Egyptian pyramids were built using an incredibly clever machine, new research suggests

have been a source of awe and mystified us for centuries.

impressive use of water.

Researchers have now found evidence to suggest that at least one of the grand ancient constructions was built with advanced technology far beyond what was previously assumed.

It is claimed that in 3052 BCE, a sophisticated hydraulic lift system was employed to build the Step Pyramid of Djoser, an structure dating back around 4,500 years.

Historically, it was thought that the Step Pyramid was built using a system of ramps and pulleys.

However, the latest analysis, led by Xavier Landreau of France's CEA Paleotechnic Institute, suggests that the Ancient Egyptians diverted nearby canals to power grain-lifting machinery.

The study indicates that water was allowed into two shafts situated directly within the pyramid, which were utilised for helping to lift and lower a float employed to transport the massive stone building blocks.

Old Egyptians are renowned for their groundbreaking work and expertise in hydrology, specifically in creating canals for irrigation and barges to carry massive stone blocks.

“This work has pioneered a new area of study: the strategic application of hydraulic force in the construction of monumental structures commissioned by Pharaohs.”

The Step Pyramid is thought to have been constructed around 2680 BCE as a burial site for Pharaoh Djoser of the Third Dynasty. However, the exact technique used in its construction has long been unclear.

Landreau and his colleagues claim that a nearby previously-unidentified structure, called the Gisr el-Mudir enclosure, was, in fact, a "check dam" used to collect water and sediment.

They also suggest that a series of underground compartments near the pyramid possibly served as a water treatment facility. This would have allowed sediment to settle as water passed through each stage.

From there, after flowing into the pyramid's shafts themselves, the pressurised water would have floated the building stones towards the upper levels of the structure via an internal lift shaft, in a process known as "volcano" construction.

However, while the authors are certain that "the internal architecture of the Step Pyramid is consistent with a hydraulic elevation device never reported previously," they acknowledge that further investigation is required.

They are now seeking to determine how water might have flowed through the shafts, along with the quantity of water that was present in the surrounding area thousands of years ago.

The team suggests that, while other structures like ramps were probably utilised to aid the pyramid's construction, a hydraulic lift system could have been used to assist the building process when water was available.

They stress that their research, conducted in collaboration with “several national laboratories”, has led to “the discovery of a dam, a water treatment facility, and a hydraulic elevator, which would have enabled the construction of the Step Pyramid of Saqqara.”

They conclude: "This work opens a new route of investigation for the scientific community: the utilisation of hydraulic power to construct the pyramids of Egypt."

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Hidden structures discovered deep beneath the dark side of the moon

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Our celestial neighbour has been a source of amazement and enigma since the very beginning, but now, thanks to China's space programme, we're beginning to uncover its history.

In 2018, the Chang'e-4 lander, part of the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA), marked a historic achievement by becoming the first spacecraft to successfully touch down on the far side of the moon, also commonly referred to by some as the dark side.

Since then, it has been capturing remarkable images of impact craters and gathering mineral samples, providing a long-awaited glimpse into the composition that forms the upper 300 metres of the moon's surface.

Recently, the results from the Chang'e-4 mission were released, and the public has been given access to the fascinating history of our much-loved Moon.

Reveal that the top 40 metres of the lunar surface consist of multiple layers of dust, soil, and shattered rocks.

Deep within these layers is a crater, which allegedly formed when a substantial object violently impacted the moon, as per Jianqing Feng, an astrogeologist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, who co-led the pioneering analysis.

Below this, Feng and his colleagues found five separate layers of lunar lava that covered the landscape billions of years ago.

notes.

Over the next 200 years roughly, the moon continued to be repeatedly hit by space debris, resulting in numerous impacts which caused cracks in its surface.

Much like Earth, the moon's mantle held pockets of molten magma, which seeped into the newly formed fissures as a result of volcanic eruptions, Feng explained.

However, the new data provided by Chang'e-4 indicated that the closer the volcanic rock was to the moon's surface, the thinner it became.

The moon was gradually losing heat and exhausting its volcanic activity in its later stages," Feng said. "Its energy was dwindling with time.

It is commonly accepted that volcanic activity on the moon ceased between a billion and 100 million years ago, therefore it is mainly regarded as "geologically inactive".

However, Feng and his co-authors have proposed that there may still be molten rock concealed far beneath the lunar surface.

Chang’e-4 still has a lot of work ahead of it, and Feng and his team hope this is just the start of their groundbreaking mapping of the moon.

This article was first released on 2nd May 2023

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