Esteemed as the primordial of the seven colossal pyramids erected approximately 4,500 years ago, the Pyramid of Djoser, also identified as the Step Pyramid, stands as an unparalleled architectural marvel.
Map of the Saqqara plateau illustrating the water conduit from the Gisr el-Mudir dam on the left to the water purification center proximate to Djoser’s pyramid. The water subsequently navigates the pyramid’s pipe system to energize the hydraulic elevator. Courtesy of Landreau et al., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306690.
Erected at Saqqara, Egypt, circa 2680 BCE, the Pyramid of Djoser represents a pivotal advancement in monumental construction. Its significance is underscored by two groundbreaking innovations: the adoption of a pyramidal form for a pharaoh’s tomb and the exclusive deployment of dressed stones in its masonry.
The engineering feat involved in the extraction and precise placement of millions of stones was, in itself, a revolutionary undertaking.
The profound impact of Djoser’s achievements was such that his architect, Imhotep, who also served as Vizier and High Priest of Ra, was elevated to divine status during the New Kingdom era.
A recent transdisciplinary investigation, spearheaded by Dr. Xavier Landreau of the CEA Paleotechnic Institute and his collaborators, suggests that a hydraulic lift system might have been instrumental in the pyramid’s construction.
Their cartographic analysis of adjacent drainage basins indicates that the Gisr el-Mudir enclosure, one of Saqqara’s enigmatic massive structures, exhibits characteristics of a check dam, designed to capture both sediment and water.
Furthermore, a network of subterranean chambers situated outside the pyramid’s perimeter may have functioned as a water treatment facility, enabling sediment to precipitate as water traversed each successive chamber.
It is theorized that this purified water could have been channeled into the pyramid’s internal shafts, where its upward flow could have facilitated the transportation of building materials.
Additional investigation is requisite to elucidate the precise mechanisms of water circulation within the shafts and to ascertain the availability of water resources in the region during that historical epoch.
Nevertheless, the archaeological consensus suggests that while conventional methods such as ramps were almost certainly employed, a hydraulic lifting apparatus could have augmented the construction process, provided adequate water was accessible.
The researchers remarked, “We have ascertained that the internal configuration of the Step Pyramid is compatible with a hitherto undocumented hydraulic elevation mechanism.”
They further posited, “The ancient builders may have employed a method akin to a volcanic eruption to elevate stones from the pyramid’s core, utilizing sediment-free water sourced from the southern sector of the Dry Moat.”
“The ancient Egyptians are renowned for their pioneering efforts and expertise in hydraulics, evident in their sophisticated irrigation canal systems and the use of barges for transporting monolithic stones.”
“This research inaugurates a novel avenue of inquiry: the application of hydraulic forces in the erection of the monumental edifices constructed by the pharaohs.”
This groundbreaking study has been published online in the distinguished journal PLoS ONE.
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X. Landreau et al. 2024. On the possible use of hydraulic force to assist with building the Step Pyramid of Saqqara. PLoS ONE 19 (8): e0306690; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306690
