A new study published in PLOS ONE proposes that the builders of Egypt’s Step Pyramid of Djoser, dating back nearly 4,700 years, may have employed a sophisticated hydraulic system to aid in the construction of the pyramid. This ancient marvel, located at Saqqara, is considered the earliest known pyramid and stands approximately 62 meters tall.
Researchers led by Xavier Landreau from the Paris-based private institute Paleotechnic suggest that a controlled water system was used to lift and lower a platform carrying stone blocks.
The proposed system involved directing water flows into and out of a large internal shaft within the pyramid to facilitate the movement of building materials to higher levels.
Landreau’s team developed this hypothesis using a computer model that integrated data from surviving pyramid features, a network of underground tunnels, and high-resolution satellite images. Their model envisions a walled enclosure, Gisr el-Mudir, several hundred meters from the pyramid, which captured floodwaters during heavy rains.
This water was then directed to a basin west of the burial grounds, which could have occasionally filled with water, draining into a surrounding limestone trench known as the Dry Moat.
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The proposed hydraulic system suggests that water from the Dry Moat entered two large shafts, including a north shaft inside the pyramid. This shaft, containing a granite chamber with removable plugs, would have allowed water to fill the shaft, raising a massive wooden float attached to ropes. This float, in turn, would have been connected to a lift platform used to transport stones.
The model theorises that as water filled the shaft, the float would rise, lowering the platform to the ground where stones could be loaded. Once loaded, the platform would be lifted by draining the water, pulling the stones up to the construction site.
However, some experts express skepticism about the hydraulic system theory. University of Toronto archaeologist Oren Siegel argues that Gisr el-Mudir might not have held sufficient water to support such a system, suggesting it may have been an early experiment in building enclosures.
Meanwhile, Egyptologist Kamil Kuraszkiewicz points out that there are no ancient records mentioning the proposed lake and notes that the stone blocks used for the Step Pyramid were smaller and easier to transport compared to those used in later pyramids.
Landreau acknowledges the need for further research at the Djoser site to fully understand the potential extent and functionality of the proposed hydraulic system. Despite the challenges, he remains hopeful that additional investigations will reveal more about the engineering techniques used in this ancient construction marvel.
