Long-lost Nile river branch extremely crucial in construction of Egyptian Pyramids, reveals study
Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) at the Giza Pyramids Necropolis on the outskirts of Giza
Scientists may have uncovered the mystery behind how the ancient Egyptians transported the gigantic stone blocks that were required for the construction of famous pyramids after they unearthed a long-buried branch of the Nile river that in the past flowed alongside over 30 of these well-known structures.
The river branch, approximately 64 kilometres long, ran by the famous Giza pyramid complex among other wonders.
It was concealed under desert and farmland for millennia, said the study that unveiled the discovery on Thursday (May 16).
The presence of the river would unveil the mystery behind how the 31 pyramids were constructed in line alongside a now barren desert strip in the Nile Valley between 4,700 and 3,700 years ago.
The strip in the vicinity of the Egyptian capital of Memphis comprises the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is the only structure remaining out of the seven wonders of the ancient world, along with the Khafre, Cheops and Mykerinos pyramids.
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The researchers had earlier thought that the ancient Egyptians would have made use of a waterway close by to transport the enormous materials that were used to construct the pyramids.
"But nobody was certain of the location, the shape, the size or proximity of this mega waterway to the actual pyramids site," news agency AFP quoted lead study author Eman Ghoneim of the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the United States as saying.
The international team of researchers dubbed the river branch Ahramat, called "pyramids" in Arabic, andmade use of radar satellite imagery in order to map it.
Radar gave them the "unique ability to penetrate the sand surface and produce images of hidden features including buried rivers and ancient structures," Ghoneim said.
A study conducted on the field and cores of sediment obtained from the site confirmed the presence of the river, as per the study in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.
(With inputs from agencies)