertical orientation as the stones they are supporting are transferred at an angle similar to the gabled roofing stones on the chambers. E.g. Flat slots cut into the floor of the lower galley, and slots cut into the side walls would accommodate the slabs setting vertically and conveying all loading straight down without leaning on the stones further down. This would have been far more difficult than building passage as you go up, and so they used the softer stone, and had to be happy with getting it just square enough to accommodate the plugs.

I love your comment “affectionately kranks”. I think I might be one of those. Love your channel.

It would be wonderful to see an animated video showing how the stones were put in place (don´t bother about ramps and cargo ships, etc), just seeing the stones flying in the "air" into the right position and taking into account the passages and chambers of course. Yes, a kind of animated Lego movie showing the construction progress on every layer.

If the AC is constructed of weaker material, it should have been easier to "finish" with straight lines and flat surfaces. Maybe it was never intended to be used by anyone and was for construction access only. There is another entrance to the King's Chamber as suggested by others and indicated by a non structural block in the wall to the right of the sarcophagus. Even the Grand Gallery is a construction corridor where the larger blocks were lifted by a counter balanced trolley. It also was not intended to be seen. There is a vast area beyond the known passages that might contain more rooms and corridors. These could be the intended passages.

Amazing demonstration, information, presentation. Love your channel, always informing us with new and intriguing content about Ancient Times. Thank you.

Occam's Razor implemented well, thank you!

*Grabs popcorn.

This is the first time I've heard of "girdle stones" -- very interesting!

As a trained architect I wonder how difficult it is to create an inclined tunnel through a structure that is built of horizontal layers. If I were to design such a thing considering the speed needed and the different skills of the workers I would divide the work into stages: 1. advance with the construction of extra layers in steps around the tunnel path and add perpendicular (vertical) stones (girdles) to maintain the correct alignment and structural stability. 2. as the layers construction advances using less skilled workers it will fill the gaps creating a rough tunnel. 3. use skilled workers to smooth the rough cut stones (and softer for this reason) in order to obtain a perfect rectangular section 4. add granite cladding inside. I'm guessing steps 3 and 4 have not been done

Always a pleasure to see and hear your insights. I agree that the simplest explanation is often correct.

thanks again great work

Another consideration is what other projects were going on at the same time, which may have diverted specific resources and workers in the supply chain. I would love a video about the quarries used at different times. And a video about what constructions were concurrent. Also, parts of a quarry might need digging out first, so some types of blocks of a given type size might have been available before the ideal ones. Floods can cause so much unpredictable damage. Canals may need to have silt removed. Workers in a region might need a year off to do something for political reasons. So much can affect the supply chain you mentioned.

Really enjoy the clear, consice, and rational approach of your narrative. Thanks for your hard work in compiling both this and your other fascinating episodes

A great video as always. But the lower girdle stones don't strike me at all as having been placed haphazardly. Yes, their shapes are irregular, but they're precision-cut and tight-fitting. The odd shapes seem more difficult to make than the simple rectangles of the upper girdles, so they presumably had a reason for doing it. I wonder if the differing angles somehow increases stability, or stresses coming from different directions. Or maybe there's something particular about that area of the Pyramid that we just don't know about yet. I generally find that things that don't seem to make sense are generally the most useful because they call attention to holes in our models. Things don't make sense because they don't fit our model. And seeing where our model is lacking is the prerequisite for constructing a better model. Regarding the deterioration and lower-quality of the limestone in the ascending corridor, I wonder if the corridor originally had some kind of finishing surface on its walls. They wouldn't have needed the harder surface because it would have been covered up anyway. Like, I don't know, maybe they had gold plating or something valuable like that. Robbers would have carried that away, likely damaging the walls in the process. There's no evidence for this of course, and I'm not even suggesting it's likely. Just throwing it out as an alternative possibility. P.S. You should make a video on the relieving chambers above the King's Chamber. I find them fascinating because they don't seem to have any functional purpose, as, as far as I can tell, they don't actually relieve any stress. And the differing shapes of the ceiling blocks is odd as well. This seems a rather elaborate and thought-out structure. It has to be there for some reason.

So much hidden gems still to be uncovered! This topic is huge.

Thanks again! I look forward to seeing these episodes.

This is the video I’ve been waiting for on the ascending passageway. I always find myself thinking about those granite blocks going down it without getting snagged halfway. Actually a thought has struck me as I write this… what if the damage was caused by pyramid builders coaxing the granite blocks down after building it too tight? Unlikely I know. Would love to see a video on a proposed mechanism for the delivery of the blocks into the passageway after the burial. The grand gallery has those big holes for beams across that must have been there to support the granite blocking stones on a continuous slope over where the entrance to the passage to the Queens chamber is. Then with the granite blocking stones occupying the lower part of the Grand gallery the vertical holes in the side held a wooden construction above for the loading of the tomb. Therefore the damage higher in the chamber is where this wooden construction burned down in antiquity. A pyramid theory knocked out in a comment!

Always intriguing...love your videos and your knowledge! : )

Love your allusion to "Occam's Razor", ("The most simple solution, tends to be the right one." Bravo! And thank you, I'd forgotten about the "Girdle Stones". Amazing construction.

Great job as always! It's very interesting!

Fantastic as always- Keep em coming!

They were looney kooks for thinking the exact block arrangement held some mystical meaning but their diagrams are still spot on.

I normally do not watch videos about the pyramids to the end but I really like your presentations. Excellent job narrating and you keep me engaged. Great job and keep it up :-)

I wish this channel (or indeed the internet) had been around properly before I visited Egypt. I blithely trooped through the Great Pyramid with no thought in my head other than snapping an illegal photo with the flash on, instead of using the disposable camera with no flash. I got my shot with believable exclamation of dismay when everyone in my group said my name in disapproval. 😇😝 Other than that, my abiding memory is just how oppressively humid it was inside! I’d expected it to be cool, like the underground houses of Coober Pedy. I was absolutely dripping! Oh, and the corridors were so tiny! Had to crouch walk/shuffle most of the way.

Great description. This is a feature i was unaware about.

Thank you For the view of the Ascending Passage way. NOT is all my 51 years of researching the plateau have i EVER came across this information put so well. Thank you. Again :) Stan

Thank you!! Another brilliant video!!

Interesting and informative vid, well worth watching. Thank you 🙂

Another remarkable video. Well done.

I imagine the Edgar brothers were fun to be around. I love your videos.

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent work on this video

Love your channel just subscribed.

I see fit to make a comment today right here: Thank you for your videos! I'm having such a great time binge-watching your content after "finding" your channel a few days ago. Your love for the details is amazing. Greetz from Germany

Great work !

😀 Very impressive - lovely content - great observations, thanks for another thought provoking video 👍

Another great video, love this channel.

Love this channel!!!

It is always good to hear / see what other people think on all of this ancient stuf.

I’m very grateful for your work and channel. In the middle of all these discussions, it occurs to me than other than the "HISTORY " Channel I’ve never seen any other videos, or discussions. Is their "ANYTHING OF VALUE" that the wonderful Egyptian government has videotaped? I am no fan of their modern Egyptology, but I have not seen everything. Thank You.

There is so much more to learn about the Great Pyramid than I ever imagined! Thanks!!!

Outstanding work. Fascinating, entertaining ,educational.

Great content and presentation. 😊

It looks like water or a liquid was passing through the passage way because the stone looks so warn away. Thanks man very interesting 👍

Another excellent video! I want more :)

Great channel, thank you.

I like the idea of the Nile not flooding enough to move the higher quality limestone. If not that maybe they need a section of softer limestone in order to move heavy objects up the shaft. I bet if you poored a little water on that softer limestone it would get slick and youd have less friction trying to haul idk a golden sarcophagus up a ramp.

Thank you for another great presentation.

Great channel!

Great work, keep it up.

Very interesting. Thanks!

Love your content!!

Amazing channel. So glad I found your content.

Yours are the best videos on you tube about the pyramids. seeing the insides is amazing. thank you so much for what you are doing - you are so factual and objective. wonderful videos.

This Chanel is fantastic

Great content I'm enjoying your videos very much 👍

If you watching this video please describe this one the best Chanel in KZfaq🥇👍 another great video thank you so much sir.

Thank you. Great video

The first section of girdles looks like "patch work" to me. During construction something occurred that showed a weakness in the original design, one without any girdles. The architect's remedy was the installation of girdles, but the only materials available on site was the inferior limestone. Rather than shutting down the worksite while stronger girdles were made, the lower girdles were built on the fly out in the field using materials at hand. For the higher later work, the lead time needed to fabricate the girdles off site, using the stronger limestone, was available. Those pieces arrived at the job site ready to be dropped into place.

Nice, clear and informative exploration, thank you. ...And well done in managing to walk that fine line and keep thing open in an authentic and respectful way, no mean feat.

Another good video! I agree, it looks like something major happened which changed how they were building that passage.

Enjoyed this a lot !! With many degrees being earnt in egyptology these days from universities around the world i wonder if an undergraduate somewhere has had a closer look at the girdle stones ? Seems a good subject for modern instrumentation.

Great stuff. as always.

Very interesting!!! Thanks for sharing. ⛰💜⛰💜⛰💜

You have an awesome chanel im bingewatching it rn

Not only do I watch the videos to the end, I wach them several times. Great work!!

The great pyramid absolutely had a piezoelectric function and served a pragmatic purpose. Whatever the true purpose of that piezoelectric function is still a mystery. However after studying this structure for years now the molecular composition of the stones tell a very clear story in regards to the hypothesized piezoelectric function…

Think I'm hooked on this channel. Excellent work brother

Those spiritual assignations are insane!!

Great video

Great Video.

"...important to acknowledge all perspectives grounded in evidence." I love HFG

Thank god those ancient egyptians build guard rails with led lights, that place would be hell without it.

The corridor looks like a stone machine designed to hold & release three hard, granite plugs into position, including whatever timber locks & rope work that required. The quality & hardness of stone chosen would be determined by the granite plugs.

Thanks for the video. It's certainly an enigma.

BUILT BY GENIUS WITH GREAT SKILLS

Thank you so much for this channel and your hard work! I have been fascinated by Egypt since I was very young. I fell in love with Prof. Joann Fletcher years ago. Now with your channel, I have the best of both worlds. Prof. Joann for archeology, and your channel for the engineering. Thanks again!

Thank you for not using the phrase 'begs the question' -- very much appreciated everytime I hear you say 'this raises the question' etc :)