Pyramid Builders: New Clues
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Pyramid excavation documentary is informative but dry.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Pyramid Builders: New Clues
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
PYRAMID BUILDERS: NEW CLUES follows two archeologist teams at two different sites making new discoveries that may help solve how the Great Pyramid of Giza, a.k.a. the Khufu Pyramid, was constructed. French Egyptologist Pierre Tallet spends two months out of the year excavating for clues about the Great Pyramid, which was built during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu. While one team is based at an alabaster quarry uncovered in the desert, another works on the Red Sea coast, where a port dating back to Khufu's reign was discovered. The clues they find help them understand more about where Khufu possibly lived, the ancient construction methods used to build the structure, and the stonemasonry techniques employed to cut stones into blocks and carve hieroglyphs. The teams also attempt to recreate these ancient modes of production in order to have a better understanding of how it was done.
Is It Any Good?
This informative French documentary, which is voiced over in English, shows how individual archeological artifacts create a larger narrative about how the Great Pyramid was constructed. Pyramid Builders: New Clues demonstrates how found cartouches and papyrus scrolls documenting the work being done for Pharaoh Khufu is helping them hypothesize about the importance of each of these sites to the pyramid building process. It also shows the possible ways that large stones, and minerals like copper, were moved from, and transported to, key locations with the help of donkeys, ramps, sleds, and ships sailing on the Nile.
New facts about Khufu, including how long he was in power, and where his palace was located, are also discussed. But occasionally the commentary, including a reference that classifies biblical stories about the use of enslaved people as "clichéd," may raise some eyebrows. If you can move past this, this history documentary offers Egyptology fans lots of interesting information.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they learned from Pyramid Builders: New Clues. What did you find most interesting or surprising? Has it inspired you to learn more? Why is it important to take an interest in the past?
What are some common beliefs about the ancient Egyptians that persist today? How is science being used to challenge them?
What do you think it would have been like living in ancient Egypt?
How did this documentary compare to other history documentaries you might have seen? What did you like and/or dislike?
TV Details
- Premiere date: December 29, 2019
- Cast: Pierre Tallet
- Network: Max
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: History
- Character Strengths: Curiosity , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: September 1, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate