A geological survey has uncovered the remains of a major tributary of the River Nile that ancient Egyptians may have used to transport the enormous stones of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
One of the ancient wonders of the world, the Giza pyramid complex is the northernmost site in an Egyptian region where there is a high concentration of pyramids — around 32.
Today, these sites are kilometres from the River Nile, but in the time of the pharaohs, it was much closer.
Using satellite imagery and geological data, a new study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment confirmed the Nile used to run near many of these major sites in the region several thousand years ago.
The ancient river, dubbed the Ahramat Branch which means 'pyramid' in Arabic, was similar in width and depth to the modern Nile, making the 64km long waterway "pivotal" to construction and trade in the Old Kingdom.
"The large size and extended length of the Ahramat Branch and its proximity to the 31 pyramids in the study area strongly suggests a functional waterway of great importance," lead study author Eman Ghoneim told CNN.
She said the river would have played a key role in ancient Egyptians' transportation of the enormous amount of building materials and labourers needed for the pyramids' construction.
"Also, our research shows that many of the pyramids in the study area have a causeway, a ceremonial raised walkway, that runs perpendicular to the course of the Ahramat Branch and terminates directly on its riverbank."
The first of its kind study completes an "important part of the past landscape puzzle," said geographer Nick Marriner in an interview with CNN.
"By putting together these pieces we can gain a clearer picture of what the Nile floodplain looked like at the time of the pyramid builders and how the ancient Egyptians harnessed their environments to transport building materials for their monumental construction endeavours."
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