The pyramid tombs of Egypt’s ancient rulers are amongst the most magnificent man-made structures to have survived through antiquity, into the modern-era. They have succeeded in capturing the curiosity of countless historians, archaeologists, and conspiracy theorists, who have spent lifetimes attempting to unravel the secrets of their complex construction, and otherworldly purpose.
Whilst centuries of intense scrutiny have yielded libraries-worth of insights into the nature of the pyramids and their creators, countless mysteries yet remain. Among them is the reasoning behind the locations of a chain of 31 of the tombs in an inhospitable region of the Sahara Desert, in modern day Egypt.
Now, an international team of researchers may have discovered the reason behind their placement. They managed this by using a combination of satellite imagery and time tested archaeological techniques to unearth the existence of an ancient waterway connecting the pyramids to the aquatic highway that is the river Nile.
“Many of us who are interested in ancient Egypt are aware that the Egyptians must have used a waterway to build their enormous monuments, like the pyramids and valley temples, but nobody was certain of the location, the shape, the size, or proximity of this mega waterway to the actual pyramids site,” said Eman Ghoneim, a professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and first author of the study detailing the results in the journal Communications, Earth & Environment.
“Our research offers the first map of one of the main ancient branches of the Nile at such a large scale and links it with the largest pyramid fields of Egypt.” The newly discovered waterway, which has been named for the Arabic word for pyramid, Ahramat, is thought to have been active during the 1,000 year period in which the pyramids were being constructed, which began some 4,700 years ago in the ‘Old Kingdom’ era, and spanned several dynasties.
Over time, complex environmental shifts and sand incursion from the Sahara’s Western Desert Plateau likely led to the abandonment of the Ahramat branch, which was eventually hidden from sight entirely by the passage of several millennia. However, the team behind the discovery were able to piece together its existence and trace its path using a combination of radar satellite imagery, sediment core sampling, and geophysical surveys.
Their work revealed evidence of an ancient waterway that would once have flowed from the Nile to connect the pyramid sites, and link them to important cities and towns in ancient Egypt, including the ancient capitol city of Memphis. The team also discovered evidence of causeways connecting many of the pyramids to the riverbanks of the Ahramat Nile branch, which suggests that the waterway was used to help transport the masses of enormous stone slabs needed to construct the architectural wonders.
Moving forward, the authors are hoping that the discovery of the ancient aquatic highways will help reveal the locations of as of yet undiscovered ancient Egyptian settlements, which could be endangered by urban expansion. For more science news why not check out our coverage of Neuralink’s first human trial, or read up on the once in a lifetime stellar explosion, which is expected to make a new star visible in Earth’s night sky later this year.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
