Episode 143: ANCIENT EGYPT TECHNOLOGY - The Methane Pyramid

All right, everyone. Welcome back to the Land of Chem. I'm your host and the author. My name is Jeffrey Drum. Thank you all so much for joining me again. All right, everyone. Welcome back. Now, after an extensive investigation into the fascinating and bewildering structures of ancient Japan, we will now return to Egypt to reveal the genesis of the first chemical manufacturing structure, the Step Pyramid of Saqqara. This is episode 143, The Methane Pyramid. If this is the type of content you're interested in regarding the ancient technology of a lost civilization utilizing physics and chemistry and the function of the Egyptian pyramids and other perplexing structures from across the world, this is the channel for you. So please subscribe to The Land of Chem here on YouTube. And don't forget to click that little notification bell so that you do not miss the new episodes that premiere twice per week. Please like, comment, share, and stay tuned. If you want to help support this channel and get access to exclusive research and unreleased footage that you will not see anywhere else, check out The Land of Chem members-only channel and thelandofchem.com. If you want to pick up a copy of the book or grab some merch, both linked in the video description below. If you want to follow me on Instagram or on X, my handle is at thelandofchem. Ladies and gentlemen, as always, thank you all so much for the support. I think that is it for today's intro. So without further ado, let's get right to it. All right, everyone, here we go with tonight's episode. Now to begin a quick refresher course covering the mechanisms of operation and the function of the step pyramid, which I have proposed was designed to extract and pump bedrock deposits of methane gas for a variety of applications from simple domestic use to implementation as industrial-scale chemistry synthesis gas. And in episode 125, I explained how the step pyramid, which was originally a single-level platform, was constructed above a bedrock deposit of methane and the complex subterranean and vertical shaft system below the primary extraction chamber that you can see here, was connected into the external reservoir system that introduced water into the network below the structures to increase and decrease the pressure inside the bedrock methane deposit to release and extract that gas in a process that looks like this. And in episode 136, I presented an academic peer-reviewed paper regarding the construction of the step pyramid that corroborated not only these mechanisms of operation, but several other hypotheses that were presented here more than two years ago before this paper was ever published, including my theory regarding the function of the Great Enclosure Gizzard El Mudir that was presented in episode 86, describing how this massive rectangular enclosure to the southwest of the step pyramid complex functioned as a water treatment and purification system. And lo and behold, the recent paper entitled On the Possible Use of Hydraulic Force to Assist with Building the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, and I will quote here, based on our mapping of the nearby watersheds, we show that one of the unexplained massive Saqqara structures, the Gizzard El Mudir enclosure, has the features of a check dam with the intent to trap sediment and water. The topography beyond the dam suggests a possible ephemeral lake west of the Djoser complex and water flow inside the quote unquote dry moat surrounding it. In the southern section of the moat, we show that the monumental linear rock cut structure consisting of successive deep compartments combines the technical requirements of a water treatment facility, a settling basin, a retention basin, and a purification system. Together, the Gizzard El Mudir and the dry moat's inner south section work as a unified hydraulic system that improves water quality and regulates flow for practical purposes and human needs. And they describe very similar mechanisms of operation as I proposed in episode 86 more than two years earlier regarding the function of Gizzard El Mudir. They also corroborated my hypothesis regarding the function of the so-called quote unquote dry moat functioning as a reservoir, as you can see here, identically to what I have depicted in episode 125. And this reservoir operated as the water source that fed water into the subterranean shaft network below the pyramid, as you can see here with these two shafts that connect into the reservoir enclosure as I explained in episode 125. So, in their misguided attempt to explain the construction of the step pyramid, they inadvertently provided peer-reviewed academic verification of the precise mechanisms of operation that I proposed for Gizzard El Mudir, the external reservoir, and the function of the step pyramid. And if you want a more detailed explanation of everything I just presented, I will put links to episode 86, 125, and 136 in the video description below. It is a fantastic series of episodes to get caught up on the function of the step pyramid. So now, let's add something new to the mix, and I will explain how this methane deposit was discovered and how knowledge of the applications of this gas developed into the step pyramid extraction and pumping pyramid technology. First, a quick announcement. The Land of Chem 2025 Ancient Alchemy and Ascension Tour is on, and bookings are now available with almost a year to plan ahead. This is my most extensive and immersive tour thus far, covering the entire country of Egypt and all of the ancient sites, including Saqqara and the Serapion, the Pyramids of Dahshur, the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum, private special permission access to Abu Sir, the Pyramids of the Giza Plateau, and a private entry into all three chambers of the Great Pyramid of Giza at night. Then, we fly to Upper Egypt to explore Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, Dendara, the Temple of Seti I, and the Osirion, followed by a Nile Cruise to investigate the Hatshepsut Temple, Kamombo in Aswan, Abu Simbel, and finally, Elephantine Island, possibly one of the final resting places of the Ark of the Covenant. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the best of what Egypt has to offer, so if you are interested in joining, please send me an email with the subject line 2025EgyptTour to contact at thelandofchem.com and I will send you the full tour itinerary and pricing details. Thank you all so much, and I will see you soon in Egypt. Alright, now, here is the bedrock from which the chambers and tunnels of the Step Pyramid were excavated, pictures courtesy of my colleagues at the Yosida Project. And this is the cap of a natural gas methane bedrock deposit. Now, these two things side by side shows a remarkable similarity in the type of geology containing organic material that produces these methane deposits. So, I am proposing that deep below the Step Pyramid is a natural gas deposit, and the bedrock from which the chambers and tunnels were excavated is this surface-capped rock material. And these methane deposits exist extensively in Egypt and prevently around the source of many archaic fire-worshipping religions. And I'll quote a few articles here. The eternal flames of ancient times could spark interest to modern geologists. Summary. Gas and oil seeps have been part of religious and cultural practices for thousands of years. Seeps from which gas and oil escaped were formative to many ancient cultures and societies. They gave rise to legends surrounding the Delphi Oracle, Chimera fires, and quote-unquote eternal flames that were central to ancient religious practices from Indonesia and Iran to Italy and Azerbaijan. Regarding these oracular methane gas seeps, natural gas seeps, where gas flows naturally to the surface, were revered as supernatural or spiritual sites by many ancient civilizations. One of the most famous of these seeps sits atop Mount Parnassus, near the town of Delphi in Greece. Next, the magic and mystery of natural gas. Throughout history, humans have come across these seeps where gas has found an escape through the rock holding it captive. Finding a seep is not the same as understanding how it works. However, and so for many years, natural gas seeps were places of mystery that gave rise to legends. A seep that merely escaped the ground would probably just evaporate and go undetected. If a seep occurred in or along the banks of a stream, it might produce mysterious bubbling and a funny-tasting water. A seep that was struck by lightning might ignite and burn indefinitely as Over the centuries, such eternal fires inspired legends and even veneration. It is thought that naturally produced flames contributed to the rise of several fire-worshipping traditions in the religions of the Near and Middle East. And last but not least, hydrocarbon seeps influenced the social and technological development of many ancient populations. Once again, we have lightning involved in the discovery of these phenomenon and indications that natural occurrences developed into ancient technology. So, surrounding the burning eternal flame methane gas seeps, temples were erected, and this sacred flame became a place and object of worship. And here are a few images showing these perpetually burning natural gas seeps, this one called Eternal Flame Falls in New York. And this is the Chimeras site in Turkey, where this natural gas has flowed up to the surface through a bedrock fissure, where it was struck and ignited by lightning. And I will quote once again here, Between 6000 and 2000 BCE, the first discoveries of natural gas seeps were made in the Middle East. The gas seeps, probably first ignited by lightning, created a fire coming from the earth, burning the natural gas as it seeped out from underground. In 211 BCE, the first known natural gas well was drilled in China to reported depths of 150 meters. The Chinese drilled these wells with bamboo poles and primitive percussion bits for the express purpose of searching for gas in limestone. So, the knowledge of methane gas is incredibly ancient, and my hypothesis is that the first technology surrounding its extraction is far older than the 200 BCE date of these Chinese natural gas wells. So, I am proposing that the same type of druidic alchemists that were discussed in episode 142 also existed in ancient Egypt, and they were intensely focused on studying and learning from the forces of nature. They saw lightning strike the ground on the western bank of the Nile River, and when they went to investigate, discovered the mystifying methane gas flame burning as it seeped out from the subterranean bedrock deposit. And at the site, they constructed the beginning of the first sacred flame methane temple in Egypt, with a simple altar and enclosure surrounding these lightning-ignited natural gas seeps, which brings us to some unexplained features of the Steppe Pyramid complex, specifically these here and this altar that are conventionally referred to as boundary markers, this image coming from Keith Hamilton. So, here are some pictures of the altar adjacent to the Steppe Pyramid, and here is what it looks like today. Most of this is all modern reconstruction, and here are these so-called quote-unquote boundary markers in the middle of the southern complex, which I suggest were originally part of this sacred flame methane temple that was erected at the Saqqara site, with these pits surrounding the areas where these lightning-ignited methane gas seeps were burning. And remember that these types of natural gas flames were first discovered around 6,000 BCE conventionally dated, with the first evidence of petroleum product usage dating back to 40,000 BCE with artifacts discovered in Syria using natural bitumen. So, they have had thousands of years to learn about the properties and applications of this gas. And just like the Chinese did around 200 BCE, the ancient Egyptian Druidic alchemists developed technology to extract and pump this magical, sacred fire air out of the bedrock so that its power could be harnessed for the benefit of their civilization. And thus, we have the construction of the Steppe Pyramid, upon the same site where the lightning- ignited sacred flames were first discovered, initially as a simple, single-level platform structure located above the well and pumping shafts that gradually developed into a 40-acre methane extraction, processing, and storage complex that not only supplied natural gas for domestic applications, but also as a synthesis gas for further industrial-scale chemical manufacturing, as explained within the Red Pyramid of Dahshur. So, once again, we have the forces of nature providing inspiration and the knowledge that was developed into the ancient technology around the world and the creation of the first chemical manufacturing pyramid in Egypt, the Steppe Pyramid. And this is an episode you do not want to miss, so if you haven't already, please subscribe to The Land of Chem here on YouTube, click that little notification bell, like, comment, and stay tuned. If you want to help support the channel, check out the Land of Chem members-only channel and thelandofchem.com, both linked in the video description below. If you want to follow me on Instagram or on Twitter, my handle is at thelandofchem. Ladies and gentlemen, as always, thank you all so much for the support. I think that is it for today's episode, so I will see you next time. Yo, are you still watching this? Please subscribe to The Land of Chem here on YouTube, and click that little notification button. New videos coming out every single week. And check out this other episode. Come on, do it. Do it now.