AllMovie

For centuries, historians have speculated endlessly on the majestic Egyptian pyramids - not on their purposes per se (as it is generally agreed that they constituted gravestones for Pharoahs and other rulers) but on the methods belying their construction. How did the Egyptians - without the benefit of modern technologies - manage to erect these colossal structures? Some have posited theories about ramps and ropes, others notions about raw physical strength. This program offers a new suggestion: the idea that the Egyptians may have drawn on their nautical skills by enlisting the power of the wind to hoist the stones into the sky. This documentary from the History Channel cable network follows a group of researchers and scientists into the desert to test out the nautical theory. The program draws on commentary by scientists, historians, engineers and others to make its case, as well as spectacular on-location footage of the pyramids themselves.