Granite clues to the pyramids hidden in plain sight.

Summary

This video script delves into the mysteries of Menkaure's pyramid in Giza, the smallest of the three, and its unique granite casing stones. It discusses the under-appreciated historical evidence surrounding the pyramid, the potential insights from analyzing the granite debris, and the discrepancy between historical accounts and modern interpretations. The script ponders the original appearance of the pyramid, the construction techniques, and the significance of its nickname 'the Red Pyramid,' urging for further study and preservation of this ancient marvel.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video is part of a series exploring ancient Egypt, focusing on the pyramids and their secrets.
• 👑 The third pyramid at Giza, Menkaure's pyramid, is smaller but has unique features and is often overlooked.
• 💎 The granite casing stones of Menkaure's pyramid are a significant but under-studied aspect of the pyramid's construction.
• 🔍 The lack of perfect finishing on the granite stones may reveal insights into the building process and design intentions.
• 🚧 The fallen and quarried stones around the pyramid represent a wealth of historical evidence that has been largely ignored.
• 🚫 The speaker suggests that the stones should not be reattached to the pyramid due to the risk of damage but should be analyzed in place.
• 🔑 The original height of the granite casing can be deduced from the pattern of damage, suggesting it reached the 16th course.
• 🗺 The pyramid's construction may have involved a transition from granite to limestone casing, indicating a possible change in building plans.
• 🎨 Historical accounts refer to Menkaure's pyramid as 'the colored pyramid' or 'the red pyramid', possibly due to the entire structure being originally painted red.
• 🏗 The eastern and northern sides of the pyramid had smooth granite stones, likely for aesthetic consistency with adjacent structures.
• 🔍 The debris around the pyramid could contain valuable information about construction techniques and materials used.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the 'History for Granite' channel?

The channel focuses on exploring ancient Egypt, particularly the secrets and unique qualities of the pyramids, with an emphasis on the often-neglected Menkaure's pyramid and its granite casing stones.

Why does the narrator believe Menkaure's pyramid is often overlooked?

The narrator suggests that Menkaure's pyramid, being the third and smallest at Giza, never managed to shine as brightly as its larger neighbors, leading to it being under-studied and archaeologically neglected.

What is the significance of the granite casing stones on Menkaure's pyramid?

The granite casing stones are significant because they hold many unique qualities and beautiful features, and their study can reveal the original height of the granite casing and the construction techniques used in ancient Egypt.

Why were most of the granite casing stones not dressed perfectly smooth?

The script does not provide a definitive answer, but it implies that the lack of perfect dressing on the stones may be due to the incomplete nature of the work, which in turn provides a clearer view of the construction process and design intentions.

What is the narrator's view on the current state of Menkaure's casing stones?

The narrator criticizes the lack of proper inspection, documentation, and preservation of the fallen or quarried casing stones, which are strewn beside the pyramid, describing it as a literal mountain of priceless historical evidence.

What does the narrator propose as an alternative to reseating the casing stones on the pyramid?

The narrator suggests that the stones should be individually cleared and seated near their found locations for visual and scientific analysis, without causing further damage, rather than reseating them on the pyramid.

What pattern of damage is observed on Menkaure's pyramid?

The pattern observed is that the damage to the backing stones is very dramatic at the 16th course, but the blocks above this course are in much better shape, indicating a difference in how plunderers quarried the materials.

Why does the narrator believe the granite casing ended at the 16th course?

The narrator points to the dramatic difference in damage at the 16th course, the tallest individual blocks in the 17th course, and historical accounts that suggest the granite casing ended there.

What is the discrepancy between Diodorus Siculus's account and the physical evidence of the granite casing?

Diodorus Siculus stated that the granite casing went up to the 15th course, while the physical evidence and other historical observations suggest it went up to the 16th course.

What architectural subtlety does Menkaure's pyramid share with the Great Pyramid?

Both pyramids have a concave appearance on each of their faces, with the backing stones in the center of each face protruding a shorter distance outwards, which is more visible above the 16th course on Menkaure's pyramid.

Why might Menkaure's pyramid have been referred to as 'the colored pyramid' or 'the red pyramid'?

The narrator speculates that Menkaure's pyramid might have been entirely red after construction, with the limestone portion on top painted red, and that the switch to limestone casing might have been a last-minute change.

What is the significance of the smoothly dressed granite sections on Menkaure's pyramid?

The smoothly dressed granite sections are significant because they were likely done to maintain a consistent aesthetic for the interior walls of the adjacent mortuary temple and possibly a small chapel, and not necessarily for external appearance.

Why is the study of the granite debris around Menkaure's pyramid considered valuable?

The study of the granite debris is valuable because it can provide insights into the quarrying source, construction timelines, and even the possibility of finding key granite stones like the portcullis blocks that are crucial to understanding the design of subsequent Old Kingdom pyramids.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Menkaure's Pyramid: The Neglected Architectural Gem

This paragraph introduces the video series 'History for Granite,' focusing on the exploration of ancient Egypt, particularly Menkaure's pyramid at Giza. The narrator emphasizes the importance of subscribing to support content creation. Menkaure's pyramid, the smallest of the three, is likened to a 'diamond in the rough,' possessing unique qualities despite its overshadowed presence. The granite casing stones, which are not perfectly smooth, raise questions about their construction and the archaeological neglect they've suffered. The narrator criticizes the lack of attention to these historical artifacts and suggests a non-destructive approach to studying them, revealing the original height of the granite casing through analysis of the pyramid's northern face.

05:01

🔍 The Mystery of Menkaure's Granite Casing

The second paragraph delves into the mystery surrounding the granite casing of Menkaure's pyramid. It discusses the observation by Flinders Petrie in 1881 about the unusually thick 17th course, suggesting a change in construction material from granite to limestone. The historical account by Diodorus Siculus is highlighted, which contradicts the findings of modern scholars like Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass. The paragraph also explores the architectural anomaly shared with the Great Pyramid and the implications it has on the construction techniques of the time. The narrator ponders the possibility of a last-minute change in the casing material and the significance of the casing anomalies for understanding the original construction process.

10:02

🎨 The 'Red Pyramid': A Misnomer Unveiled

This paragraph investigates the nickname 'Red Pyramid' for Menkaure's pyramid, questioning why it was never referred to as 'two-tone' despite the granite covering only the bottom fourth. Gilles Dormion's 1993 research on limestone casing fragments with red paint is mentioned, speculating if the entire pyramid was originally red. The narrator hypothesizes that the switch to limestone might have been a last-minute decision to expedite construction. The paragraph also explores the possibility of the nickname being mistakenly transposed to Snefru's pyramid at Dahshur after the red casing was lost. The focus then shifts to the aesthetic considerations for the granite stones and the philosophical question of what constitutes 'finished work' in construction.

15:02

🗝️ Unearthing Clues from Menkaure's Granit Debris

The final paragraph discusses the potential information buried within the granite debris surrounding Menkaure's pyramid. The narrator is intrigued by the lack of concern for color matching in the granite stones and the implications for reconstructing the casing stones or analyzing the quarrying source. The paragraph mentions the 1967 discovery of perfectly smooth granite casing blocks and the potential insights they could provide. It also raises the question of the missing key granite stones from Menkaure's pyramid, including the portcullis blocks, which could be crucial for understanding the design of subsequent Old Kingdom pyramids. The narrator concludes by emphasizing the fragility of our understanding of the Old Kingdom civilization and the potential of even a single block to rewrite history.

Keywords

💡Menkaure

Menkaure was a Pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the builder of the third pyramid at Giza. In the context of the video, Menkaure's pyramid is the focus, with its unique qualities and features being discussed. The script refers to it as 'the smallest king's pyramid at Giza,' indicating its significance in the historical narrative of ancient Egyptian architecture.

💡Granite Casing Stones

Granite casing stones are the outermost layer of the pyramids, made from granite, which was used for aesthetic and protective purposes. The script highlights these stones as a 'feature worthy of attention,' discussing their state of preservation and the questions surrounding their unfinished appearance, which is central to the video's exploration of pyramid construction techniques.

💡Archaeology

Archaeology is the study of human history through the excavation and analysis of artifacts and structures. The video script mentions an 'old saying in Archaeology' that incomplete objects are valuable for study, as they reveal the process of creation. This concept is integral to the video's examination of Menkaure's pyramid and the granite casing stones.

💡Plunderers

Plunderers refer to individuals who have historically removed materials from monuments for various reasons, often causing damage. The script discusses how plunderers may have quarried the Tura limestone and granite casing stones differently, leading to the visible damage patterns on Menkaure's pyramid, which are key to understanding the pyramid's history.

💡Tura Limestone

Tura limestone is a type of soft stone that was used in the construction of the pyramids above the granite casing. The video script mentions that the limestone was 'much softer and prone to accidental fracturing,' which influenced how it was quarried by plunderers compared to the granite casing stones.

💡Mortuary Temple

A mortuary temple is a structure associated with ancient Egyptian tombs, often used for rituals and ceremonies in honor of the deceased. The script refers to the eastern side of Menkaure's pyramid, where the mortuary temple would have stood, and how the granite stones on this side were dressed more smoothly, indicating the importance of aesthetics in these religious structures.

💡Casing Stone Anomalies

Casing stone anomalies refer to irregularities or variations in the construction of the outer layers of the pyramids. The video discusses these anomalies as potential indicators of the original construction techniques and the evolution of pyramid design, particularly the transition from granite to limestone casing.

💡Portcullis Blocks

Portcullis blocks are large stone slabs that were used in ancient Egyptian tombs to seal entrances. The script mentions the search for Menkaure's missing granite portcullis blocks, which, if found, could provide crucial insights into the security mechanisms of Old Kingdom pyramids.

💡Diodorus Siculus

Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who provided accounts of ancient Egypt. The script cites Diodorus' count of Menkaure's pyramid, stating that the granite casing went up to the 15th course, which is a point of historical reference in the discussion about the original height of the granite casing.

💡Red Pyramid

The term 'Red Pyramid' is traditionally used to refer to a pyramid at Dahshur, but the script suggests that Menkaure's pyramid may have originally been entirely red, with the limestone portion painted. This nickname's origin and its transposition to Snefru's pyramid is a subject of speculation in the video, highlighting the complexities of historical interpretation.

💡Keystone

A keystone is the central stone at the apex of an arch. While not explicitly mentioned in the script, the concept is implied in the discussion of the apex of Menkaure's pyramid and the original height of the granite casing. The script challenges viewers to identify the level at which the granite casing ended, which would have been marked by a keystone or similar feature.

Highlights

Introduction to the significance of Menkaure's pyramid, focusing on its unique qualities and historical neglect.

The granite casing stones of Menkaure's pyramid are under-studied and archaeologically neglected.

Menkaure's pyramid's granite casing stones are mostly rough and unfinished, providing insight into ancient construction processes.

The hypothesis that Menkaure's pyramid was entirely red due to the possibility of Old Kingdom red paint on the limestone casing stones.

Comparison between Menkaure’s pyramid and the Great Pyramid regarding the concave structure of their faces.

The significance of the 16th course of masonry where the granite casing ends and the Tura limestone begins.

The possibility that the transition from granite to limestone casing stones was a last-minute decision to speed up construction.

Historical accounts refer to Menkaure's pyramid as 'the colored pyramid' or 'the red pyramid,' raising questions about its original appearance.

Concerns about the preservation and potential reconstruction of the fallen granite casing stones.

Speculation that the smoothly dressed granite casing stones on the eastern and northern sides were for aesthetic purposes related to adjacent structures.

Discussion on the potential of lost key granite stones, such as the portcullis blocks, within the debris around Menkaure's pyramid.

The historical importance of understanding Menkaure's portcullis design for subsequent Old Kingdom pyramids.

The theory that the debris around Menkaure's pyramid contains valuable clues that could reshape our understanding of Old Kingdom civilization.

Mention of Flinders Petrie's 1881 observation of the 17th course's thicker blocks, indicating a change in construction methods.

The importance of conducting a thorough analysis of the granite debris around Menkaure’s pyramid to uncover hidden historical evidence.

Transcripts

Welcome to History for Granite.

Join me to explore ancient Egypt.

Together we’ll uncover secrets that only stones from antiquity can reveal.

Please subscribe to the channel to show your support for this line of inquiry.

That drives me to make more of this content for you.

The third and smallest king’s pyramid at Giza, attributed to Menkaure, is a bit like

a diamond in the rough.

Somehow it never managed to shine as brightly as its larger neighbors, but it still holds

many unique qualities and beautiful features.

After than the enormous breach on the northern face, analyzed in an earlier video of mine,

the magnificent granite casing stones are the next obvious feature worthy of attention.

There are many questions surrounding these granite casing stones, not the least of which

is why the vast majority of them were never dressed perfectly smooth.

There’s an old saying in Archaeology that the most valuable objects for study are those

that remain incomplete, because the process of creation is laid bare and design intentions

can be more clearly understood.

In spite of this opportunity, Menkaure’s casing stones remain a woefully under-studied

and archaeologically neglected feature of his monument.

As you can see, piles of fallen or quarried casing stones are strewn beside the pyramid

on all sides.

It’s a literal mountain of priceless historical evidence that nobody has bothered to properly

inspect, document, and preserve.

It’s as if one of humanity’s oldest civilizations left out a jigsaw puzzle that nobody has ever

taken the time to put back together.

How the people in charge of these sites can resist or ignore such opportunities is beyond

my comprehension.

With that said, I don’t think the casing stones should be reseated on the pyramid itself

– that would be a destructive process prone to unfixable mistakes.

Rather, I’d like to see them all individually cleared and seated near their found locations,

so that visual and scientific analysis can take place without causing further damage.

Also, dislodged casing stones that are precariously attached to the pyramid’s edge would need

to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine the best course of action.

These stones look as if they might fall off the pyramid any minute, but photographs show

they have remained in place for at least 100 years.

There are many secrets that might be revealed with a thorough analysis of the granite debris,

and I will touch upon some of them in this video.

One mystery I’m confident we can solve without reconstructing the fallen stones is the original

height of the granite casing.

This image of the northern face of Menkaure’s pyramid is detailed enough that a trained

eye can spot the level at which the granite casing ended and the Tura limestone began.

Challenge yourself by pausing the video here and see if you can figure it out.

Just like my video about the apex of the great pyramid, there is a pattern that is revealed

by studying the stonework.

If you’re having trouble seeing it, I’ll give you a clue to help frame your analysis.

Instead of looking at the stonework as it was originally constructed, focus on the damage

to the pyramid and look for a pattern that was left by plunderers.

Okay, now for the reveal.

You may have noticed that here at the 16th course, the visible damage to the backing

stones is very dramatic, but above this course of masonry the blocks are in much better shape.

Let me know in the comments if you spotted the pattern, or what else might have caught

your attention.

The disparity of damage inflicted on the pyramid is certainly due to a difference in how plunderers

would have quarried the Tura limestone above the 16th course compared to the granite casing

below.

The Tura limestone being much softer and prone to accidental fracturing would have required

a more delicate touch when being removed from the pyramid.

However, the hardness of granite, would have incentivized plunderers to chisel into the

limestone behind it as an easier method of prying the block loose.

This could have been done with a faster and more aggressive technique.

Looters may have opted to simply pry the granite off the pyramid entirely, letting the stones

tumble to the desert floor before quarrying them to a desirable size and cut.

The relatively short distance down combined with the hardness of the granite would minimize

accidental breakage of the stones.

In my video about the great breach in the pyramid, I quote Ab dal-Latif who witnessed

this destruction.

He describes when stones were dislodged from the pyramid, they often wouldn’t shatter,

but instead become buried in the sand.

There’s another clue in the pyramid masonry which points to the 16th course being the

final level of granite casing.

It’s that the 17th course of the pyramid contains the tallest individual blocks on

the entire outer structure.

Flinders Petrie made this observation in 1881, stating quote,

“…there is a thicker course next over this, as if some great change took place there,

and a fresh start was made; the 17th course is thicker than any other course of the whole

Pyramid, and is followed by a course thinner than any that underlie it”

End Quote.

Petrie also claimed to find the pieces of granite casing stones still in place at the

16th course on all sides of the Pyramid.

I have visually confirmed granite fragments at the 16th course on the southern and western

sides as shown here.

There is a famous historical count of Menkaure’s pyramid by Greek historian Diodorus Siculus,

from about the year 57 BC.

He explicitly states the granite casing went up to the 15th course of the pyramid.

This seems like an easy number to count accurately, so why the discrepancy between 15 and 16 courses?

The answer lies in the design of the pyramid’s first and bottom course of stonework.

This first layer of masonry has no common baseline, it is instead laid directly on the

sloping plateau of bedrock.

The pyramid is made level by evening the top of this foundational course.

In order to make the courtyard surrounding the pyramid to be level as well, much of it

had to be dug into a trench forming a perimeter around the structure.

Apparently, this courtyard was never completed and instead it was later filled with sand

and limestone debris.

With the courtyard trench filled in, the pyramid appears visually level with the surrounding

topography and so it goes very easily unnoticed.

Even today, there is no portion of the lowest level of the pyramid visible – and only

photos of archaeological excavations reveal visual proof of the obscured bottom course.

Despite the physical and historical evidence for Menkaure’s granite casing being quite

clear, Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass state otherwise in their 2017 book ‘Giza and the Pyramids,

the Definitive History.”

This book states, quote

“…one quarter of the original height, certainly more than 16 courses, was composed

of hard granite,”

End quote.

One quarter of the height of Menkaure’s pyramid is 16 courses, so I have no idea why

Hawass and Lehner state that more than this number was composed of granite.

They provide no evidence nor reason for this conclusion, and so the best explanation I

can give is that it’s just a mistake.

Interestingly, Menkaure’s pyramid mirrors a structural anomaly in the Great Pyramid

that can be seen with its casing stones removed.

The Great Pyramid is visibly concave on each of its faces, with the backing stones in the

center of each face protruding a shorter distance outwards.

Menkaure’s pyramid also possesses this architectural subtlety, although it is much more visible

above the 16th course where the limestone casing would have begun.

Some people find significance in the pyramids appearing to be 8 sided without their casing,

but the significance for me is how casing stone anomalies might reveal how the pyramids

were originally constructed.

One of the most uncertain aspects of 4th dynasty pyramid construction is whether or not the

casing stone layer was included from the beginning or instead added on to a completed stepped

pyramid at a final stage.

Menkaure’s pyramid having a transition between granite and limestone casing gives a unique

perspective in which to judge the building technique.

If the transition from granite to limestone was planned for the 17th course from the beginning

of construction, you would expect the height of the inner masonry to reflect a similar

change where the limestone casing stones become much taller at course 17.

But if the inner layers match the casing stones dramatically worse at course 17, you can consider

that the casing change was a last-minute decision.

The great breach on the northern face with a tunnel dug by Howard Vyse in the 1800s,

gives a unique opportunity to measure the thickness of the inner masonry at all levels

of the pyramid.

Looking at layer 17 where it is most visible in the great breach suggests this fill layer

is much shorter in height than the casing stones were at this course.

But a more comprehensive comparison of inner and outer layers would be required to determine

if this discrepancy in size is significant.

One of the most interesting questions about Menkaure’s pyramid is why historical accounts

always refer to it as ‘the colored pyramid’ or ‘the red pyramid’.

The granite covered only the bottom fourth of the structure, yet it’s never referred

to as the ‘two-tone’ pyramid or similar description that would more accurately reflect

a red and white monument.

In 1993 architect researcher Gilles Dormion documented fragments of limestone casing from

Menkaure’s pyramid.

He found traces of Old Kingdom red paint on the angled, outer-facing sections.

Was Menkaure’s pyramid entirely red after construction, with the limestone portion on

top entirely painted?

If so, it suggests that perhaps the original intent was to use Aswan granite for the entire

casing, and the switch to limestone was a last-minute change to speed up construction.

I can’t help but wonder if the nickname the ‘Red Pyramid’ was a tradition for

Menkaure’s pyramid for Millenia, and after the pyramids were robbed of their casing and

it was no longer red – this nickname was accidentally transposed over to Snefru’s

pyramid at Dahshur.

It’s not as if the modern Red Pyramid is particularly red, the inner limestone blocks

are only slightly more reddish in color than any other pyramid – and it certainly didn’t

have red casing in its original state.

It would have only received this nickname after the white Tura limestone was plundered

in relatively modern times.

The only portions of Menkaure’s granite casing that have been dressed smoothly are

square sections on the northern and eastern sides.

Explaining why these areas received extra attention is fairly simple.

The eastern side is where the mortuary temple would have originally stood, and the northern

side may have had a small chapel connected to the pyramid where the entrance lies.

Many Old Kingdom pyramids have evidence for chapels on their northern faces, including

the Bent Pyramid and most pyramids from the 5th and 6th dynasties.

Dressing these granite stones smooth on Menkaure’s pyramid was about maintaining a consistent

aesthetic for the interior walls of these adjacent structures.

The smoothly dressed casing stones thus could not be seen when looking at the pyramid from

outside.

Leaving the rest of the granite faces rough and irregular may be a somewhat philosophical

question of how one defines ‘finished work’.

All artistic endeavors are never truly finished, a decision is simply made at a point in time

that it looks good enough to stop working.

If Menkaure’s pyramid was entirely red and not designed to reflect the sun like other

pyramids, a smooth and reflective surface may not have been considered important.

Even if Menkaure died before construction was finished on the pyramid, a final dressing

of these stones would have been easy to complete by his cult that maintained the pyramid for

hundreds of years.

Finally, let’s talk about all the priceless information buried in the heaps of granite

debris that surround the pyramid.

I’ve always been fascinated with how the builders weren’t concerned about color matching

granite stones, you often see a few dark grey ones mixed in with the more common reddish

variety.

This is another variable that might prove useful in reconstructing the casing stones

or analyzing the quarrying source and construction timelines.

In 1967, researchers Vito Maragioglio and Celeste Rinaldi claimed to have discovered

fragments of granite casing blocks dressed perfectly smooth on the western side of the

pyramid.

If these pieces can be confirmed, it might bring new insights about pyramid construction

that I can’t yet speculate on.

While the granite casing stones on the pyramid are often described as rough and unfinished,

many of the rounded stones have been worked to some degree.

They weren’t seated on the pyramid with the outer face completely untouched, many

blocks show evidence of dressing that would have occurred after they were laid in place.

This stone near the entrance has two levering bosses still protruding on the bottom, but

as they exist today, they are much too thin and rounded to aid levering effectively.

These bosses would have protruded much more when the stone was being maneuvered and after

the block was seated they were mostly removed.

Such details may not seem significant by themselves.

But they can have profound consequences when studying other blocks like the granite leaf

in the Great Pyramid, which has a very similar looking finish.

There’s also the question of key granite stones from inside Menkaure’s pyramid that

have been lost due to clearing and excavation.

Howard Vyse found two enormous granite plugging stones within Menkaure’s entrance chamber,

and perhaps they are still mostly intact among the surrounding debris.

Also, the granite portcullis blocks for this pyramid have never been located.

But if even a small portion of one was scattered in the heaps of debris, it would probably

be easy to validate.

It’s likely that such stones would have gone unnoticed by previous excavators because

there is so much granite within Menkaure’s pyramid.

They would not have stood out the way Khufu’s granite portcullis was able to.

Menkaure’s portcullis is crucial to understanding the design of every Old Kingdom pyramid that

came after, so finding a piece of it would be an enormous discovery.

There’s just no telling what other valuable clues might be hidden in plain sight, unnoticed

in the sea of granite fragments that are scattered about.

Our understanding of Old Kingdom civilization is still so fragile that a single block, even

a single cut might rewrite history.

It will be my pleasure to demonstrate in future videos exactly how the smallest details can

change our understanding of this amazing history.

Let’s hope the Egyptian authorities learn to appreciate this evidence, and finally give

Menkaure’s granite casing the attention it so very much deserves.

Thanks to everyone who watched this video to the end.

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