One day in 1859, German inventor and electrical engineer Werner von Siemens was standing at the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza during a sandstorm when he heard what he described as “a remarkable hissing noise”.

When one of his Arab guides lifted his hand above his head, a sharp singing sound burst out. Intrigued, Siemens made an impromptu Leyden Jar – a device for storing static electricity – out of a wine bottle he was drinking from. He held it up and it started producing loud, crackling sparks. Thinking Siemens was practicing some form of dark magic, the startled guides tried to force him back down the pyramid. But Siemens, with his newly charged bottle weapon, touched the nose of a guide, sending him flying backwards.

Were the ancient Egyptians able to harness electricity through the Great Pyramids, like Siemens and his bottle? It turns out, they might have been able to do a lot more than that.

In today’s video we’re exploring some wild theories about the Egyptian use sound, electricity, and magnetism!