There has long been speculation about how the pyramids of Egypt were constructed. While there may be no single answer to this question, a new study provides evidence to suggest that at least one of Egypt’s ancient pyramids was built using a special type of hydraulic lift system.
New Thoughts on Djoser Construction
The structure that is claimed to have been constructed using hydraulics is the steppe Pyramid of Djoser, which is the oldest standing pyramid found in Egypt. It was constructed around 2,680 BC on the orders of the pharaoh Djoser, who ruled during the Third Dynasty of Egypt’s Old Kingdom period.
Included as part of a larger assembly of temples and other sacred spaces, this structure is just under 200 feet (60 meters) tall and was erected around four miles (six kilometers) west of the River Nile. The Pyramid of Djoser is located on the Saqqara Plateau approximately nine miles (15 kilometers) south of Giza, where the Great Pyramids of Egypt were constructed starting about a century after Djoser’s monument was completed.
The Step Pyramid of Djoser is open to the public for interior exploration. (Left; Alicia McDermott, Right; Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
In their paper, a team of French engineers, hydrologists, and material scientists led by Xavier Landreau from the CEA Paleotechnic Institute detail the results of their research, which relied on data obtained from satellite radar imagery and the reports of the dozens of archaeologists who’ve explored Egypt’s most ancient…
