Mammoth and fascinating, always shrouded in an aura of mystery. The pyramids remain among the most spectacular and iconic constructions in the world, with one question that has puzzled scores of scientists over the years: how were they built? Now, a group of researchers from the University of North Carolina Wilmington believe they have finally found an answer as to how the 31 pyramids found in Egypt were created over 4 thousand years ago.
The mystery of the pyramids
According to experts, it is likely that the pyramids were built along an ancient, long-lost branch of the Nile River that is now hidden beneath desert and farmland. For several years, archaeologists have hypothesized that the ancient Egyptians used a waterway to transport heavy materials, such as the stone blocks needed to build the pyramids. “Until now – explained Professor Eman Ghoneim, one of the authors of the study – we were not sure of the location, shape, size or proximity of this mega watercourse to the actual site of the pyramids”. The research team studied the surface topography of the section of the ancient Ahramat branch, located in front of the Giza pyramids and the Great Sphinx. An effort that involved different types of instruments, from satellite radars to historical maps, geophysical investigations and sediment cores to recover samples for analysis.
The study in Nature
The goal of the study was to map this missing branch of the Nile, which experts believe was buried thousands of years ago following a great drought and sandstorms. The research was published in the scientific journal Nature and shows images never seen before: buried rivers and ancient structures that were previously found near most of the pyramids.
According to Dr. Suzanne Onstine, one of the authors of the study interviewed by BBCthis could finally explain how it was possible for the ancient Egyptians to build such complex and large structures: “The identification of the branch of the river and the data collected show the existence of a watercourse that could be used to transport the heavier blocks, the equipment and the people. All of this could really explain how the pyramids were built.”
The “lost” branch of the Nile
The branch of the river discovered by the researchers, called Ahramat (which in Arabic means street of the pyramids), was about 64 km long and between 200 and 700 meters wide, and ran alongside the 31 pyramids built between 4,700 and 3,700 years ago. This discovery would also explain the reason for the high density of pyramids between Giza and Lisht, in an area that today is totally desert and inhospitable. The proximity of the waterway to the location of the pyramids suggests that it was active during the construction operations: “The Egyptians used the energy of the river – added Dr Onstine -, thus transporting the heavy blocks instead of using humans A quicker and much less tiring way.” The mystery, perhaps, has been solved, but one thing is certain, today as 5 thousand years ago, the Nile remains Egypt's salvation.