For decades, we all assumed that the Egyptian pyramids were built using the strength of millions of slaves, ropes, and enormous ramps (or by supreme forces from outer space that came to help them…). But wait, because new studies by some French scientists have proposed a new hypothesis that has nothing to do with what we’ve known until now. These scientists are investigating whether the Egyptians of the time made use of a hydraulic lifting system to raise those immense stone blocks.
Yes, more than 4,500 years ago, maybe they didn’t need thousands of slaves or modern cranes: just water, engineering, and a lot of intelligence.
This idea comes from the analysis of the Saqqara plateau complex, where the step pyramid of Djoser is located, one of the oldest (2680 B.C.). The researchers, led by Xavier Landreau, propose that a hidden hydraulic system inside the structure of the monument could have allowed the blocks to be raised from within, floating them with water. If confirmed, this discovery could completely change the way we understand Ancient Egyptian technology, and of course, the conspiracy theories would begin to disappear.
Ramps in the pyramids
Until now, we always believed that there were large ramps where the blocks were dragged. But wait, think that each block can weigh between 1 and 3 tons, and at least 30 people would have been needed pulling at the same time with rollers under the blocks (but who lifted the blocks to place them on the rollers?!)
Well now, they believe the Egyptians might have dug vertical shafts in the center of the pyramid to raise the blocks using the power of water. The principle would be similar to a hydraulic elevator: water would make the block float, making it easier to lift multi-ton stones without excessive human effort.
The “volcanic crater” that inspired the theory
According to the researchers, this method would work like an inverted crater, with water pushing the blocks upward from an internal core. In addition, the analysis of the terrain shows traces of ancient channels and structures like the Gisr el-Mudir, which could have been used to store and channel the water used in the process, so it’s almost the most accurate theory!
Also, the famous dry moat that surrounds the pyramid, which was previously considered purely symbolic, may have had a very practical function: filtering and redirecting water. Now everything makes sense, right?
It wasn’t magic, it was engineering!!!
But wait, there’s more. This theory would place the Egyptians as pioneers in hydraulic engineering, thousands of years before any documented water-lifting system in other civilizations!
We already knew they used canals and barges to move materials, but now we could be facing evidence that they also mastered complex concepts of pressure, buoyancy, and water control within their own monumental structures.
And what if it wasn’t a tomb?
Another curious detail is that in the Djoser pyramid, the remains of the pharaoh have never been found, nor the typical symbols of a burial chamber. This leads some archaeologists to believe that the monument might not have been built just to honor the dead, but as an experimental engineering project. But of course, that’s something we can’t verify, especially considering how many times any of the pyramids have been looted…
So now what with the Ancient Egypt?
Easy: more digging is needed. Although this theory has shaken the debate, there’s still no definitive proof that it’s true, so to confirm it, experts will have to measure and dig again.
Water always means life, and now it could also be the key to an architectural miracle once attributed to higher powers. Could this incredible theory be true?