Archaeology & History
Were Egypt's pyramids built using a hydraulic lift system ?
By
T.K. RandallAugust 1, 2024 ·
50 comments
The Pyramid of Djoser. Image Credit: CC BY 2.0 Vincent Brown
Archaeologists have found evidence to suggest that a primitive hydraulic lift might have been used to move heavy stones.
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.
While several theories have been put forward, one of the lesser known possibilities is that the builders of the pyramids used a form of primitive hydraulic lift to move the stones into place.
In a new study, evidence of such a system has been identified inside the Pyramid of Djoser - a structure that was built 4,700 years ago.
"Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics through canals for irrigation purposes and barges to transport huge stones," the team wrote.
"This work opens a new line of research - the use of hydraulic force to erect the massive structures built by Pharaohs."
Headed up by Xavier Landreau - president of the Paleotechnic archaeological research institute in Paris, France - this new paper puts forward the notion that a large shaft found in the interior of the 200ft-high pyramid was part of a hydraulic lift system that was used to move the stones using water.
"We identified that the step pyramid's internal architecture is consistent with a hydraulic elevation mechanism never reported before," the team wrote.
"Ancient architects likely raised the stones from the pyramid center in a volcano fashion using the sediment-free water."
Gisr el-Mudir - a mysterious structure situated less than a mile away - may have acted as a dam that collected rainfall and funneled it through pipes for use during the construction.
Once inside the pyramid, the force of the water would have pushed up the central shaft a bit like a volcanic eruption, elevating up to 100 tons of stone at a time.
As things stand, however, this theory has yet to be definitively proven.
Source:
Mail Online |
Comments (50)
Tags:
Egypt, Pyramids
Please Login or Register to post a comment.