I particularly love these "lesser known ancient things" videos, not nearly enough of these places get the public recognition they deserve, and there's always some even I haven't heard of which is always exciting!

Finally someone well educated and from the "mainstream" covers these astonishing marvels of our distant past besides of all those "Aliens build it!" nuts! Thank you very much for videos like this and also for showing us authentic pictures instead of fantasy "paintings" and photoshopped stuff!

0:40 - Chapitre 1 - La Hougue Bie 3:20 - Chapter 2 - Sechin bajo 5:55 - Chapter 3 - Chand baori stepwell 8:50 - Chapter 4 - Tunnel of eupalinos 11:40 - Chapter 5 - El mirador

Really enjoying "Side Projects", and appreciate your study of the odd and unusual without going down all the same old roads. Never a dull moment where Simon is concerned!

FYI, El Mirador is in Guatemala, in Central America, not Equador, in South America. It's believed to have been one of the first great Mayan Cities, roughly 1000 BCE.

Honestly, I think you could have done an entire video about the utterly *Mind Blowing* engineering feats accomplished by the Roman Legions. Off the top of my head, the list could have included: * - Caesar's walls around Alesia - Roughly 38 miles of walls were built, one circle encompassing Alesia and faced towards the city , whereas a second wall encompassed the first and faced away from the city. Both were built with the kind of defences necessary to repel attacks coming from inside the city and to repel attacks from relief armies attacking from outside the city. Both walls were built while under pressure from attacks by Vercingetorix's armies inside Alesia, the final, exterior walls being completed only shortly before the relief armies arrived from outside of Alesia to attempt to relieve the Roman siege on the city. * - Caesar's bridge across the Rhine - A quarter mile of bridge across almost a quarter mile of river, built in around ten days. It is believed to be the first bridge to ever have been built crossing the Rhine. After using it to serve his purposes, Caesar had the bridge torn down upon leaving Germania. Two years later, Caesar built another such bridge, the second bridge ever to have been built across the Rhine river, completing its construction in a mere few days. * - Legio X Fretensis' ramp to the gates of the fortress at Masada - The Jewish revolts in Judea came to an end on the mountaintop fortress of Masada. The Jewish terrorists believed that they could outlast the Roman siege, since they had many years of supplies, while conversely, Lucius Flavius Silva was under enormous pressure to end the unrest in Judea and thus had limited time to do so before the Emperor would lose confidence in him and have him replaced as Governor of Judea. Silva didn't have years to wait out the siege and thus needed to storm the fort. The fort built at the very top of a very large mountain. The Tenth Legion did this by dismantling a nearby mountain and using the pieces to build a ramp up to the door of the fort atop Masada. The Legion did most of the work, but when approaching nearby the fort, the Romans would come under intense fire from the fort and could not build any closer. So Jewish slaves were brought in to finish the construction, since the Jewish rebels were loath to fire on their own people who were enslaved by the Romans. The Jews believed that they could still repel the assault, until they saw that the Romans had secretly constructed a siege tower, which was to be towed up the ramp to the gates of the fort. The rest of the story is wildly compelling, but has little to do with Roman engineering marvels. Nb: The ramp AND the camp used by Legio X Fretensis is still visible today. The ramp is still the best way to reach the fortress at the top, even 2,100 years after its construction. Those are just the three that stood out in my mind as the most salient examples of *Mind Blowing* engineering feats accomplished by the Roman Legions. Aqueducts and Roman Roads should probably be included. So too should the Colosseum, the Roman Pantheon (NOT the Parthenon, which is- of course- Greek) and Roman fleets...

6:24 took my breath away... that portion of the Chand Baori stepwell looks like an MC Escher painting recreated* in stone *edit: should’ve written “created” as it was built thousands of years before Escher was born

El Mirador is located in Guatemala. That ain't south America nor Equador. Time: 11m 35secs

I see/hear “built along astronomical lines” a lot when it comes to ancient buildings and structures, and it is almost invariably stated that while we don’t know why, it was most likely due to some religious observance. I have another theory though: The ancient peoples spent a lot of time looking at the sky and the movements of planets and stars. So many had a pretty decent idea of where a given point of light would be at a given point of time every single day. If you have that information, you can push a pole into the ground and take your sightings on said point of light and plant another pole some distance away. Then all you have to do is make sure everything lines up between the poles.

This was excellent. I'd love more of these, if possible. Thank you!

The amount of effort and hours put into building that water system is incredible, and is something we take for granted today with pipework and pumps supplying us with fresh clean water... :)

Love your channels man! You work non stop! 🙌

Amazing video! I love everything Simon does. :D

As usual...very educational and entertaining! Thank you for your efforts!

Simon the LEGEND reminding me again how poor my education was

Excellent topic! Indeed, more of these would be awesome!

Great research. Kudos!

Nice!! Already hoped you'd cover this subject :)

Excellent video! I've been lucky enough to visit two of these lesser known wonders. Sechin Bajo in 2003 during my round the world backpacking trip and recently the Tunnel of Eupalinos on Samos. Going from 38°c sunshine into the cool and airy tunnel was quite a relief for an hour or so!.

The amount of KZfaq channels you have is a wonder in and of itself!

I had actually heard of/seen photos of the stepwell, but everything else was new to me. These lesser known wonders vids are fantastic!

Absolutely fascinating. Looks like I've got a bit of catching up to do.

Kailasa Temple is another great example of ancient Engineering. This entire temple carved out of rocky mountain cliff from a single rock. What makes it different is that, they actually started carving the rock from Top of the mountain towards base. And thousands of tonnes extracted rock found nowhere near temple. The carvings and sculptures are so beautiful that they are impossible to be made in today's time. Whole temple looks like it'll be 3D printed or carved by using laser technology.

Wonderful to see the passage grave! Thank you!

Swear you time these videos perfectly, I watch all.your channels when I'm eating and the video always ends right when I'm finished lol

La Hougue Bie is is practically identical (and similarly named) to the Fogous here in Cornwall, they are equally mysterious, but there is compelling ideas of them being giant pottery kilns.

I love stuff like this. It’s mind blowing.

Thanks, I'd never even heard of most of those!

well made video and information, but El Mirador is in central America, Guatemala, not Ecuador.

When Sir Gentleman breaks wind...the aroma must be that of lavender and Burberry. May he continue on, illuminating us all by his words and the brilliantly oiled beard He doth wear so well.

Another ancient and mysterious example of engineering is the Longyou Caves... fascinating story that we may never get an answer to.

Yes please. More of these.

Grand canal in China, incredible in its scale and impact on the Middle Kingdom's development. It is still used to this day!

Nice examples, I do wish Australian ones would be included in videos like this though, such as the Brewarrina Fish Traps or Budj Bim Eel Traps

Korean turtle ships and Zheng He's indian ocean expeditions

Very interesting presentation. Have you thought about a program on Casa Bonito in Chaco Canyon. It is a remarkable structure. There are perfectly straight roads leading to the structure from several directions.

Yes, follow up please! This was great!

These are my favorite types of topics!

El Mirador is not found in Ecuador! El Mirador is in Guatemala.

I like this video format for sure! Why not take a look at Derinkuyu in turkey

06:28 Looks like a Escherian Stairwell.

Newark Castle, amazing English History and very much a figure point in a period in British history! Please do Simon.

The tunnel of Eupalinos was not the first tunnel excavated from both ends. The Siloam tunnel (which is only half as long so maybe less impressive) also was excavated from both ends, at least 150 years before.

6th-Century Greeks: We will build a 2-kilometre-long tunnel to bring water to our thirsty people. 6th-Century Macedonians a few miles upstream: Hey, guys! Let's install our sewage plant right here!

I love this topic

06:43 "according to local legends ghosts build it in one night" that kinda remind me of an Indonesian folk tale about a guy named Raden (a title roughly translated to "noble") Bandung Bondowoso that wanted to propose to a lady named Roro Jonggrang, but she said he must build a thousand temple before he can do that. (edit: some typos on the names)

It's always interested me how universal the burial mound is. Across peoples, time and cultures.

“According to local legends ghost’s built the chand Baori stepwell in just one night… But… Well that seems unlikely” Haha why did that have me creasing so much ! Thanks Simon

Epaulinos is oldest ancient tunnel with two teams starting at both ends and intending to meet in the middle? The Siloam (Hezekiah’s) Tunnel in Jerusalem (at about 530 meters long) is radiocarbon dated to late 8th/early 7th century (some say there is evidence of it being even older) before the Common Era. An inscription inside the tunnel records the story as two teams starting on either end and meeting in the middle and there is additional evidence of that as well inside the tunnel itself.

This channel is so many sorts of wonderful distraction. Thank you for occupying my mind with so many more lights shone on things I've only the time or presence of mind to ponder. How do you feel about cryptids?

Great video sweetie love from Birmingham in the UK xx

I love learning about the ancient world I would love to hear more about ancient engineering special things we know as little as we do now about because you got a lot of people nowadays that are such to do scientist say say things stupid like ancient people couldn't have built like the pyramids or whatever so it had to be space aliens which makes no sense I've always felt those are just people who are so dumb that they think that everyone else is as dumb as they are and is incapable of figuring out greater things cuz I do the same type of people that say all our current modern inventions are really alien inventions because humanity is not that bright which is nothing more than a slap in the face for our entire species

That Stepwell is gorgeous, wow!

I love how you look at historical places that aren't just europe. Talk about a more rounded education than I got in US schools.

Is that a bruise on your head? Hope you're okay, I love your channels!

I live near around Dallas. We made waterworks many times bigger than the Panama Canal, but people didn’t notice because it was after steam shovels. Oh, and we had camel bones in ancient fire pits, which mean people were here before the last ice age.

For tunnelling i was thinking more along the tunnel that connects the sphinx to the great pyramid, but being eygpt wont let anyone visit what is down there i guess we cant have a video about that

That stepwell is simply phenomenal - as are many other stepwells in India. Those structures also provided a chance to escape the worst midday heat.

I think it would be interesting to see what existing conditions, and what engineering, scientific advancements, that helped the Hanseatic League to thrive for three centuries; what brought it about, how it ended, and if it's influence can be seen today.

Episode idea: the many temples of Java, and the underground tunnels of the royal palace in Yogyakarta in Central Java.

Simon, my curiosity is killing me. What is that thing on the wall over your right shoulder?

My parents live next to La Hougue Bie in Jersey. It was awesome to behold as a kid and still today !

Lmao I’m from that little island of jersey and that’s the last thing I expected to see in one of your videos hahaha! Done many dodgey things at la hougue bie in my youth 😂

You forgot about about Göbekli Tepe, The first Human Temple ever builded. Before agriculture even was discovered. Before the piramids, Stongange and everything else. Göbekli Tepe is atleast 12.000 years old.

I was once a marvel of the 1990s, but now this hulking crumbling edifice can only hint at the glory it once was!

There is some kind of trancey elevator music in the background which makes it hard to follow what Simon is saying

>Can say Julio correct >Mispronunces bajo every single time

Totally awesome! We think we are so sophisticated, and we tend to think of ancient cultures as ignorant, but we have no idea of what went on in the past. Huge projects like this and we immediately think of thousands of slaves under whips and chains but, like the Egyptian pyramids, we don’t know half of what we think we do.

Much better teacher then any one i had in school

That step-well is impressive and beautiful.

So just a heads-up, Anasazi isn't the name of a tribe or group. It's a word meaning "the ancient enemy" and is just a slur from other tibes for the Pueblo.

awesome, I live 5 minutes away from Hougue Bie :) nice to see it featured

Simon has joined the list of my powerful bald men. He had all wisdom known to men

In the sechin segment, there's a hand bag very like those on Egyption hydrographs. A connection?

Nothing prepared me for how amazing Rajahstan is. Randomly ended up there as a young bloke in 1990. The whole place is like something from 1001 nights or something...

What about an episode about the engineering of the temple of Abu Simple ,the sun phenomenon and how it was cut and transported

Have you thought of doing something on the Submarine HMS Affray

I genuinely wish school teachers could be as good at teaching as these channels are

Big up JSY!

Sechin Bajo music reminds me of "Pawn Stars" 😆😆

Next time would be nice to cover Borobudur and Prambanan. Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist temple located in central Java island of Indonesia, and the second one is Prambanan, a massive Hindu temple located not far from Borobudur, built at a different era Borobudur and Prambanan is between 1.100 year old and around 900 year old. I don't know if these two massive structure are considered unknown ancient marvels or too famous to be covered here.

yesterday I went to the toilet with a business blaze on and came out to biographics. That was a jump!

A more accurate title would be “5 examples of incredible ancient engineering”

In the movie, "The Far Pavilions," a couple is shown climbing a pattern of stairs. Now I know what it was.

6:43 - So you're telling me there's a chance?

10:13 The mining machines they are talking about are probably people. Like "Big Bad John".

More please

11:35 Petan basin, Guatemala

11:38 El Mirador and the Mirador Basin are both located in Guatemala, Central America - not in Ecuador, Sudamerica! I hope no one dies lost in the Ecuadorian rainforest looking for it after watching this video!

So... ghost are in the construction business now? I know a few aliens who wont like it...

You need to talk about Nan Madol in Micronesia.

Hey you would be amazing if you did a video On the flesh pit national park

Please cover the Cornflakes covered in Cocaine import incident (unless you bought them all - allegedly)

I have NEVER hit thumbs down on this AMAZING GUY

Please expand your horizons and search about Ellora Temples and caves in Maharashtra, India. You will find it very interesting, Specially Kailasa Temple.

The best unknown example of ancient engineering that no one talks about is King Tutankhamun's closet. It is so amazingly roomy and had special shelves for his Nikes. And don't get me started on his personal basketball court! Oh, and big foot built the Parthenon.

El Mirador is in Guatemala, not Ecuador

What about the romans cataract eye surgery tools. Almost as advanced as what we use today

FACTBOI: ghosts…

The inverted pyramid well probably had three sides because the fourth was the access ramp. Last job would be to fill the ramp with some bling.