NOVA Virtual Egyptian Pyramids

Inside the pyramids - Quick Time!

You probably didn't know that the pyramid of Khufu(Great Pyramid) consists of 2,300,000 stone blocks, each an average 2.5 tons(to make the statistic 'live', that's the weight of over 60 million household refrigerators). Aside from such statistical extrapolations, little else is known about the complex at Giza. The ground is fairly firm on why they were built - as monumental sarcophagi - but then again it could have aliens. After this things begin to get really shaky; history books generally point to 3,200 BC as a construction date, but Egyptologists like to argue about this.

As for who(and how many) were involved, this really sets pulses racing. NOVA puts forward some convincing arguments, bringing together hidden ancient graffiti and excavations of the workers' bakery and cemetery(suggesting a workforce of over 20,000 citizens, rather than slaves). All this is good stuff, but the real joy is wandering through the virtual pyramids(for the armchair Indiana Jones experience a Quick Time plug-in is needed - free links are provided). Digital camera wizardry also lets you zoom in, out and round all the pyramids and the sphinx. Lara Croft eat your heart out.

www.pbs.org

Back to reviews