© Eman GhoneimThe water course of the ancient Ahramat Branch borders a large number of pyramids dating from the Old Kingdom to the Second Intermediate Period, spanning between the Third Dynasty and the Thirteenth Dynasty.
The Egyptian pyramid fields between Giza and Lisht, built over a nearly 1,000-year period starting approximately 4,700 years ago, now sit on the edge of the inhospitable Western Desert, part of the Sahara. Sedimentary evidence suggests that the Nile used to have a much higher discharge, with the river splitting into several branches in places. Researchers have previously speculated that one of these branches may have flown by the pyramid fields, but this has not been confirmed.
Comment: Note that there's compelling evidence that suggests the Giza pyramids were built thousands of years earlier than is commonly believed, and that they likely were served a technological function, rather than being a funerary monument to a pharaoh. However, could it be that this flow of water may have played some part in its operation?
Eman Ghoneim and colleagues studied satellite imagery to find the possible location of a former river branch running along the foothills of the Western Desert Plateau, very near to the pyramid fields. They then used geophysical surveys and sediment cores to confirm the presence of river sediments and former channels beneath the modern land surface, indicating the presence of a former branch, which they propose naming "Ahramat" (meaning pyramids in Arabic).
The authors suggest that an increased build-up of windblown sand, linked to a major drought which began approximately 4,200 years ago, could be one of the reasons for the branch's migration east and eventual silting up.
The discovery may explain why these pyramid fields were concentrated along this particular strip of desert near the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, as they would have been easily accessible via the river branch at the time they were built. Additionally, the authors found that many of the pyramids had causeways that ended at the proposed riverbanks of the Ahramat branch, which they suggest is evidence the river was used for transporting construction materials.
Comment: For some of the pyramids that may have been the case, however some of the stones at Giza weigh 80 tons.
The findings reiterate the importance of the Nile as a highway and cultural artery for ancient Egyptians, and also highlight how human society has historically been affected by environmental change, according to the authors.
Future research to find more extinct Nile branches could help prioritize archaeological excavations along their banks and protect Egyptian cultural heritage, they add.
More information: Eman Ghoneim, The Egyptian pyramid chain was built along the now abandoned Ahramat Nile Branch, Communications Earth & Environment (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01379-7. www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01379-7
Journal information: Communications Earth & Environment
There used to be an inland sea to the west of the old kingdom pyramids. This also dried up some time ago. The pyramids were designed to perform a function and not for burials, this much is obvious. Some have suggested that the pyramids were involved with water coursing. The 'unfinished pyramid' has what appears to be an oval drain or inlet with a stone cap that only a ton of water pressure could move through its allowed travel. So maybe it was meant to operate as a one way valve for a big tank of water? Piped underground via conduits made through the rock using a pyramid to generate pressure? Early account of explorers mention the inside of Khufu's 'burial' chamber being covered with salt.
There are also conduits running from at least one of the pyramids, out to outlying underground structures. Lots more is still buried beneath thousands of years of sand drifts.