History Channel Presents: Ancient Egypt: The Iconic Structures

Iconic structures are apparent: the Empire State Building, St. Louis Arch, Space Needle, and Statue of Liberty. But their roots go back over 5,000 years to ancient Egypt. Entry to a glorious afterlife and worship of the gods led Egyptians to build some of the world's most impressive structures. We travel to Egypt to see how such monumental masterpieces as the Great Pyramid, Library at Alexander, Temple of Karnak, Sphinx, and the obelisks were built using only primitive tools and brute labor. Host Michael Guillen demonstrates how ancient Egyptians might have leveled 13 acres of ground to within two inches before building the pyramids. He offers an explanation as to how a 100-foot long obelisk made of a single slab of granite was raised. And he commissions an engineering study to determine what the Great Pyramid would cost to build today.