The Nile River had an arm that helped laborers ship materials to their construction site when the pyramids were built, according to a new study.
The Nile had an extra arm that flowed by the pyramids. A team of researchers wrote in a paper that the former waterscapes and higher river levels gave the builders of the pyramids a leg up.
The research shows how the pyramids rose to great heights. The transportation of construction materials to the Giza Pyramid was made possible by the high-water level of the Nile branch.
What was stashed inside the pyramids?
Researchers have known for a long time that the long-gone Khufu branch extended up to the Giza plateau in ancient times, but the new project wanted to find out how the water levels had changed over the past 8000 years.
The team drilled five core into the floodplain to reconstruct the past. Researchers measured the amount of pollen found in different parts of the core to see how it had changed over time. The study authors wrote that time periods with more water should have more pollen.
Water was plentiful at the time the ancient Egyptians built the Giza pyramids, so the Khufu branch could have flowed there. When the pyramids were built, it was a natural canal, according to the study's lead author.
The water level is important for pyramid building. She said that it would be difficult to build the pyramids without the Khufu branch, which would make it difficult for the boats to carry the heavy blocks of stone. The water level of the branch was very low by the time it went extinct.
The team noted in their paper that the harbor close to the pyramids, as well as ancient papyri records that detail workers bringing limestone to Giza via boat, fit well with the finds.
Live Science reached out to experts not involved with the research to get their opinions. At press time, most were unable to comment, but one who did did praise the research.
The paper is an exciting contribution to our understanding of the dialogue between humans and their environment in Egypt.
It was originally published on Live Science
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