Old Kingdom Egyptians exploited an ancient branch of the Nile in order to construct the Giza pyramids according to new research from the Aix-Marseille University in France.
The team reconstructed an 8,000-year history of the Nile at Giza based on the presence of pollen grains in core samples extracted by drilling into the current floodplain. By identifying the types of plants found at different periods, and relating these plants to their natural environment (marshy ground, dry ground, riverside, etc), the scientists were able to determine the water levels of the now vanished ‘Khufu branch’ over time.
The study suggests that the existence of this branch during the Old Kingdom, together with the development of a system of canals, allowed the Egyptians to transport heavy stone blocks by water close to where these monuments were built.
