Egyptian pyramids were built using an incredibly clever machine, new research suggests

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have been the subject of intrigue and puzzlement for generations.

impressive use of water.

A new study indicates that at least one of the impressive structures was built with gear a heck of a lot more advanced than what we originally thought.

On 5 August, claims that the iconic 4,500-century-old Step Pyramid of Djoser was built using a one-off hydraulic hoisting system.

In the past, experts reckoned that the Step Pyramid was possibly built using a network of ramps and pulleys.

However, the latest analysis, led by Xavier Landreau from France's CEA Paleotechnic Institute, suggests that the Ancient Egyptians redirected local waterways to power counterbalance lifts.

The research suggests that water was allowed to flow into two openings within the pyramid, which were used to assist in moving a float that was used to lift and lower the massive stone building blocks.

“Egyptians a long time ago were renowned for their innovative and expertise in water management and the construction of canals for watering crops and also their ambitious plans to transport massive stone blocks,” the researchers wrote.

"This work reveals a fresh area of research inquiry: the application of hydraulic power to construct massive monumental structures built by the Pharaohs.”

The Step Pyramid is believed to have been erected around 2680 BCE as a tomb complex for the Third Dynasty pharaoh Djoser. However, the actual process of its construction is yet to be made clear.

Landreau and his colleagues claim a nearby structure, referred to as the Gisr el-Mudir enclosure, was essentially a "panelled dam" for catching water and sediment.

They also reckon that a series of holes dug into the ground just outside the pyramid could've been used as a treatment facility for water. This would've allowed sediment to settle as water flowed through each hole, sequence.

Actually, it's more like this in Australia: From there, after flowing into the pyramid's shafts themselves, the pressurised water would've floated the building stones over towards the upper levels of the structure via an internal shaftway, in a process known as "volcano" construction.

Neverthless, even though the authors are fairly confident that "the internal architecture of the Step Pyramid is consistent with a hydraulic elevation device never reported before", they agree that further investigations are needed.

They're now planning to find out how water might've moved through the shafts, as well as how much water was around in that area for those thousands of years back.

While they reckon that other structures, like ramps, probably played a role in constructing the pyramid, a hydraulic lift system could've been employed to help with the build when there was a good supply of water.

They're adamant that their research, conducted in partnership with "several national laboratories", has uncovered "the discovery of a dam, a water treatment facility, and a hydraulic elevator, which would have enabled the construction of the Step Pyramid of Saqqara."

They conclude: "This work paves the way for the scientific community in using hydraulic power to construct the pyramids of Egypt."

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