New study reveals ancient Nile tributary helped transport stone blocks for Egypt's pyramids

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina has determined the reason why the pyramids are located in the same places along the Nile River, concluding that 31 Egyptian pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Giza, were built along a long stretch of the river. The research, led by Professor Eman Ghoneim, a professor of Earth and Ocean Sciences, identified a tunnel that connects the pyramids of Giza. The tunnel has been identified as an ancient branch of the Nile, known as the Ahramat Branch (the Waterway of the Pyramids, in Arabic), which facilitated the construction of the iconic pyramids.

"Many of us interested in ancient Egypt know that the Egyptians must have used a waterway to build their enormous monuments, but no one was sure of the location, the shape, the size, or the proximity of this mega waterway to the site of the pyramids," Ghoneim stated.  

After analyzing satellite images and sediments near the fields of pyramids, Professor Ghoneim and her team have determined that in ancient times, the Nile had a much greater flow. In ancient times, the Nile's course extended kilometers into the Sahara Desert. The Ahramat tunnel had a length of approximately 63 kilometers and was between 200 and 700 meters wide. The pyramids, located near the ancient city of Memphis, had paths leading toward the Ahramat River, explaining their concentration along this strip of desert near the capital of Egypt.

According to the research, the architects took advantage of the Nile's flood seasons, when its flow increased, to facilitate the transport of materials. It allowed the construction of pharaonic tombs far from the agricultural areas near the main riverbed. 

The research was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment and on the official website of the University of North Carolina. Ghoneim has established in the research the possible course of the tributary. 

About 4,200 years ago, according to assessments, the course of the Nile began to dry up, affecting nearby populations and reducing activity in its smaller branches. "That could be one of the reasons for the migration of the branch to the east and its subsequent marshing," according to the researchers. 

The most famous and best-preserved pyramids are in Giza, a few kilometers from Cairo, which was the capital of the Egyptian kingdom at that time. The pyramids of Giza were built more than 4,500 years ago, specifically between 2550 and 2490 B.C., with the pyramid fields of Giza and Lisht constructed over a period of 1,000 years. 

Sources: Diario AS, La República

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq