Ancient Egypt Dynasty by Dynasty - Fourth Dynasty of Egypt and the Pyramids of Giza

Many thanks to UsefulCharts for sponsoring this video. Get your very own charts covering all periods of history by clicking the link: usefulcharts.com?aff=17
Welcome to the series Ancient Egypt Dynasty by Dynasty. This episode will cover the kings of the famous Fourth Dynasty of Egypt as well as take a look at their most famous monuments, namely the great pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. The kings covered in this episode include Snefru, Khufu, Djedefre, Khafre (Khafra), Menkaure and Shepseskaf.
Contents:
00:00 UsefulCharts Promo
00:52 Intro
03:39 Snefru (Sneferu)
06:40 Khufu
09:34 Djedefre
10:25 Khafre (Khafra)
13:22 Menkaure
15:15 Shepseskaf
16:52 Thank You and Patrons
Related Videos:
Ancient Egypt Dynasty by Dynasty Playlist: • Ancient Egypt Dynasty ...
Ancient Egypt Dynasty by Dynasty - Scorpion, Narmer and the Predynastic Period / Dynasty 0
• Ancient Egypt Dynasty ...
Ancient Egypt Dynasty by Dynasty - First Dynasty of Egypt / Dynasty I
• Ancient Egypt Dynasty ...
Ancient Egypt Dynasty by Dynasty - Second Dynasty of Egypt / Dynasty II
• Ancient Egypt Dynasty ...
Ancient Egypt Dynasty by Dynasty - Third Dynasty and the First Pyramids of Egypt / Dynasty III
• Ancient Egypt Dynasty ...
Sources and Suggested Reading ► bit.ly/3oSYzGq
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Music:
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#egypt #ancienthistory #bronzeage

[@HistorywithCy]

Many thanks to UsefulCharts for sponsoring this video. Get your very own charts covering all periods of history by clicking the link: usefulcharts.com?aff=17

[@ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095]

What was revised? I was just thinking, "I've seen this one!" and then I saw the title. {:-:-:}

[@ThePrinceofParthia]

@@ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095 I DEFINITELY watched this before

[@LuisAldamiz]

I hope that you changed the claim of the pyramids were built by slave labor, what is quite clearly not the case at all (it's an old myth but that's not how the Egyptian state organized labor). Watching the beginning now to see if that's correct.

[@LuisAldamiz]

👍 Oh, yes, you did correct that. Nice! 👍

[@CelticShae]

You never fail to impress me with your studiousness, honesty and willingness to pull a well performing video, losing all those channel views, to ensure the best history, science and anthropology is taught. Highest of fives to you. You are a true legend.

[@ancientsitesgirl]

Never before or after the authority and resources of rulers have been so limitless! The pyramids could only be built during the fourth dynasty. Thanks, I hope you will use some fragments of my videos one day 🤩✌❣

[@HistorywithCy]

Sure, would love to... can always use some live, authentic footage which is hard to come by. You have a great collection of it on your site!

[@ancientsitesgirl]

@@HistorywithCy thanks 🤗❤

[@katmannsson]

a glowing review from Cy is all I need you just got another sub :D

[@ancientsitesgirl]

@@katmannsson Thank you!

[@Bogey1022]

@@katmannsson same

[@General_Rubenski]

You know what, I don't even mind a reupload. Your videos are so well done that I swear I learn something I didn't catch on the first view.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks! Yeah I wanted to revise/clarify the part about slavery and the pyramids. The rest is the same though... thanks for watching and thrilled that you're enjoying this series. Fifth Dynasty will be out in January, stay tuned!

[@nicholasbarber8786]

Dynasty 4 and dynasty 3 were actually just the 2nd dynasty

[@WanaxTV]

No doubt the most extravagant dynasty of Egypt! Great video, keep them coming!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks my friend, definitely more on the way! Looking forward to your videos as well!

[@MediaFaust]

Good job on making these series. Although the internet has quite a lot of material on Egypt, most of it seems riddled with various kinds of poorly founded speculation, veering off into the outright insane at times. One gets enough of that sort of thing fairly rapidly.

[@jjbentley9]

Tell me about it lol

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks, glad that you found this useful! Dynasty V out in January, stay tuned!

[@_SilverLynx]

Cy + Egypt = happiness I watched the first version and I'll watch this one again. After all, it's the dynasty with the big pyramids. I can barely wait for Akhenaten's shenanigans. Or Ramses super long reign. Or bearded Hatshepsut. Bet they'll get exclusive videos since there's so much to talk about them.

[@HistorywithCy]

Haha yes and still some time before I get there... those will probably be the longest episodes for this series. I'll probably also do separate ones on just Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Akhenaten, Ramesses II and the like. Thanks for watching (again), really appreciate it! Stay tuned and safe!

[@_SilverLynx]

@@HistorywithCy thank you for your amazing videos

[@HistorywithCy]

@@_SilverLynx thank you for watching them!

[@mrvn000]

ja ja ja.

[@carlosaugustodinizgarcia3526]

Another great video!Greetings from Brazil. Waiting the video about the dynasties during the first intermediate period. It was a time of famine of chaos,very apocalyptic (the Akkadian empire was destroyed around the same time).

[@HistorywithCy]

Muito obrigado amigo, more on the way, stay tuned for more... valeu!

[@LagunaShirogane]

Dynasties 0 to 4 seem to be connected to each other by blood more than anything. All tense and purposes, All the dynasties at this point could be classified as 1 big dynasty if reorganized under modern classifications. Just the fact that Snefru and Huni are father and son and are part of two different dynasties proves this that these Egyptian dynasties need to be reorganized.

[@JB-gw8ee]

So much great content these days! Thank you again!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks for watching, really appreciate it!

[@gregswindle6875]

Great reason to reupload, thanks for correcting that.

[@HistorywithCy]

My pleasure, thank to all of you in the comments for pointing that out. More on the way, stay tuned and safe!

[@anarchopupgirl]

This is actually a pleasant suprise! The bit about pyramid builders being slaves was the only thing that bothered me in the previous video, actually, and I didn't even comment about it

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks for watching (again), appreciate it and glad you liked the revised version. More on the way, stay tuned and safe!

[@anthonydarwolf215]

I can't wait for the 18th dynasty

[@HistorywithCy]

Me too! Haha it'll mean that I've put out all the videos from DV-DXVII by then. Thanks for watching, appreciate it and more on the way, stay tuned and safe!

[@kentelley4589]

Great videos Sir! I could investigate l/view your videos of ancient history all day! Great work AND entertaining!

[@massimosquecco8956]

Great lecture, very accurate in describing the current knowledge of these fantastic times. Besides, you gave no space for the nagging polemics related to the incredible constructions the IV dynasty left to us, even though many of them are truly on something. In itself, this is a remarkable enterprise! So you deserve a: -Bravo!- from me. Thank you for your efforts in the documentation and the publication of your strictly edited video. You are a natural-born professor, in my opinion at least.

[@tjwarburton]

This was fun! Too short, but fun. Thanks for another video.

[@henkstersmacro-world]

👍👍👍Thanks for this revised episode, watched it and enjoyed it.. again😃

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks my man, really appreciate it! No more edits... time to move on to Dynasty V!

[@coreywilliams4678]

May your dynasty reign for a thousand years

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you, may your life story and deeds resonate throughout the ages!

[@AndreLuis-gw5ox]

Watched again to support the channel!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks my friend, really appreciate it! This channel would be nothing without viewers like you!

[@chrisborjas8168]

Great series, I've really enjoyed it.

[@hank1365]

Pretty cool ad actually, maybe the first time I've seen a in video ad that's not some stupid BS, good vid as always.

[@HistorywithCy]

haha thanks! UsefulCharts is a great so if I can help the channel out, I'm more than happy to. Thank you for helping out this channel by watching, really appreciate it! Dynasty V vid out in January, stay tuned and all the best for the holidays!

[@IosifStalin2]

waiting for this for a long time!!!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks, hope you enjoyed it! Dynasty V out hopefully by the end of this month, stay tuned!

[@volodymyrcuza9994]

Great thanks for the beautiful and very interesting video!

[@HistorywithCy]

My pleasure, thanks for watching!

[@yaruqadishi8326]

Thank you. Hotepi

[@HistorywithCy]

My pleasure, thank you for watching!

[@robbabcock_]

Thanks for another interesting episode! 🌴🇪🇬🥇

[@HistorywithCy]

My pleasure, you're welcome! DV coming in January!

[@mithunkartha]

Happy to have spent my childhood in egypt and seen the gr8 pyramids.

[@SamueleCastiglioni]

another great video

[@Johnoines]

Glad to see your face in the UsefulCharts ad... I like your series. You may become the next Bob Brier...

[@joeshmoe8345]

Great stuf thanks for posting CyGuy

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! More on the way, stay tuned and safe!

[@ahmedjabbar2820]

Hey Sy. Don't know if you remember me. I am happy your channel grew so much. When will you upload the third part of the Assyrian war on the Levant and Egypt

[@HistorywithCy]

Hey man, great to hear from you! Yes, you were one of my first 500 subs if I remember correctly, so thrilled that you're still following the channel! To answer your question, I'm not sure if it'll be a standalone video or whether that subject will be included in a different video. Let's see in 2022...thanks for watching and lots more on the way!

[@ahmedjabbar2820]

@@HistorywithCy I'll be waiting

[@noorhuda9698]

Didn’t you just upload this video the other day? No harm in watching it twice, I still enjoyed it.

[@HistorywithCy]

Yes, but I made an update with regard to slaves and the pyramids. Thanks for watching it again, really appreciate it!

[@donna4843]

Khufu of the horizion. Thanks great stuff.

[@vercingetorixwulf9298]

Top stuff, thanks .....m

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks for watching, appreciate it!

[@mrains100]

Thank you.

[@HistorywithCy]

You're welcome!

[@WestcoastKings]

Peace - Some debatable information

[@thomasrinschler6783]

I have to get that Sumerian King List t-shirt once I have some extra cash...

[@HistorywithCy]

Oh yeah that's one of my favorites, designed actually by one of the channel patrons...it has the whole list in both English and cuneiform. Thanks for watching, appreciate it!

[@lp8studio]

Why the reupload? was something wrong in the first version? Thanks for doing this very nice series!

[@HistorywithCy]

Hi! I wanted to clarify something with regard to slavery and the pyramids in light of more recent info... thanks for watching and glad you like the series!

[@mawkernewek]

4:45 it was the most prestigious and skilled labour, building pyramids was like working for Google in our day

[@jmac888]

It isn't that archaeologists dont know how the great pyramid was constructed; it's that they cannot agree on how they were constructed. I subscribe to the theory of molds and heating of the rock to shape it. The main blocks of the pyramids too were poured. It explains the lack of tool marks. Just my opinion tho.

[@allonzehe9135]

Revised? I'm not sure what was wrong with the first one, but if there was an inaccuracy to fix I'm glad you did. That is consummate professionalism.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks! I just updated the part about slaves and the pyramids. The current consensus is that the laborers were mostly farmers due to findings in recently discovered graves near the pyramids. I think I'll do a video on that early 2022 ... thanks for watching, really appreciate it!

[@allonzehe9135]

@@HistorywithCy What I learned (and correct me if I'm wrong) was that the stone workers, the builders, the block movers, these were all free men, seasonal farmers, and that while there were slaves, the slaves were being used to serve food, clean up, take blunted copper chisels to the forge to be reforged, etc. I learned this over a decade ago so you may have more up to date info, but that's what I learned. I found it interesting that they'd go through several copper chisels in a day and they'd all just be reforged cause it's easy to do that with copper.

[@HistorywithCy]

@@allonzehe9135 yeah I had read about this in an article some time back, but thought it was just one of many hypothesis, not knowing that it is now indeed the consensus view. I think I'll do a video on this subject because I too want to learn more and share with you all what I find out. Thanks again for watching, appreciate it!

[@Depipro]

And, on another note: an alternative explanation of the relative sizes of the Three Great Pyramids I have come across is that they not only mirror the relative position in the sky of the three central stars of Orion, but also accurately reflect the mass differences between said stars. Which in our day and age should be relatively easy to verify, I suspect.

[@ottarvendel]

Remarkable: Avoiding a king (Bikka/Nebka) rulig for a short period between Khaefre and Meingnkaure. He has left a great remain in Zawiyet el Atyan called "the unfinished pyramid".

[@cleverfitz779]

Good evening everyone

[@QalOrt]

Keep up the great work! Can't wait for the next video! I do have a question, is there enough evidence to suggest that Pharaonic Egypt was a benevolent dictatorship?

[@HistorywithCy]

Hi, thanks so much for watching, really appreciate it! I'm not an expert, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that it was a benevolent dictatorship. The king was after all an absolute ruler and we know the punishment for rebellion was severe, meaning any challenge to his authority wasn't tolerated. There is evidence of civil unrest/war and disagreements with the religious establishment even during the early dynasties before the intermediate periods, so it's safe to say that not everyone saw him as a benevolent dictator, but there were many who did believe that he was essentially a god or godlike, and they would have supported the system. That's my take at least. More on this in other episodes, stay tuned and thanks again for stopping by!

[@QalOrt]

@@HistorywithCy that honestly answered my question very well much appreciated

[@SamueleCastiglioni]

top

[@Snefrukhet]

Can you talk about Nebka ll and Thamphthis? They were also attributed to Dyn 4. How are they related to the other kings?

[@aryehlevine8677]

I love your shirt, where can I get one

[@HistorywithCy]

Sure! It's in the channel's merch store, see the merch link on the channel's "About" page. Thanks for watching and more on the way, stay tuned!

[@ayush.kumar.13907]

why the reupload

[@HistorywithCy]

Wanted to clarify something with regard to slavery and the pyramids in light of more recent info... thanks for watching (again).

[@ZubairKhan-vs8fe]

Please can you explain what constitutes a 'dynasty'. Is it a new family? Or a new grouping of 5 Kings or is it something else.

[@wy_doe2320]

From what I understand so far it's not exactly a new family or a new house that rules the kingdom but it's like a new period with each dynasty differing slightly from the next, these dynasties were probably just made up by the chroniclers of ancient Egypt to more easily write down it's history and clearly classify it into different periods

[@munken7673]

Third

[@occultprophecies]

So if Egypt didn't have slavery, were the pyramids done at an hourly rate or by commission?

[@MOEMUGGY]

Every Egyptian dynasty had slaves. To say they weren't made to participate is ridiculous. That said, most non-slave workers probably worked a certain amount every year in lieu of taxes. plus beer, bread, and housing.

[@bls8959]

They were given a comfortable life in exchange for work....

[@ernestkalashnikov2482]

I wonder what happened to Djedefra. Please, specify.

[@dennissavage4007]

Egyptians had chariots with wheels, so why wouldn't they have wheels on building the pyramids?

[@drswag0076]

Byblos can be found in modern Lebanon.

[@HistorywithCy]

Yes it can...what was then considered to be the land of Canaan was part of many modern countries today. Thanks for watching, appreciate it and stay tuned for more!

[@drswag0076]

@@HistorywithCy most of Canaan is split up into the territories of different countries. the most are Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon.

[@drdiabeetus4419]

I noticed that this video did not cover the Pharaoh that built the glass pyramid in Memphis. Was he not part of the fourth dynasty?

[@Artur_M.]

Fourth Dynasty of Egypt: the Enhanced Definitive Edition, Director's Cut. 😉

[@HistorywithCy]

Lol unfortunately I couldn't get all the clips in 4K else it'd also be the UHD/4K edition 🤣. Thanks again for watching, really appreciate it! No more edits on this one... onward to Dynasty V!

[@Enclave2043]

Why seperate dynasty 3 and 4 I’m confused

[@nimmira]

Anything about China soon?

[@HistorywithCy]

In 2022!

[@nimmira]

@@HistorywithCy soooo waiting shall I be!

[@nazlsenay7312]

....😊

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks for watching... there's a lot more in the series, it gets better and better. So far have finished up to Dynasty 20!

[@elliottprats1910]

Why the revision, I watched this yesterday and saw nothing that needed revising 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks! I revised a small part about the pyramids and slaves along with a couple of minor typos in the captions I found. I figure since these vids are going to be up for who knows how long, should make them as accurate as possible. Thanks again for watching, really appreciate it! Now, no more edits and onward to Dynasty V!

[@Depipro]

About the Sphinx: I've once heard it explained that, according to one theory, the Sphinx was originally a giant lion or lioness, and only later a pharaoh (presumably either Khafre or Khufu) had the lion's head changed into his own. This would, for one thing, account for the head's small size relative to the body. Do you hold this theory to be possible at all, or has it since been debunked?

[@justblazenone]

The great pyramid is older than 2500 bc because snefru made repairs to the great pyramid. Would you like the reference?

[@Oddball5.0]

Nah, keep your delusions to yourself, and ask mommy to bring you down another hot pocket

[@igorm4076]

I have hard time believeing abcient egyptians built these monuments, especially the great pyramid. Those cuts, with the block size... let alone all the other details regarding the pyramid, holding withing its own structure information that we only discovered in the recent century... They also dont have any inscriptions with pyramid bulding process... at all... Edit: Also the sphinx seems to be much, mich older than ancient egypt, approximately 12,000 years old. Note the water damage on the top of its head, which only wouldve been plausible under wet climate, which theres proof of, but it was rhousands of years ago

[@truthismycause2800]

That's not true. Egyptians left plenty of evidences of how they built the pyramids, but hey... you're free to believe aliens travelled across the Galaxy defying the laws of time and space to come to Earth only to pile up big boulders. You're free to believe any bs you want, but we're free as well to go "LOL GTFOH gullible nitwit" on you if that's your favorite "theory" about how the pyramids were built. I hope it's not, though.

[@Oneness1618]

Menkaure's pyramid was the only one that had granite casing stones that perfectly interlock until today, which is just ridiculous

[@LagunaShirogane]

6:40 As mentioned in a comment I made in a previous dynasty video, its now coming to light that the Great Pyramids of Giza were not built by Khufu as originally thought. In fact, more discoveries around the Great Pyramids are starting to point out that the Great Pyramids were most likely standing long before Pharaoh Khufu came to the throne...if not, was standing even as far back as possibly to the reins of King Scorpion/Narmer due to finding texts written by either by scribes or the Pharaohs themselves stating this. In fact, its possible that Pharaoh Djoser and those of the 3rd Dynasty took inspiration to build pyramids from the Great Pyramids at Giza and that the Step Pyramid was merely the first successful attempt at this. There are accounts stating that by the time the Ancient Egyptians came to power, the Pyramids and the Sphinx was already there. As you stated, Cy, Herodotus took his sources from different people some hundreds if not thousands of years after the fact. So his information is good but also considered inaccurate as well...as stated in your Persian Empire videos on Cyrus the Great and Darius the Great and Xerxes.

[@wy_doe2320]

Damn so who the hell actually built the pyramids? Was it the one of the petty pre-dyanastic kings of Egypt then?

[@LagunaShirogane]

@@wy_doe2320 Its not known actually. But it was assumed that the Ancient Egyptians, more specifically Pharaoh Khufu, built it.

[@LagunaShirogane]

​@@wy_doe2320 Its not truly know but some findings are finding out, especially archeological sites around the Great Pyramids are stating this possibility that the Ancient Egyptians probably didnt build them. One inscription stated how a Pharaoh of one of early dynasties had to unbury the Sphinx and a major chunk of the Great Pyramids due to the sands having buried them over time after having a dream of being visited by one of the Gods about it. Upon unburying it, the Pharaoh had an inscription made stating how he brought honor to the Gods by unburying the great monument and restoring it. Under how we have been taught, we underestimate our ancient ancestors and how intelligent they were and often mistake them for only working with tools that we're led to believe should have been at their disposal. Its not even truly known how the Great Pyramids were even built. Our modern machinery cant even replicate the Ancient Egyptians' work. Most likely an art or technology lost to the ages.

[@thomasjackson4059]

Is the sphinx really the largest royal portrait? Buddha is technically a royal being born as a prince and I believe their is reclined statues of Buddha which are significantly larger then the sphinx.

[@kevinclayton1656]

Djedefre pyramid was completed enough to be robbed and the Romans used it as a quarry for over two decades so it must if been nearly complete or prob was complete seen as the king was buried there, British archeologists must have exuviated seen as we are the trustees of those relics🤣

[@Tywithay]

The pyramids were not the final resting place for any pharaoh. No mummies have ever been found inside the great pyramids. They weren't built by the Egyptians. The stepped pyramids were the Egyptians attempts to recreate the great pyramids.

[@Jay-nd4it]

Kemet is the name of the land your talking about and Nile valley civilization started up south and came down the Nile. Papyrus of Hunefer: We came from the beginning of the Nile where God Hapi dwell at the foothills of the mountain of the moon:

[@Rocinante2300]

I wish modern billionaires would build vast tombs for themselves, it would be more interesting.

[@HistorywithCy]

Lol maybe Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos will build a pyramid on the moon...that would be awesome! Thanks for watching, really appreciate it! More on the way, stay tuned!

[@joeppg]

Phony stuff

[@liberalsaredegeneratebetasoyl]

Lol I got blocked

[@SamtheIrishexan]

I swear the 4th dynasty didnt build those monuments. They have existed at least 10,000 years longer than credited IMO.

[@freegalsen5556]

Can someone tell me why Egyptians monument have their noses broken? Even in British museum noses are broken whyyy

[@jahuti5065]

It is due to desecration by early Christian iconoclasts. Breaking the nose was a way of "disabling" the statue's ritual function. When Christianity came to Egypt there was a lot of such desecration and the statues you see that have their noses undamaged were often those buried by sand after the end of the dynastic period led to neglect of monuments. You will read a lot of nonsense concerning this issue, the main line of BS being that the damage was done by European archeologists trying to hide the African features of the ancient Egyptians. Go to any museum and you can see numerous statues whose noses are fully intact, so that rather disproves that hypothesis. Don't forget that many statues were not merely defaced by Christians but actually smashed to pieces. They have of course been put back together by archaeologists wherever possible but small areas of damage such as noses cannot be fixed.

[@lordnelson2.069]

Khufu had nothing to do with the great pyramid, already disproven

[@HistorywithCy]

How so? If you have the studies disproving this, please share, I would love to read them. Thanks.

[@lordnelson2.069]

Dr. Joseph P Farrell covers it very well

[@HistorywithCy]

@@lordnelson2.069 Thanks!

[@54032Zepol]

Theres def a fiftt fifty chance of aliens building the pyramids

[@AFRICA4AFRICANS]

Khufu sounds black African name

[@truthismycause2800]

By using the term "black african" at least you admit there are native africans who aren't negroids. Good! That's one step forward to get out of your delusions of grandeur about ancient egyptians being negroes. If ancient Egyptians were negroes, they wouldn't depict themselves differently from their negro foes in the south. You're not very smart and you fell for Diops pseudo-science based on mere speculation and no knowledge whatsoever obtained on ground research. Diop is a quack and all his idiotic theories have been debunked by real egyptologists. Quit your delusions.

[@uog293]

Giza pyramids were inherited

[@shanosantwanos3908]

This is just crap.

[@HistorywithCy]

Care to elaborate?