Today the pyramid complex at Giza sits kilometers from the Nile River, raising longstanding questions about how ancient builders moved the enormous stones that make up each structure. A new study using radar satellite imagery, geophysical data, and deep soil coring identified a previously unknown ancient branch of the Nile that ran alongside the Giza Pyramids as well as pyramids at sites to the south. The team’s data indicate that, during the era of the pyramids’ construction, the river would have flowed for over 60 kilometers with a maximum width of nearly 700 meters. Having such a substantial waterway right next to the pyramid sites would have drastically simplified the logistics of moving stones and workers during construction. (Image credit: A. Bichler; research credit: E. Ghoneim et al.; via My Modern Met)
Ancient River Branch Discovered Near Giza Pyramids
