Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Researchers from the University of North Carolina Wilmington have discovered a long-hidden 64-kilometre-long river branch of the Nile River, buried under desert and farmland for millennia.
This ancient river branch once flowed alongside 31 Egyptian pyramids, providing crucial insights into the logistics of their construction.
The study reveals that the river was used to transport giant stone blocks, potentially solving the mystery of how the Egyptians moved massive materials to build the pyramids.
The research team employed radar satellite imagery to map the river branch, utilizing the technology’s ability to penetrate the sand and uncover hidden features.
Picture for Representation
Eman Ghoneim, an earth and ocean sciences professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, stated that radar allowed them to produce images of buried rivers and ancient structures.
Picture for Representation
The university’s statement mentioned that many pyramids had causeways ending at the proposed riverbanks of the Ahramat branch, suggesting the river was indeed used for transporting construction materials.
Picture for Representation
Ghoneim highlighted the importance of the discovery, noting that it provides the first large-scale map of one of the main ancient branches of the Nile and links it with the largest pyramid fields in Egypt.
The discovery explains the chain-like construction of pyramids between 4,700 and 3,700 years ago, indicating the strategic use of the river for building monumental structures.
Picture for Representation
The groundbreaking research was published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, offering new insights into ancient Egyptian engineering and construction techniques.