Engineers Found Evidence of Hydraulics in an Ancient Pyramid, Solving a 4,500-Year-Old Mystery

When you read this story you will learn:

• One study suggests that the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first of the seven foundation pyramids in Egypt, was built using a hydraulic elevator.

• Dated to approximately 4,500 years ago, this would push the emergence of large hydraulic systems further than previously believed.

• The pyramid’s landscape, waterways and internal architecture point to the hydraulic system.

Hydraulic mechanics may indeed have been the driving force behind the construction of the ancient Egyptian pyramids.

in 2024 paperScientists have concluded that the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, Egypt (believed to be the oldest of the seven monumental pyramids and potentially built around 4,500 years ago) offers a remarkable blueprint for hydraulic engineering.

The hydraulically operated mechanism could move the large-sized stone blocks that formed the pyramid, starting from the ground. The research team says the internal architecture of the Step Pyramid is consistent with a hydraulic lifting mechanism; This is something that has never been reported before in that place or at that time.

By lifting the stones from the pyramid’s interior in what the authors call “volcano-style,” water pressure from the hydraulic system could push the blocks into place. If proven, this research would suggest that Egyptians had a strong understanding of advanced hydraulic systems long before modern scientists believe so. This begs the question: Was this the first major use of the system, or had it been in place before?

Whatever the answer, it would not be easy to achieve in Step Pyramid.

Based on mapping of nearby watersheds, the team believes that one of the massive but as yet unexplained Saqqara structures, known as the Gisr al-Mudir enclosure, has the characteristics of a check dam meant to trap sediment and water. Scientists say the topography beyond the dam indicates a possible temporary lake to the west of the Djoser complex, with water flow surrounding it in a moat-like design.

While a tributary of the Nile feeds the area, a dam could create a temporary lake, potentially connecting the river to a “Dry Ditch” around the Djoser site, helping transport materials and meeting hydraulic needs.

“Ancient architects probably used sediment-free water from the southern part of the Dry Ditch to lift the stones at the center of the pyramid in a volcano fashion,” the authors write.

The team found that in one section of the moat, a monumental linear rock-cut structure consisting of alternating deep trench bays combined the technical requirements of a water treatment plant (and a design still often seen in today’s water treatment plants), including a settling basin, retention basin, and purification system.

“Gisr al-Mudir and the inner southern part of the Dry Ditch work together as a unified hydraulic system that improves water quality and regulates flow for practical purposes and human needs,” the authors write. The team believes that the available water in the area is sufficient to meet the needs of the project.

“The ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics, using canals for irrigation and barges to transport huge stones. This work opens a new area of ​​research: the use of hydraulic force in the construction of the huge structures built by the Pharaohs.”

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