A recent study suggests that the ancient Egyptians may have employed a unique hydraulic lifting system to build the Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest among Egypt’s renowned pyramids. The study proposes that water flowed into two shafts within the pyramid, potentially aiding in raising and lowering the float used to transport building stones.
Pharaoh Djoser, a ruler of the Third Dynasty during the Old Kingdom of Egypt, commissioned the step pyramid around 2680 BCE. This architectural marvel is the centrepiece of Djoser’s funerary complex, which includes temples and additional structures surrounded by a dry moat. Located on the Saqqara plateau, approximately 6 kilometres west of the Nile and 15 kilometres south of Giza, Djoser’s pyramid predates the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure by about a century.
For centuries, the construction method of this step pyramid remained elusive. However, the study proposes that the enclosure wall of Gisr el-Mudir, near Djoser’s pyramid, acted as a “catchment dam,” capturing water and sediments. Additionally, chambers outside the pyramid may have functioned as a water treatment facility, allowing sediments to settle as water flowed through successive chambers. This water could then have entered the pyramid’s shafts, assisting in the movement of building stones.
Researchers, including engineers and water scientists, analyzed features around the Pyramid of Djoser using satellite radar images and historical reports. Their findings shed light on water management and processing structures within Djoser’s complex.
“Using a combination of satellite radar images and over a century of reports prepared by archaeologists, the research team, which includes multidisciplinary researchers such as engineers and water scientists, analyzed many features inside and around the Pyramid of Djoser whose precise function has so far eluded archaeologists, and found them to be structures for water management and processing,” said the study’s lead author, Xavier Landreau, a materials engineering researcher at the Paleotechnic of Paris, France.
The study focused on Djoser’s pyramid rather than the more famous Giza pyramids, aiming to trace ancient Egyptian construction techniques. Djoser’s pyramid, the oldest among over 100 pyramids, provided valuable insights.
Satellite images revealed that the dam (Gisr el-Mudir) aligned perfectly with the dry valley of Abu Sir—a seasonal stream flowing from the mountainous Western Desert to Saqqara and eventually emptying into the Nile. Gisr el-Mudir exhibited the technical characteristics of a “catchment dam,” designed to control sudden flood flows and capture sediments that could harm downstream settlements and monuments.
In a related 2021 study published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS),” researchers suggested that ancient Egyptian engineers likely used an extinct canal from the old branches of the Nile to transport building materials and supplies to the Giza Plateau. Additionally, Egyptologist Mark Lehner’s 2014 findings revealed evidence of an ancient bustling port and barracks near the current site of the Giza Pyramids, indicating a thriving port at least 4,500 years ago.
The authors of the new study said that more research is needed to understand how water flowed through the shafts of the Pyramid of Djoser, as well as the amount of water available in the landscape during that period of Earth’s history. The team notes that even with other construction methods like ramps to help build the pyramid, a hydraulic lifting system could have supported the construction process when sufficient water was available.
