Unveiling The Pyramid Mystery: Ancient Egyptians' Hydraulic Lift Theory

For decades, Egyptologists have fiercely debated how the colossal pyramids of ancient Egypt were constructed over 4,000 years ago. A team of engineers and geologists now proposes a groundbreaking theory: a hydraulic lift device that floated the massive stones up through the center of Egypt’s oldest pyramid using stored water.

Constructed for Pharaoh Djoser in the 27th century BC, the Step Pyramid stood as the tallest structure of its time, reaching approximately 62 meters (204 feet) in height. The method by which this monumental structure, with stones weighing up to 300 kilograms (about 661 pounds), was built has remained an enigma, as detailed in a study published Monday in the journal PLOS One.

“Many publications have discussed pyramid-building procedures, focusing on the more recent and smaller pyramids of the Middle and New Kingdoms (1980 to 1075 BC),” said lead author Dr. Xavier Landreau, CEO of Paleotechnic, a Paris-based research institute specializing in ancient technologies. “But what about the Old Kingdom pyramids (2675 to 2130 BC), which are much larger? While human strength and ramps may have sufficed for smaller structures, other techniques likely played a role in the construction of the larger pyramids.”

This interdisciplinary study is the first to propose a system compatible with the Step Pyramid’s internal architecture. The researchers suggest a complex water management system, utilizing local resources, allowed for a water-powered elevator within the pyramid’s vertical shaft. A float mechanism would have lifted the heavy stones up the pyramid’s center.

Though ingenious, this theory faces skepticism from some Egyptologists. A widely accepted theory posits that ancient Egyptians used ramps and haulage devices to position the heavy blocks, according to Dr. David Jeffreys, a retired senior lecturer in Egyptian archaeology at University College London, who was not involved in the study.

Egypt’s Ancient Climate: A Key Factor

By examining paleoclimatology and archaeological data, the research team suggested that ancient streams from the west of the Saqqâra plateau flowed into deep-water trenches and tunnels surrounding the Step Pyramid. This system, including the massive Gisr el-Mudir, which served as a check dam, would have controlled and stored water from heavy floods, ensuring adequate water quality for consumption, irrigation, and construction purposes.

Several studies indicate the Sahara Desert experienced more rainfall thousands of years ago, resembling a savannah rather than today’s arid desert. This climate could have supported the hydraulic lift system, said Dr. Judith Bunbury, a geoarchaeologist at the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the study.

However, experts debate the consistency and sufficiency of rainfall to fill the necessary structures for a hydraulic lift. The greener period of the Sahara likely ended by the beginning of the third millennium BC, according to Jeffreys. Low rainfall levels would not have been sufficient to maintain the hydraulic lift, added Dr. Fabian Welc, director of the Institute of Archaeology at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Poland.

Revisiting Ancient Engineering Techniques

The authors of the study acknowledged that it’s unlikely the system was permanently filled with water. They propose that flash floods could have supplied enough water to support the hydraulic lift during the pyramid’s construction. Further research is needed to determine the exact rainfall and flooding patterns of that time.

This isn’t the first time the Nile has been theorized to play a role in pyramid construction. A May study suggested a dried-up branch of the river was used to transport massive limestone blocks to construction sites. There’s also some evidence of the ancient Egyptians using smaller-scale hydraulic systems, Jeffreys noted.

The Enigmatic Features of the Step Pyramid

Researchers have not definitively determined the purpose of the vertical shaft within the Step Pyramid. While later pyramids like the Great Pyramid of Giza have shafts believed to be for ventilation, the Step Pyramid’s shaft remains a mystery. It is connected to a 200-meter-long underground tunnel and another vertical shaft outside the pyramid, possibly linking to a water transportation system, but further investigation is needed.

The internal shaft begins directly below the pyramid’s center, where a granite box, believed to be King Djoser’s burial chamber, sits. The study’s authors suggest this box was designed to control the hydraulic lift, allowing water to fill the shaft when in use.

Further research is necessary to determine if other pyramids were built using this method. Landreau believes exploring concealed shafts within these structures could reveal more about the construction techniques of ancient Egyptians.

Despite the mysteries surrounding the pyramids, there is ample documentation that ancient Egyptians used technologies like scaffolding and mud-brick ramps. However, there is no known documentation of a water-powered lifting device, according to Bunbury.

“People have long been fascinated by the pyramids and find it hard to believe they were built by ordinary people with simple tools,” Bunbury said. “While the hydraulic lift device is a possibility, the simplest explanation is often the best, based on what we already know.”

This new theory, while intriguing, adds another layer to the ongoing debate about the construction of these ancient marvels, highlighting the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the ancient Egyptians.