Archaeology & History

Have scientists finally figured out how the pyramids were built ?

By T.K. Randall
May 20, 2024

Image: Pyramids of Giza
Credit: KennyOMG / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) For years, the question of how the ancient Egyptians managed to create such enormous structures using nothing but primitive tools has remained one of the most heated debates in all of archaeology.

Many subscribe to the idea that the builders of these ancient wonders must have relied upon a major waterway to transport the huge stone blocks used to construct them, but today, the pyramids are situated in dry desert areas and any water that might have run next to them has long since dried up.

"Nobody was certain of the location, the shape, the size or proximity of this mega waterway to the actual pyramids site," said lead study author Prof Eman Ghoneim.Now, though, thanks to an international team of researchers who used a combination of radar satellite imagery, historical maps, sediment coring and geophysical surveys to study the area, the location of this ancient waterway has finally been found.

This long-lost branch of the Nile, which was likely buried by drought and sandstorms during antiquity, would have run straight past 31 pyramids, including the pyramids at Giza.

The builders of these structures would have been able to use the water to transport stone blocks directly to the construction sites.

"[This river branch was] active and operational during the construction phase of these pyramids," the study authors wrote.

Source: BBC News

Tags: Egypt, Pyramids