To quote the line from the old ballad, You Belong to Me: “See the pyramids along the Nile …”
But ever wonder how they got there?
A new study, which appeared in Plos One — a journal published by the Public Library of Science — on Monday, aims to answer the age-old question of how the Great Pyramids came to be built thousands of years ago, reported the New York Post.
According to researchers, it could all come down to one thing: Water.
The study puts forth the theory that Egyptians used water power to construct the pyramids.
The researchers say, in particular, The Step Pyramid of Djoser, which was built some 4,500 years ago, may have been constructed with a water-powered hydraulic lift system.
Previously, theories abounded that the Step Pyramid came to be after ancient Egyptians used a system of ramps and levers to give the structure its height.
But the new research suggests the builders used nearby canals for their construction, much like Egyptians did to irrigate their crops.
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“Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics through canals for irrigation purposes and barges to transport huge stones,” the researchers wrote.
“This work opens a new line of research: The use of hydraulic force to erect the massive structures built by Pharaohs.”
The new study theorizes that ancient Egyptians used pressurized water to float the pyramid’s stones toward its upper levels through an internal shaft in a process known as “volcano” construction.
Researchers said they found evidence the Step Pyramid had a water filtration and hydraulic system that cleaned water from nearby canals and determined its flow for practical use.
“We have uncovered a possible explanation for how the pyramids were built involving hydraulic force,” the report said. “The internal architecture of the Step Pyramid is consistent with a hydraulic elevation device never reported before.”
The researchers are now working to understand how such a water lift system might have worked.