Carbon Dating Egypt's Oldest Pyramids

The idea of dating the pyramids using the C14 radiocarbon test goes always the way back to the invention of this science. Two broad studies of Old Kingdom pyramids using carbon testing have taken place, but they are incomplete.

There is enormous opportunity to date the pyramids more precisely by combining C14 testing and dendrochronology, the science of analyzing tree rings. But Egyptology doesn't show much interest in this science, and it only ever conducted carbon testing on pyramids due to outside pressure.

This video explores the knowns and unknowns of dating Egypt's pyramids, and the controversies and conflicts of interest for putting the physical science into the public messaging.

------------------

Join this channel to get access to livestreams:
   / @historyforgranite  

------------------

Thanks as always to the Isida Project for use of their imagery: https://isida-project.ucoz.com/

Academic papers on carbon dating pyramids:

Felix Hoflmayer, 2016
https://academic.oup.com/edited-volum...

Michael Dee, 2013
https://www.academia.edu/31488085/An_...

Georges Bonani, 2001
https://www.academia.edu/3428321/Radi...

Soundbite References:

Mark Lehner, Highland City Club, 2015
   • Egyptology: The Giza Plateau, present...  

Mark Lehner, Minot State University, 2019
   • Mark Lehner, Archaeologist  

Zahi Hawass, 2016
   • Zahi Hawass on Ancient Aliens  

0:00 Intro
2:03 Invention of radiocarbon dating
3:31 Limitations of carbon dating
4:48 Edgar Cayce funds testing
6:34 David Koch funds testing
9:01 Alternative archaeology tourism
10:23 Carbon dating results
13:09 Dendrochronology testing
14:50 Dixon cedar rod in the Great Pyramid
16:16 Public opinion drives science