Ultimately, who was the “creator” of the 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.
Despite centuries of meticulous research yielding 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
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.
Great Zimbabwe: An Astonishing Mystery Unraveled
For centuries, the enigmatic stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe, located in southeastern Africa, baffled explorers and historians. Without mortar, its massive granite walls stand as a testament to an advanced civilization. The biggest question surrounding this ancient city was: How did the people of Great Zimbabwe manage to construct such colossal stone structures in the middle of a semi-arid region?
The Secret Revealed: A Waterway for Construction
Recent research points to a crucial natural feature that facilitated the construction of Great Zimbabwe. Archaeological evidence suggests that a sophisticated system of water management and transportation was key.
The builders likely utilized nearby granite outcrops, skillfully shaping the stones to fit together without the need for mortar. The challenge of transporting these massive stones over long distances would have been immense.
Historical and archaeological findings suggest that rivers or natural waterways, combined with a highly organized labor force and innovative building techniques, allowed the movement of materials. The kingdom of Great Zimbabwe flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries, becoming a significant trading hub for gold and other goods. Its inhabitants were adept at utilizing their natural environment.
The Fall of a Great Kingdom
The authors note 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.
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. When they reached 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 may have led to the burial of the Ahramat Branch after millennia.”
According to the new data, the Giza pyramid complex was built on a plateau perhaps 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 could have created a harbor along the Ahramat Branch at the Valley Temples. This harbor served as a reception point for pyramid building materials.
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 entourages to gather before moving the kings’ bodies into the temples.
The authors write: “Our discovery fills a much-needed knowledge gap related to an ancient waterway that once flowed from the Nile 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, but rather small human beings with immense intelligence who carved them into existence. The gentle Nile River not only provided cool water and nourished crops but also helped the Egyptians transport the massive stone slabs necessary to build architectural wonders that endure to this day.
