Building ancient pyramids
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The magnificent step pyramid standing tall in the ancient Egyptian necropolis of Saqqara is truly one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Erected some 4,500 years ago, the tomb of the pharaoh Djoser is the earliest known example of Egypt's colossal stone structures; a monument not just to the king but to the engineering ingenuity of the people who inhabited the land thousands of years ago.
How this architectural marvel was constructed – especially given its sharp departure from any building that came before – has been of intense interest to archaeologists and historians.
Now a team led by Egyptologist Xavier Landreau of Paleotechnic in France may have uncovered a significant clue.
A previously unexplained structure in Saqqara, they argue, is in fact a check dam, supporting the hypothesis a water-powered lift helped move materials used in the pyramid's construction.
This is bolstered by the discovery of several other features, including what the researchers interpret as the remains of a novel kind of hydraulic lift: a central shaft through which water channelled from below might flow like lava in a volcano, raising a floating platform which would be capable of transporting large rocks to the pyramid's summit.
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