Modesty wasn’t a concept that most ancient rulers had much of a grasp of. When it came to palaces, tombs, statues, monuments and other symbols of their power, prestige and wealth, bigger pretty much always meant better. Who knows – maybe they were trying to make up for something?
Here we give our top ten run down of ancient history’s tallest, widest, longest, bulkiest and most darn audacious structures. Some of them still stand; others exist – probably exaggerated by at least an inch or two – only in legend.
Highlighted Quote:
The lighthouse deserves special mention for being one of the only super structures on this list that had a practical purpose, beyond inflating a ruler’s status.
Cement is quite literally the foundation on which modern civilization is built. It’s mankind’s most common building material, and has been a key component in most of the world’s construction projects for over a century.
Its origins are certainly ancient, and stretch back at least far as the Romans, and probably older still. The Romans may have learned cement-making from the Greeks.
The ancient Egyptians before them may have even mastered the technique for making geopolymers – an advanced type of super-cement.
Highlighted Quote:
“You would have thought I claimed the pyramids were carved by lasers,” -- Professor Michel Barsoum
Bob “Mr Mummy” Brier is an American Egyptologist and the world’s leading authority on mummies. He’s a familiar face from documentaries on channels such as National Geographic and Discovery Civilizations, and has investigated some of the most famous embalmed corpses in history, including Tutankhamun, Ramesses the Great, the Medici (a powerful ruling dynasty of the Republic of Florence) and Eva Perón. In 1994, he carried out the first mummification in 2,000 years achieved exclusively by use of Egyptian tools and techniques.
Highlighted Quote:
"It wasn’t just, you know: 'let’s mummify!' We asked: 'how do you take the brain out through the nose?' and 'can you take a liver out of a three and half centimetre incision in the abdomen?'"
"My invitation to Dr Hawass to lead a simple survey with non-destructive techniques is still on the table. That survey could be his last and most remarkable discovery while at the head of the SCA." -- Jean-Pierre Houdin
We know lots about the Great Pyramid of Giza – it’s age (about 4,569 years), who it was built for (the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian King Khufu), who designed it (Khufu’s brother, the architect Hemienu) and even who rolled up their sleeves and did the work (tens of thousands of skilled labourers from across the kingdom, as opposed to slaves as was once believed). But ask a room full of experts how it was built, and you can expect a whole lot of head-scratching and beard-stroking, followed by heated argument and possibly some light fisticuffs.
Highlighted Quote:
“A green light from Cairo and the Great Pyramid mystery is over,” -- Jean Pierre Houdin
"Mummy.. are we there yet?!" ... "Mummy.. are we there yet?!" ... "Mummy.. are we there yet?!" ... "Mummy.. are w.." *Cue muffled sounds as a hand covers my mouth*
I'll admit that I've never grown up. Life's far too short to do something silly like that - I'll forever be a big kid who fantasises about climbing up honey waterfalls and jumping off Pterodactyls. Whilst Sean may be off looking at big people movies which show global landmarks being destroyed, I'm perfectly happy flicking through my collection of Disney classics on a quiet night in.
Bob “Mr Mummy” Brier
The question of how the 
We know lots about the 
"Mummy.. are we there yet?!"
