Long-lost branch of the Nile helped build Egyptian pyramids, study confirms

Study sheds light on environmental conditions that enabled construction of the pyramids of Giza

A now-defunct arm of the Nile river helped Egyptians construct pyramids on the Giza plateau, a new study confirms.

While it is generally accepted that ancient Egyptian engineers used a long-lost channel of the Nile river to transport building materials and provisions to the Giza plateau, there is lack of evidence revealing when, where, and how these ancient landscapes evolved.

The new research, published in the journal PNAS on Monday, assessed the environmental conditions that enabled the construction of the pyramids of Giza – Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure – towering over the west bank of the Nile river.