Two massive structures near Egypt’s Red Pyramid may be the remains of ancient dams rather than stone transport ramps, according to a new study that proposes the monuments formed part of an extensive water management system more than 4,500 years ago.
The research, published in npj Heritage Science, presents what the authors describe as the first evidence that two giant dams once spanned Wadi Dahshur, alongside a water diversion channel west of the Red Pyramid, which was built during the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu around 2550 BC.
Researchers Xavier Landreau, Guillaume Piton and Sayed Hemeda used satellite imagery, watershed mapping and hydrological analysis to reassess the long stone structures, which have traditionally been interpreted as ramps used to transport building materials.
Instead, the team argues that the structures display the engineering characteristics of dams. Each extends between 600 and 700 metres across the valley and is anchored into the surrounding hillsides, a configuration the researchers say is more consistent with water-retention infrastructure than transport routes.
According to the study, the eastern structure likely functioned as the primary dam, holding back seasonal floodwaters, while the western structure may have served as a secondary check dam. Equipped with what researchers describe as a duckbill-shaped weir, it could have trapped sediment and regulated water flowing into a nearby diversion channel.
Hydrological modelling suggests that Wadi Dahshur was connected to western tributaries of Wadi Taflah, giving the system access to a catchment area of at least 100 square kilometres and possibly as much as 400 square kilometres.
The proposed dams lie close to the Red Pyramid, the world’s first successfully completed smooth-sided pyramid, raising the possibility that the structures played a role in managing water resources during its construction.
The researchers suggest the diversion channel west of the pyramid may have directed water to areas where it was needed for construction activities, although they emphasise that further archaeological investigation will be required to confirm the dams’ function.
If validated, the findings would significantly alter current understanding of ancient Egyptian engineering, indicating that large-scale hydraulic infrastructure formed part of the construction landscape surrounding one of Egypt’s most important Old Kingdom monuments.
The authors note that the study represents an initial interpretation based on remote sensing and landscape analysis. Additional fieldwork and archaeological excavation will be needed to determine the precise date and purpose of the structures and to establish whether they were directly associated with the building of the Red Pyramid.
Sources : Nature
