Student Article
Lost Nile River Branch May Explain How the Great Pyramids Were Built
Pyramid (noun): A large stone building with a square base and pointed top, often used as a tomb in ancient Egypt.
Drought (noun): A long time with little or no rain.
Radar (noun): A system that uses radio waves to find objects.
Let’s learn how the Egyptians built the pyramids!
A new clue buried under the sand
A long time ago, people in Egypt built huge stone buildings called pyramids. They did this without big machines like we have today! So, how did they move the giant rocks that could weigh as much as 20,000 pounds (10 tons)?
A long-lost branch of the Nile
Scientists think they’ve found the answer. They found a secret river under the sand. This river used to be part of the Nile, Egypt’s big river. It was called the Ahramat Branch, and it was about 40 miles (64 km) long and over 1,600 feet (about 500 meters) wide.
Boats instead of dragging stones
Long ago, this river flowed close to where many pyramids were built. The Egyptians may have used boats on this river to bring big rocks right to the building sites! This would make their job much easier.
The river dried up at the right time
This old river dried up a long time ago during a big drought. But scientists used special tools like radar to find it under the sand. They also looked at the dirt and rocks to learn more.
Smart science and smart Egyptians
Now we know the Egyptians were smart builders — and they used nature to help them!
© Tom Howarth / Our Media
Pyramid (noun): A large stone building with a square base and pointed top, often used as a tomb in ancient Egypt.
Drought (noun): A long time with little or no rain.
Radar (noun): A system that uses radio waves to find objects.