Egyptian archaeologists have identified part of a 40-mile-long extinct tributary of the Nile that they have named the Aphraamat tributary. The tributary flows beneath the Western Desert plateau, where most of the ancient Egyptian pyramids lie. Many of the pyramids dating from the Old and Middle Kingdoms have causeways leading to the tributary, leading to valley temples that likely once served as river ports along the tributary. Researchers suggest that the Aphraamat tributary played a role in the construction of the structures and was simultaneously active and used as a waterway to transport workers and building materials to the pyramid ruins.
Waterway of the ancient Ahramat tributary of the Nile.Image credit: Goneim others., doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01379-7.
Egypt's pyramid region, between Giza and Lisht, was built over nearly 1,000 years, starting about 4,700 years ago, and sits on the edge of the rugged Western Desert, now part of the Sahara desert.
Sedimentary evidence suggests that the Nile once had a much higher flow rate, and that the river split into several tributaries in places.
Archaeologists had previously speculated that one of these branches may have flown by the pyramid fields, but this has not been confirmed.
Studying satellite images, Dr. Eman Ghonaim of the University of North Carolina Wilmington and his colleagues found a possible site of a former river tributary that ran along the foothills of the Western Desert Plateau, very close to the Pyramid Area.
The researchers then used geophysical surveys and sediment cores to confirm the presence of river deposits and a former waterway beneath the current surface, indicating the existence of a former tributary, which they propose to name Ahramat (Arabic for “pyramid”).
They suggest that increased accumulation of wind-blown sand associated with a major drought that began about 4,200 years ago may be one cause for this branch's eastward migration and eventual siltation. It suggests that there is a gender.
This discovery may explain why these pyramid fields were concentrated in this particular desert region near the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. This is because when the Pyramid Field was built, it would have been easily accessible through a tributary of the river.
In addition, the authors found that many of the pyramids had causeways that ended on the planned banks of the Ahramat tributary, suggesting that this is evidence that the river was used to transport construction materials. .
According to the authors, the findings demonstrate once again the importance of the Nile as a highway and cultural artery for ancient Egyptians, and shed light on how human societies have historically been affected by environmental change. It is said that it highlights the
Future research to find more extinct Nile tributaries could help prioritize archaeological excavations along the banks of the Nile and protect Egypt's cultural heritage.
“Uncovering this extinct Nile tributary will give us a more refined idea of where ancient settlements may have been in relation to this tributary, and how many have been lost to rapid urbanization.” “can be prevented,” the scientists said.
“This could improve protection measures for Egypt’s cultural heritage.”
“We hope that our findings will improve conservation measures and increase awareness of these sites in modern development planning.”
“Understanding the Nile floodplain landscape and its environmental history will improve archaeologists' ability to prioritize sites for field investigations, thereby increasing awareness of these sites for conservation purposes and contemporary development planning.”
“Our discovery fills a much-needed knowledge gap in relation to Ancient Egypt's dominant waterscape, which could help inform and educate a wide audience around the world about how the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt lived and how human activities have led to changes in their landscapes in such an iconic region.”
of the team paper It was published in the magazine Communication Earth and Environment.
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E. Ghoneim others. 2024. Egypt's pyramid chain was built along the now-abandoned Ahuramat Nile tributary. community global environment 5,233; doi: 10.1038/s43247-024-01379-7
Source: www.sci.news
