SCIENTISTS FIND EVIDENCE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY USED TO BUILD EGYPTIAN PYRAMID
"WE ARE SKEPTICAL THAT THE LARGEST PYRAMIDS WERE BUILT USING ONLY KNOWN RAMP AND LEVER METHODS."
AUG 10, 5:30 AM EDT
by FRANK LANDYMORE
Lifty Heavy
It's no secret that the ancient Eygptians were fairly technologically advanced for their day, but new research suggests that at least one pyramid was built using surprisingly sophisticated tech: hydraulic lifts.
As detailed in a new study published in the journal PLOS One, researchers say they've found evidence that the builders of the Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid, used a system of trenches, tunnels, and a dam to channel water to the construction site, where they'd use it to raise and lower a floating platform that could carry heavy stones.
"Many theories on pyramid construction suggest that pure human strength, possibly aided by basic mechanical devices like levers and ramps, was utilized," study lead author Xavier Landreau, CEO of the Paris-based research institute Paleotechnic, told Ars Technica. "Our analysis led us to the utilization of water as a means of raising stones. We are skeptical that the largest pyramids were built using only known ramp and lever methods."
Tunnel Vision
Considered the oldest pyramid in Egypt, the Step Pyramid was built around 2680 BCE, rloughly a century before the Great Pyramid of Giza. Historians believe it was designed by the legendary architect Imhotep, who was commissioned by the Pharaoh Djoser to build his eventual burial site.
After years of poring over ancient climate and archaeological data, the researchers found evidence that there was more water available in the pyramid's region than once believed. This cast several structures in and around the complex in a new light, including a vertical shaft in the center of the Step Pyramid, where the researchers now believe the hydraulic lifts would've been located.
More:
https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-hydraulics-pyramid
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