Tag Archives: pyramids

Unearthing Puzzling Skeletons: How They Could Change the Narrative of Our Pyramids

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Throughout history, it was believed that only the elite were buried in the pyramids. Recent discoveries of ancient skeletons, however, have challenged this notion.

New research has revealed insights from analyzing the remains found in Tombos, an archaeological site in Sudan near Egypt.

About 3,500 years ago, Tombos, located in Nubia along the Nile River, was captured by Egyptian Pharaoh Tutmose I. Archaeologists studied the skeletons from various burial sites to identify muscle and ligament attachment marks, known as Entele’s Changes, discerning levels of physical activity.

“These changes don’t provide specific details of the individuals’ activities, but they indicate if they were more active or sedentary,” stated Dr. Sarah Schroeder, an Associate Professor of Archaeology at Leiden University, as reported by BBC Science Focus.

Some skeletons exhibited minimal marks, suggesting a sedentary lifestyle typical of wealthy nobles, while others showed signs of physical activity, indicating a working-class background.

This research challenges previous assumptions about the purpose of pyramids, indicating that not all occupants were elites. The study revisits an earlier discovery from 2012 and encourages reevaluation of other pyramid burial sites.

The Mystery of Active Skeletons

Active individuals in these graves may have been workers, servants, or individuals linked to high-status persons, possibly buried to sustain their masters in the afterlife. Alternatively, some speculate they were nobles assuming physical roles to solidify their status.

Dr. Roland Enmark of the University of Liverpool, not involved in the study, posits that non-royals were tomb occupants during that period, including pyramids in their structures.

Unveiling a Complex History

Tombos, a confluence of Egyptian and Nubian cultures, offered a unique setting for archaeological exploration. Discoveries challenge prior beliefs about the residents’ health and life expectancy, presenting a more nuanced social landscape.

The study raises questions for future research, prompting a reevaluation of existing knowledge about pyramid occupants.

About our Experts:

Dr. Sarah Schroeder is an Associate Professor of Archaeology at Leiden University, focusing on human bone archaeology and various aspects of ancient life, such as health, diet, and mobility.

Dr. Roland Enmark, an Egyptologist at the University of Liverpool, specializes in ancient Egyptian and Accadian studies, particularly literary lament.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The mystery of how the pyramids were built could soon be solved

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The mystery of how the Egyptian pyramids were built has puzzled researchers for centuries. Constructed over 4,000 years ago as burial sites for pharaohs, there are still over 100 pyramids remaining. The largest, the Great Pyramid of Giza, originally stood at 147 meters (482 feet) in height.

Comprised of around 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing between 2.5 and 15 tonnes, the construction required innovative methods to transport and lift the heavy stones. Different theories exist among scientists regarding the techniques used to achieve such great heights,” says Dr. Eman Ghoneim, a Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the United States.

Eman Ghoneim on Egypt's Giza Plateau with the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure – Photo credit: UNCW/Eman Ghoneim

Recent research has shed light on some aspects of pyramid construction. One prevailing theory suggests the use of ramps to move the stones, supported by the discovery of sloped structures near some pyramids. Dr. Roland Enmarch, a Senior Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, and his team unearthed groundbreaking evidence of quarry ramps in eastern Egypt used in pyramid construction.

Construction schedules were also crucial in the building of pyramids. It is believed that the Great Pyramid of Giza took 20 years to complete, starting at the beginning of a pharaoh’s reign. Archaeologist Frank Müller-Römer has proposed various ramp designs for pyramid construction, emphasizing the importance of multiple ramps placed along the exterior of the structure.

Construction Schedule

Various techniques like levers, cranes, and pulleys were likely employed in addition to ramps. In a study by Xavier Landreau and his team in Paris, a hydraulic lift system was proposed as a method to build the Step Pyramid of King Djoser. However, some experts question the feasibility of such systems based on archaeological evidence.

Research using scanning techniques is ongoing to explore the internal structure of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The ScanPyramids project by teams from Egypt and France aims to uncover hidden spaces within the pyramid using advanced imaging technologies.

Identifying Supply Lines

Transporting materials to the construction site was a logistical challenge. Researchers like Dr. Ghoneim and his team used satellite images and ground surveys to uncover ancient tributaries of the Nile River that were crucial for transporting goods to the pyramids. These discoveries shed light on the transportation methods used by ancient Egyptians.

Archaeologists have also unearthed logbooks detailing the construction activities at the Great Pyramids of Giza, dispelling myths of supernatural involvement. Ongoing excavations of workers’ quarters near the pyramids provide insight into the organizational aspects of pyramid construction.

About our experts

Dr. Eman Ghoneim, a professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, specializes in geographic information systems and remote sensing.

Dr. Roland Enmarch, a Senior Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, has extensive experience in ancient Egyptian research.

Frank Muller Roemer, a German archaeologist and Egyptologist, focuses on ancient Egyptian construction and transportation techniques.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Unearthed: Laser Technology Discovers Hidden Mayan City with Stone Pyramids in Mexico

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Archaeologists used a laser-based detection system to discover more than 6,500 Pre-Hispanic structures in Campeche, Mexico, including a previously unknown Mayan city named Valeriana.

Details of the main ruins of Valeriana in Campeche, Mexico. Image credit: Auld-Thomas others., doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.148.

“Our analysis not only revealed a complete picture of densely populated areas, but also revealed a lot of variation,” said Tulane University doctoral student and Northern Arizona University professor. Lecturer Luke Old-Thomas said.

“What we found was not only rural areas and small settlements, but also a town where people had long been actively farming amidst the ruins, right next to the only main road in the area. We also found a large city with pyramids.”

“The government knew nothing about it. The scientific community knew nothing about it.”

“This is an exclamation point after the statement that, no, we haven't discovered everything. Yes, there's still a lot to discover.”

lidar technology It uses laser pulses to measure distance and create a 3D model of a specific area.

This allows scientists to scan vast tracts of land from the comfort of their computer labs, discovering anomalies in the landscape that turn out to be pyramids, family homes, and other examples of Mayan infrastructure. It's done.

“With LIDAR, we can map large areas very quickly and with very high accuracy and level of detail, so we can say, “Wow, there are so many buildings that we don't know about, and they must have a large population.'' ‘It's huge,’ said Old Thomas.

“The counterargument was that lidar surveys were still too constrained to known large sites like Tikal, thus creating a distorted picture of the Maya lowlands.”

“What if the rest of the Maya region is much more rural and what we've mapped so far is the exception rather than the rule?”

The team's results provide compelling evidence of a Maya landscape that was more complex and diverse than previously thought.

“Rider teaches us that, like many other ancient civilizations, the Lowland Maya built a diverse tapestry of towns and communities on a tropical landscape,” said Marcello Canuto, a professor at Tulane University. “I'm grateful for that,” he said.

“Some areas have vast expanses of farmland and are densely populated, while others have only small communities.”

“Nevertheless, we can now see how much the ancient Maya modified their environment to support a long-lasting and complex society.”

a paper The findings were published in the journal October 29, 2024. ancient.

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luke old-thomas others. 2024. Running out of space: Environmental riders and the crowded ancient landscape of Campeche, Mexico. ancient 98 (401): 1340-1358;doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.148

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists are on the verge of uncovering the secrets behind the construction of Egypt’s ancient pyramids.

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A recent study published in July suggests that Egypt’s oldest pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, may have been constructed using advanced technology. The study proposes that a hydraulic lift system was used during the construction of the pyramid to raise the massive blocks needed for its construction.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser was built as the final resting place of King Djoser, the first or second pharaoh of Egypt’s Third Dynasty during the Old Kingdom, around 4,700 years ago. The pyramid rises in six tiers to a height of 62 meters above the Saqqara plateau, equivalent to the height of a 14-storey building.

If proven true, the existence of this hydraulic lift system would offer an explanation for how the ancient Egyptians were able to construct such monumental structures with the technology available at the time. The study also suggests that a nearby enclosure, known as Gisr el-Mudir, may have served as a “check dam” to capture water and sediment, supporting the hydraulic system.

Map of the Saqqara plateau showing the waterway from the Gisr el-Mudir Dam to the water treatment facility near the Pyramid of Djoser. The water is then routed to the pyramid’s pipe network to power the hydraulic elevators. – Image courtesy of Paléotechnique, Paris, France

The study proposes that a sophisticated system of water treatment plants outside the pyramid combined with the Gisr el-Mudir and a ditch controlled water quality and flow. Water would flow into a shaft inside the pyramid where a float system potentially carried building stones to their needed locations. A plug system at the base of the shaft could then drain the water for the process to start again.

Xavier Landreau, president of Paleotechnique and lead author of the study, emphasizes the importance of this discovery in questioning established historical narratives and the technical knowledge possessed by the ancient Egyptian architects. The study also raises the intriguing question of whether the same hydraulic system used to construct the pyramid could have been used to bury the king in his final resting place within the pyramid.

About the Experts

Xavier Landreau: President of Paleotechnique and lead author of the study. Paleotechnique is a research practice that combines hydrology, geotechnical engineering, physics, mathematics, materials science, and history to explore the origins of civilization.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com