Ultimately, who was the “architect” behind the series of colossal pyramids in Egypt?
The pyramid tombs built for ancient Egyptian pharaohs are among the most magnificent man-made structures still in existence today. Ancient Egyptians successfully captivated countless historians, archaeologists, and conspiracy theorists, who dedicated their lives to unraveling the complex structures’ secrets and the purpose of these time-defying constructions.
Although centuries of meticulous research have yielded deep insights into the nature of the pyramids and their creators, countless mysteries remain. Among them is the grand question: How were the Egyptians able to build a chain of 31 pyramids in a harsh region of what is now the Sahara Desert in Egypt?
This Mystery Just Got
an Answer
In a new study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment in May 2024, researchers used satellite radar imagery and geophysical data to investigate the subsurface and sediments in the Nile Valley near the pyramids.
The research team discovered a “large lost branch of the Nile River,” which they named the Ahramat Branch (meaning “pyramids” in Arabic). This branch once ran along the current location of the 31 pyramids.
The authors wrote: “The Ahramat Branch played a crucial role in the construction of the pyramid chain. This lost river branch served as a waterway to transport building materials to each pyramid construction site.”
The Ahramat Branch was 63 km long, with a width varying from 200 to 700 meters—large enough to carry a significant volume of Nile River water over 4,000 years ago during Egypt’s Old and Middle Kingdoms.
This means that the river branch was active during the time the Egyptians built this chain of pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Giza and the pyramids of Khafre, Khufu (Cheops), Menkaure (Mykerinos), along with many other prominent structures like valley temples.
The existence of the Ahramat Branch sheds light on why ancient Egyptians chose this particular area to build the pyramids as resting places for their pharaohs.
Understanding the Disappearance of the Ahramat Branch
“The Ahramat Branch was active for approximately 1,000 years when the chain of pyramids was built, starting around 4,700 years ago during the Old Kingdom of Egypt and extending through many dynasties,” the authors wrote.
The researchers noted that the Middle Kingdom pyramids (spanning from 2050 BCE to 1700 BCE) were built further east than the Old Kingdom pyramids (from 2686 BCE to 2181 BCE) and at a lower elevation relative to the floodplain.
By using high-tech methods, the team was able to peer deep beneath the sandy surface and identify features in the land that provided clues about the buried river branch. Upon arriving at the site, the team drilled sediment cores to confirm the former location of the river branch.
Explaining the disappearance of the Ahramat Branch, scientists believe that shortly after the pyramids were built, continuous strong winds and sandstorms over many years caused this branch of the river to be filled with desert sand. “Complex environmental changes and the encroachment of sand from the Western Sahara Plateau likely led to the burial of the Ahramat Branch over millennia.”
According to the new data, the Giza pyramid complex was built on a plateau that was likely only a few hundred meters from this ancient river branch.
Eman Ghoneim, lead author of the study from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (USA), told AFP that ancient Egyptians might have created a harbor along the Ahramat Branch at the Valley Temples. This harbor served as a receiving point for building materials for the pyramids.
Furthermore, according to researcher Suzanne Onstine, from the University of Memphis (USA), this harbor not only allowed for the transportation of heavy stones and building materials but was also a crucial location for the pharaohs’ funerary processions to gather before their bodies were moved into the temples.
The authors wrote: “Our discovery fills a much-needed knowledge gap regarding an ancient waterway that once flowed from the Nile River to connect the pyramid sites and link them to important cities and towns in ancient Egypt, including the ancient capital of Memphis.”
Thus, it was not aliens or some mysterious force that created these towering structures in Egypt’s scorching desert, as many conspiracy theories have suggested. Instead, it was small human beings with immense intelligence who carved them into existence. The gentle Nile River not only provided fresh water and nourished crops but also helped the Egyptians transport the massive stone slabs necessary to build architectural wonders that endure to this day.
