Egyptian pyramids were built using an incredibly clever machine, new research suggests
have been a source of awe and mystification for a very long time.
impressive use of water.
A new study suggests that at least one of the impressive structures was constructed using gear that was much more advanced than previously believed.
On 5 August, suggests that the famous 4,500-year-old Step Pyramid of Djoser was built with the assistance of a special hydraulic lift system.
Traditionally, gurus reckoned the Step Pyramid was probably built using a system of ramps and pulley systems.
However, the latest analysis, led by Xavier Landreau from France's CEA Paleotechnic Institute, indicates that the Ancient Egyptians redirected nearby waterways to power weight-bearing pulley systems.
The study suggests that water's flow was enabled into two shafts, which were located inside the pyramid, and these shafts aided in lifting and lowering a floating object to transport large stone blocks.
“The ancient Egyptians were renowned for their leading edge expertise in hydraulics, including waterways for irrigation and large barges for shifting massive stones,” the researchers noted.
“This work marks the beginning of a new area of study: using the power of water to construct the enormous structures commissioned by the ancient Pharaohs.”
The Step Pyramid was built around 2680 BCE as a tomb for Pharaoh Djoser of the Third Dynasty. Despite this, the exact method of its construction remains a mystery.
Landreau and his team reckon a nearby mysterious structure, known as Gisr el-Mudir enclosure, was actually a "check dam" used to grab water and sediment.
They reckon a series of holes dug into the ground just outside the pyramid could've been used as a water treatment plant. This would've let sediment settle out as the water moved through each compartment.
From there, after flowing into the pyramid's shafts themselves, the pressurised water would have brought the building stones towards the upper levels of the structure via an internal shaftway, in a process known as "volcano" construction.
Despite being confident that "the internal design of the Step Pyramid is consistent with an ancient lift system which has never been described before", they acknowledge that further investigations are required.
They're now working out how water would have flowed through the shafts and how much water was around thousands of years ago.
Even so, they reckon that other structures, such as ramps, would've probably been used to help construct the pyramid, but a hydraulic lift system might've been used to give the builders a hand when there was enough water.
They stress that their research, undertaken in association with "several national laboratories", has resulted in "the discovery of a dam, a water treatment plant, and a hydraulic lift, which would have facilitated the construction of the Step Pyramid of Saqqara".
They reckon, "This work opens up a fresh area of investigation for the academic community: building Egypt's pyramids using hydraulic power."
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