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The construction of the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt’s oldest known pyramid, may have benefited from innovative waterpower techniques employed by ancient builders. This assertion, proposed in a study published in PLOS ONE, suggests that a system harnessing hydraulic power played a pivotal role in lifting the massive stone blocks that comprise this iconic burial site.
According to researchers led by Xavier Landreau from the Paris-based research institute Paleotechnic, the ancient architects designed a hydraulic system capable of hoisting stones through controlled water flows into and out of a shaft located inside the pyramid. This mechanism would have lifted a platform that carried heavy stones, facilitating their placement at various heights.
While the concept is captivating, some scholars remain skeptical about the historical use of such a device. The techniques used for constructing the pyramids have long been debated, with theories ranging from ramps and cranes to pulley systems and the rolling of stones on wooden rods. The weight of these building blocks could reach as much as 2,500 kilograms each, adding to the complexity of the construction methods.
Earlier this year, another team of researchers uncovered a now-dry tributary of the Nile, which borders a chain of 31 pyramids, including Djoser’s. They posit that workers and materials could have been transported via this tributary to access the pyramid construction sites that were active between approximately 4,700 and 3,700 years ago. This finding supports the notion that water was integral to the transportation of both laborers and resources during the pyramid’s construction.
How the hydraulic system could function
The theorized hydraulic system is based on a computer model that incorporates data from existing features within the pyramid and a network of subterranean tunnels in the vicinity. By analyzing high-resolution satellite imagery, researchers simulated ancient rainfall patterns and runoff. Their model includes the Gisr el-Mudir, a walled enclosure that captures rainwater that flows through desert channels during heavy rains. This catchment area would funnel water to a basin adjacent to Djoser’s burial site, which would temporarily hold water and subsequently drain into the surrounding limestone trench.
The trench, called the Dry Moat, may have served multiple functions, either as a quarry or as a representation of the pharaoh’s journey to the afterlife. Researchers suggest that during Djoser’s era, the Dry Moat could have been periodically filled with water, facilitating the operation of their proposed hydraulic system.
In the proposed design, a stone-walled dam would channel floodwater into the Dry Moat. This water could enter two larger shafts, including one within the pyramid itself, each containing stone plugs that allowed water to flow in swiftly when removed. The north shaft, they argue, could serve as the key component of a hydraulic lift system.
Challenges to the hydraulic theory
Despite these intriguing possibilities, some experts raise significant doubts about the feasibility of the proposed hydraulic mechanism. University of Toronto archaeologist Oren Siegel argues that the Gisr el-Mudir may not have been capable of collecting sufficient water during sporadic rainfalls to operate such a system. Siegel suggests that this structure might have been an early form of burial enclosure rather than a hydraulic catchment.
Additionally, Egyptologist Kamil Kuraszkiewicz highlights the lack of references to the proposed lake in ancient records, casting further doubt on the system’s historical validity. He also notes that the stones used in the construction of Djoser’s pyramid weighed on average around 300 kilograms—much lighter than those utilized in later pyramids—implying that human labor alone would have been sufficient for their transport, rendering the need for complex machinery questionable.
Landreau emphasizes the necessity for further investigation into Djoser’s pyramid, noting uncertainties surrounding the full depth of the partially excavated north shaft, which could limit the practicality of modeling an effective hydraulic lift system. He surmises that the masonry surrounding the shaft might indicate a structure that exceeded the observed length of about four meters above ground.
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