Discovery Channel - Out of Egypt (2009) Part 2 The Shape of the Gods

Secret societies, ritual sacrifice, brutal religious edicts, macabre burials. How are ancient civilizations linked together and what does it say about human instinct? Join Dr Kara Cooney, UCLA Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture, as she visits tombs and temples around the world bringing an exciting new perspective to the most fascinating riddles in history.

Part 2: The Shape of the Gods

The great pyramids at Giza – awe inspiring icons of Ancient Egypt. But these monuments are not unique. Thousands of pyramids have been built all across the globe. Dr. Kara Cooney travels from the very first pyramids in Egypt to the temples of Mexico, and even to round pyramids in Sri Lanka, demonstrating that the history of these buildings hides a long and twisted evolution of architecture and form. Ancient pyramid builders everywhere attempted to master an ideal sacred shape, but what did the pyramid really mean to the ancient people? And why did they work so hard to perfect it?