Archaeologists believe they’ve uncovered new evidence of how Egyptian pyramids were built - and their results are pretty mind-blowing.
The Land of Ra has played host to some of the world’s most iconic man-made structures since around 2780 BCE.
In modern times, at least 118 pyramids have been identified by historians but the most famous is the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The memorials were initially built to house and protect the mortal remains of Egypt’s ancient pharaohs and royalty during the Old Kingdom.
Advert
Despite archaeologists possessing a trove of information on the pyramids; exactly how the triangular tombs were built has eluded them.
There’s been much speculation on the construction process - specifically how tons of limestone, mortar and granite were transported across the country.
However, experts believe they’ve cracked the code on how the ancient civilisation transported the stone from point A to B - and no, extra-terrestrial life wasn’t involved.
In a recently published study, a team has suggested that construction workers used an ancient waterway to deliver the goods.
Advert
A team from the University of North Carolina Wilmington claimed that a branch of the river Nile was used, which has been lost under desert and farmland.
While this isn’t a new theory, the researchers have provided evidence which may have pinpointed where the ancient waterway lay.
Dr Eman Ghoneim, study co-author told the BBC: "Nobody was certain of the location, the shape, the size or proximity of this mega waterway to the actual pyramids site.”
Advert
Using new technology archaeologists studied old offshoots of the Nile from space and discovered one that they believed to be buried thousands of years ago.
The Ahramat branch - meaning 'pyramids' in Arabic - was founded which would have bordered over 30 pyramids.
“The length probably was really, really long, but also the width of this branch in some areas was huge,” he told IFL Science.
“We're talking about half a kilometer or more in terms of width, which is something that is equivalent to today's Nile course width.”
Advert
The defunct waterway was thought to run from Faiyum to Giza.
Another co-author, Dr Suzanne Onstine also said that locating the lost river branch showed there was a waterway that could’ve been used to transport heavier blocks.
.jpg)
She added that equipment and people may have also used the now-hidden path.
Advert
“[It] really helps us explain pyramid construction,” she added.
To further their research, scientists have said they plan to analyze soil cores taken from the pin-pointed ancient riverbed to determine exactly how old the waterway would be.
If it was active during the Old and Middle Kingdoms (3,700 to 4,700 years ago) then they may be in luck.