Western Section of the ‘Dry Moat’ Channel Surrounding Step Pyramid Complex in Saqqara in the Light of Ground‐penetrating Radar Prospection

Welc, Fabian; Mieszkowski, Radosław; Trzciński, Jerzy; Kowalczyk, Sebastian

doi:10.1002/arp.1514

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Geologically, the limestone plateau of Saqqara is elevated at 40 to 58 m above sea level (Welc et al, 2015), with geological relief of several metres, dipping at 5 • -7 • to the west, producing an isoclinal bedrock structure. The eastern boundary of the plateau is marked by a high cuesta separating the so-called high desert from the Nile River floodplain below.…”

Section: Significance Of Saqqara Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The eastern boundary of the plateau is marked by a high cuesta separating the so-called high desert from the Nile River floodplain below. The top of the Saqqara plateau is composed of carbonate rocks of the Upper Eocene (Welc et al, 2015), overlain by a thin layer of Quaternary sediments. The Upper Eocene bedrock is hard and compact, light-creamy to brownish sandy-pelitic limestones interbedded with soft and poorly compact marly limestone.…”

Section: Significance Of Saqqara Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The discovery of the tomb of the Great Army General Iwrhya: A quasi 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Saqqara, Giza, Egypt

Aguizy

Gobashy

Metwally

et al. 2020

Contrib. Geophys. Geod.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A quasi 3D electrical resistivity (ERT) survey was undertaken at a UNESCO World Heritage site, Saqqara, Giza, Egypt, during a joint archaeological-geophysical mission from Cairo University. The main objective is to detect the locations of the subsurface archaeological tombs/or crypts and to allocate any possible archaeological bodies/features buried underneath the study area. In this survey, SYSCAL Pro system with 24 electrodes and a multi-core cable is used for automatic data acquisition of profiling data. The dipole–dipole array was used to enhance resolution, 14 resistivity lines are conducted during this Survey. The processed data were analysed in order to produce resistivity tomography (ERT) for qualitative and quantitative interpretations. Inversion of the ERT data identified variation of resistivity values and the expected locations of the underground galleries and highlight the presence of regular shape structures probably due to features of archaeological interest. Excavations made accordingly in the study area led to an interesting discovery of a tomb of the Great Army General, Iwrhya. The tomb is approximately 2000 years old as it covers the reigns of both Kings Seth I and Ramesses II. Using the 3D resistivity tomography with such a multi-electrode technique proved its efficiency and applicability for non-invasive archaeo-geophysical prospecting.

show abstract

Section: Significance Of Saqqara Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Significance Of Saqqara Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

The discovery of the tomb of the Great Army General Iwrhya: A quasi 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Saqqara, Giza, Egypt

Aguizy

Gobashy

Metwally

et al. 2020

Contrib. Geophys. Geod.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…20.A Ground Penetrating Radar survey on the western section of the ‘dry moat’ discovered similar dakka deposits, although these were dated by the researchers to 4300–4200 bp (Welc et al 2015, 299).…”

Section: Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Environmental Factors in the Early Development of Egyptian Stone Architecture

Wong

2020

CAJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Much detail regarding the early development of stone architecture in Egypt remains unclear. Prevailing studies tend to focus on the contribution of religious and socio-economic factors, but the role of environmental elements should not be understated. For much of the First Dynasty, innovation in stone architecture was driven by developments in the private realm, a result of favourable geology in Lower Egypt. Meanwhile, multiple strands of evidence suggest that Egypt experienced wetter climatic conditions during the Early Dynastic period and the Old Kingdom. This would have had major implications on both the production of mudbrick and the short-term durability of mudbrick structures. It is argued that these environmental factors played a key role in facilitating and accelerating the rise of stone architecture in Egypt.

show abstract

On the possible use of hydraulic force to assist with building the step pyramid of saqqara

Landreau,

Piton,

Morin

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, Egypt, is considered the oldest of the seven monumental pyramids built about 4,500 years ago. From transdisciplinary analysis, it was discovered that a hydraulic lift may have been used to build the pyramid. Based on our mapping of the nearby watersheds, we show that one of the unexplained massive Saqqara structures, the Gisr el-Mudir enclosure, has the features of a check dam with the intent to trap sediment and water. The topography beyond the dam suggests a possible ephemeral lake west of the Djoser complex and water flow inside the ’Dry Moat’ surrounding it. In the southern section of the moat, we show that the monumental linear rock-cut structure consisting of successive, deep compartments combines the technical requirements of a water treatment facility: a settling basin, a retention basin, and a purification system. Together, the Gisr el-Mudir and the Dry Moat’s inner south section work as a unified hydraulic system that improves water quality and regulates flow for practical purposes and human needs. Finally, we identified that the Step Pyramid’s internal architecture is consistent with a hydraulic elevation mechanism never reported before. The ancient architects may have raised the stones from the pyramid centre in a volcano fashion using the sediment-free water from the Dry Moat’s south section. Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics through canals for irrigation purposes and barges to transport huge stones. This work opens a new line of research: the use of hydraulic force to erect the massive structures built by Pharaohs.

show abstract

Western Section of the ‘Dry Moat’ Channel Surrounding Step Pyramid Complex in Saqqara in the Light of Ground‐penetrating Radar Prospection

Abstract: The Dry Moat is one of the most impressive and at the same time puzzling architectonic structure preserved within the famous royal necropolis at Saqqara, Egypt. It is a rock-hewn ditch about 40 m wide and of variable depth, which sur-

Cited by 4 publications

References 13 publications

The discovery of the tomb of the Great Army General Iwrhya: A quasi 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Saqqara, Giza, Egypt

The discovery of the tomb of the Great Army General Iwrhya: A quasi 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Saqqara, Giza, Egypt

The Role of Environmental Factors in the Early Development of Egyptian Stone Architecture

On the possible use of hydraulic force to assist with building the step pyramid of saqqara

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About