Arts & Humanities Division
Published May 16, 2024 | Version v1
Journal article Open

The Egyptian pyramid chain was built along the now abandoned Ahramat Nile Branch

Creators

  • 1. University of North Carolina Wilmington
  • 2. Macquarie University
  • 3. University of Memphis
  • 4. University of Chicago
  • 5. National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics
  • 6. Tanta University

Description

The largest pyramid field in Egypt is clustered along a narrow desert strip, yet no convincing explanation as to why these pyramids are concentrated in this specific locality has been given so far. Here we use radar satellite imagery, in conjunction with geophysical data and deep soil coring, to investigate the subsurface structure and sedimentology in the Nile Valley next to these pyramids. We identify segments of a major extinct Nile branch, which we name The Ahramat Branch, running at the foothills of the Western Desert Plateau, where the majority of the pyramids lie. Many of the pyramids, dating to the Old and Middle Kingdoms, have causeways that lead to the branch and terminate with Valley Temples which may have acted as river harbors along it in the past. We suggest that The Ahramat Branch played a role in the monuments' construction and that it was simultaneously active and used as a transportation waterway for workmen and building materials to the pyramids' sites.

Data availability

Data for replicating the results of this study are available as supplementary files at: https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Pyramids_Elevations_and_Distances_xlsx/25216259.

Files

Egyptian-pyramid-chain-was-built-along-the-now-abandoned-Ahramat-Nile-Branch.pdf

Files (12.8 MB)

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1038/s43247-024-01379-7
Other
oai:uchicago.tind.io:11811

Funding

National Science Foundation
2114295
Research Momentum Fund, UNCW

UChicago Information

Division(s)
Arts & Humanities Division
Department(s)
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations