Researchers Seek Long-Lost Technology Used to Build Djoser’s Iconic Pyramid

The magnificent pyramid that stands tall in the ancient Egyptian site of Saqqara is truly one of the wonders of the ancient world.

The tomb of Pharaoh Djoser was built about 4,500 years ago, it is the oldest known example of the largest stone structures in Egypt; a statue not only of the king but also of the engineering ingenuity of the people who lived in the land thousands of years ago.

This style of construction was built – mainly because of its departure from any building that came before – it has been of great interest to archaeologists and historians.

Now a team led by Egyptologist Xavier Landreau of Paleotechnic in France may have discovered an important clue.

They say that a previously unexplained structure in Saqqara is actually a check dam, which supports the theory that a water-powered lift helped transport the materials used in the construction of the pyramid.

This is bolstered by the discovery of several other features, including what the researchers describe as the remains of a new type of hydraulic lift: a central barrel through which water from below can flow like mud. burning lava, raising a floating platform that would flow. being able to move large stones to the top of the pyramid.

The new structural description not only helps to explain the construction of the pyramid, but many other unknown parts of Saqqara, bringing them together in a neat package.

“Based on a transdisciplinary analysis, this study provides for the first time an explanation of the operation and construction process of several large buildings found in the Saqqara area,” the researchers write in their paper.

“The results show that the Gisr el-Mudir site has a check dam designed to hold waste and water, while the Deep Trench combines the technical requirements of a water treatment plant to remove waste and waste. Together , these two structures create an integrated hydraulic system that improves water purity and regulates flow for practical use and important needs Among the possible uses, our analysis shows that this water which does not contain sediment can be used to build a pyramid with a hydraulic elevator system.

The Pyramid of Djoser is very impressive; a large limestone building that overlooks the area surrounding the necropolis with six ‘steps’ that give it a unique, unique appearance against the sky.

Its construction marked a turning point in the development of ancient Egypt, representing the arrival of the great tombs where kings and queens were kept for their journey to my life after death.

However, around it, there are a few buildings whose purpose is unclear.

The Gisr el-Mudir site is a large, rectangular wall covering an area that could hold several football fields, just a few hundred meters from the pyramid. There is also a series of pits carved into the ground outside the pyramid, in a deep trench that surrounds the pyramid.

Researchers believe that these structures may be related. The enclosure, their research found, would have served as a check dam, designed to capture water from a floodplain that once filled the area. Channeling the water through a trench would have helped to filter the waste as the water passed through each room.

Fresh water flowing through the pool through the moat and up through the holes in the pyramid being built would have been used to raise the wooden platform, lifting the heavy goods to where they were needed.

It is a new proposition that will need to be supported beyond the models that suggest it is possible. For example, we do not know how much water was in the area at the time the pyramid was built, nor how much water flowed in and out of the pillars. How is it managed?

It is also important to note that other means of transportation could have been used, at least to lift heavy goods or lift them when the water supply was too low for the lift to work. So the potential use of hydraulic lift technology does not negate earlier research on how the structure was created. Just like today, it was possible that there would be a mix of technologies to suit different needs.

What the findings highlight is the potential for us to underestimate the wisdom of the ancient Egyptians, and we suggest that we should take a closer look at pyramid construction methods.

“The hydraulic lifting mechanism appears to be revolutionary for building stone structures and finds no parallel in our civilization,” the researchers write.

“This technology demonstrates good energy management and efficient materials, which may provide significant opportunities for construction while reducing the need for human labor. In addition, it produces the question of whether other Old Kingdom pyramids, other than the Step Pyramid, were built in a similar manner; the methods may be improved, a point worthy of further research.”

Research published in PLoS One.