Experts use space to finally discover how Ancient Egypt’s pyramids were built

The Pyramids of Giza have a remarkable and wondrous history. And now a huge discovery about the Ancient Egyptian landmarks has been discovered - using space.

Built thousands of years ago, the Giza Necropolis were constructed over a number of decades giving us the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure.

Millions visit these ancient constructions, built between 2,600 BC and 2,500 BC, every single year with them officially an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With their status in humanity's history they have formed a huge spot in the Western world's psyche when it comes to symbolising Ancient Egypt, acting as the foundation for many pieces of work, from literature to TV and film.

And despite academics studying Egyptology for centuries at this point, recent weeks have seen new secrets from Ancient Egypt uncovered by teams that continue to investigate the period of time.

Just this week, divers in the River Nile discovered hidden gems dating back thousands of years.

In a statement issued by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the office said investigators have found 'a number of paintings, carvings and miniatures of the kings of Amenhoteb III, Hattmes IV, Basmatic II and Epis' during their archaeological work.

This find itself comes only a week after a hidden burial tomb was found in a necropolis dating back to 1,880 years before Jesus Christ was born.

One of the biggest mysteries of Ancient Egypt is the Giza complex. And no, it's not to do with the Great Pyramid of Giza having more than four sides (which it does, by the way).

The Great Pyramid of Giza and Sphinx (Getty Stock Images)

Instead, it is the ongoing question over how exactly were the Giza complex's pyramids built.

Dr Eman Ghoneim, a Egyptian American geomorphologist (someone who studies the Earth's surface and how it is shaped), published her landmark discovery showing that an ancient branch of the River Nile could have been used to transform the area and help build the pyramids.

The River Nile is nearby to the complex but still sits around 10 kilometres from the Pyramids of Giza.

Under Dr Ghoneim's research, satellite imagery has led her to theorise that a now dry section of the Nile that ran through Giza would have been used to bring the materials needed to build the structures.

The now dry branch of the Nile along which numerous pyramids were built (Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics)

She says it would also explain why the pyramids are clustered, with it having easy transport access compared to other sites of importance in Ancient Egypt.

Used radar satellite data from space to study the Nile Valley, Dr Ghoneim's research shows an 'invisible world of information beneath the surface'.

Dubbed the Ahramat Branch of the Nile, it is a 64 kilometre long branch of the river that runs from the foothills of the Western Desert Plateau. This is a region of Egypt where the majority of the ancient Egyptian pyramids are located.

Writing in the Communications Earth & Environment scientific journal, Dr Ghoneim says: "Imagery and radar high-resolution elevation data for the Nile floodplain and its desert margins, between south Lisht and the Giza Plateau area, provide evidence for the existence of segments of a major ancient river branch bordering 31 pyramids dating from the Old Kingdom to Second Intermediate Period (2686−1649 BCE) and spanning between Dynasties 3–13.

"This extinct branch is referred to hereafter as the Ahramat Branch, meaning the 'Pyramids Branch' in Arabic."

The Giza Necropolis from above (DigitalGlobe via Getty Images via Getty Images)

She adds: "The enormity of this branch and its proximity to the pyramid complexes, in addition to the fact that the pyramids’ causeways terminate at its riverbank, all imply that this branch was active and operational during the construction phase of these pyramids.

"This waterway would have connected important locations in ancient Egypt, including cities and towns, and therefore, played an important role in the cultural landscape of the region."

Ghoneim is unable to fully verify her work saying that without confirmation the river was active during the construction phases of the pyramids, meaning it remains a strong hypothesis at this stage.

Even if it can't quite be pinned down, the uncovered evidence and balance of probabilities remains incredibly exciting.