The Step Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid, is considered the oldest of the seven monumental pyramids of Egypt, built around 4,500 years ago. Erected in Saqqara around 2680 B.C., it marks a significant milestone in the history of monumental architecture, according to Sci.news. During the construction of the Djoser Pyramid, the architect and high priest Imhotep employed two crucial innovations: the stepped design and the use of fully dressed stone for the masonry.
In a recent transdisciplinary analysis, a team of Egyptologists led by Dr. Xavier Landro from a private polytechnic institute in Paris discovered that a hydraulic lift may have been used during the construction of this pharaoh’s tomb.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
By mapping the surrounding watersheds, researchers found that one of the strange massive structures near the Djoser Pyramid—the Ghisr-el-Mudir enclosure—resembles a protective dam. Additionally, a deep trench, traces of which were found near the suspected dam, may have served as a purification facility. Together, these two structures formed a unified hydraulic system that improved water quality and directed its flow. This system allowed rainwater, as well as water from the Nile, to be channeled into a deep shaft inside the pyramid, lifting a wooden elevator filled with stones upward, much like a volcanic lava flow.
Other construction methods, such as ramps, were likely also employed in building the pyramid, the Egyptologists noted. The hydraulic lifting system could have been prioritized when there was sufficient water available. “We determined that the internal architecture of the Step Pyramid corresponds to a hydraulic lifting mechanism that has not been previously reported,” the scientists wrote in their report.
The researchers also reminded us that “the ancient Egyptians were renowned for their innovation and expertise in hydraulics.” Therefore, it is quite possible that they utilized a hydraulic system to transport the massive stones.
The findings of the study were published in the journal PLOS ONE.
