What have archaeologists learned?

Scientists have found a tributary of the Nile River that had long dried out and been buried in sand, once flowing past more than 30 pyramids. This could potentially solve the mystery of how ancient Egyptians transported huge blocks of stone for construction.

The 64-kilometer tributary of the river, which passes by the Giza pyramid complex, remained hidden beneath desert and farmland for thousands of years. The presence of an ancient river explains why 31 pyramids were built in a conspicuous chain across a now inhospitable strip of desert in the Nile Valley between 4,700 and 3,700 years ago.

The strip near the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis includes the Great Pyramid of Giza, as well as the pyramids of Khafre, Cheops and Mykerinos.

The waterway of the ancient Ahramat Branch is bordered by numerous pyramids dating from the Old Kingdom to the Second Intermediate Period, covering the period between the Third and Thirteenth Dynasties / Photo: Eman Ghoneim

Archaeologists have long believed that ancient Egyptians must have used a nearby waterway to transport the heavy materials used to build the pyramids. However, no one was sure of the location, shape, size, or proximity of this waterway to the location of the pyramids.

The study’s lead author, Eman Ghoneim, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, US, says he and his colleagues used radar satellite images to map the riverbed, which they called Ahramat, meaning “pyramids” in Arabic. Radar gave them “the unique ability to penetrate the sandy surface and create images of hidden objects, including buried rivers and ancient structures.”

Research on the site and cores of sedimentary rocks at the find confirmed the existence of the river in ancient times. Scientists suggest that: At some point It began to melt and become covered with sand, and this probably started around 4200 years ago during a major drought..

Judging by the data, the pyramids of Giza stood on a plateau about a kilometer from the bank of the river. According to Honeim, most pyramids had a “ceremonial route” that ran along the river and ended at valley temples that served as harbours. This shows that the river “played a key role in transporting huge construction materials and workers”necessary for the construction of the pyramids”.

The secret of the pyramids

Exactly how the ancient Egyptians were able to build such large and durable structures remains one of history’s greatest mysteries. These heavy materials, most of which came from the south, would be much easier to float on the river than to be transported by land.

The river may also show why pyramids were built in different places. Because the flow and volume of water changed over time, the kings of the Fourth Dynasty had to make different choices than the kings of the 12th Dynasty.