The Djoser Pyramid has stood for countless years, watching the rest of the world develop. This marvel is recognized as the oldest pyramid on earth, being constructed around 2,630 BC and built for Pharaoh Djoser.
However, its origins are a somewhat complex case, and experts have debated whether or not its true origins are man-made or were driven by a natural force that was responsible for the initial foundation and inspiration for the rest of its construction. Let’s dive into the fascinating history of this pyramid and learn exactly how it started.
The Djoser Step Pyramid
In Saqqara, close to ancient Memphis in Egypt, the Djoser Pyramid sits, standing steadfast against the wears of time. It has six tiers and four side, as pyramids usually are. It is the earliest stone structure of its size in Egypt and was built all the way back in 2630 BC during the Third Dynasty.
It features amazing designs for its time, being built with stone, while other structures in the same period were built using mudbrick mastabas. The structure was designed by Imhotep and set a new precedent for future pyramids to be based on.
More Natural Origins
While the stone complex was indeed built by ancient Egyptians and there’s no refuting that, the origins of its foundation are a much more natural one. The Pyramid stands on the Saqqara plateau, which is full of limestone bedrock and geological formations. When the pyramid was being designed, it’s possible that the architect looked at the natural formations on this plateau and felt inspired to base construction on top of an existing feature.
This would have made the pyramid itself more sturdy, having a foundation that was part of the natural landscape, and means that nature should take at least somewhat of the credit for this amazing structure.
Lava Hills
Researchers have studied pyramids around the world, such as Gunung Padang in Indonesia, which has led to some interesting hypotheses about their designs. Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences is of the opinion that some the core could have originally been part of a natural lava hill that ancient humans saw and used as a basis for their construction.
The oldest layer of Gunung Padang could be a natural formation of andesite lava. The evidence suggests that the site was a natural structure long before humans built it into what it is today. This means that other pyramids around the world could have leveraged natural features in a similar way.
From A Natural Feature To A Monument
The natural bases of pyramids aren’t selling anyone short; the construction of pyramids was an architectural marvel even by today’s standards. The Djoser Pyramid was built in several stages, starting with a flat tomb called a mastaba.
Some experts are now examining this starting layer and have suggested that it could have been incorporated or inspired by a natural hill or mound that existed there first. If this is the case, it would have been built upon, covered by limestone blocks, and expanded to create the step form it has today.
Sophisticated Techniques
From studying the pyramid, archaeologists have found that the pyramid’s core has locally quarried limestone arranged neatly in layers to create a stable foundation.
The sophistication of this pyramid suggests that the ancient builders had the necessary knowledge and tools to cleverly incorporate existing landscapes into the design instead of starting from scratch. Ramps or even hydraulic lifts could have been used to build it.
Using Hydraulic Lifts
In the case of the Djoser pyramid, there are new proposals suggesting that it was built using hydraulic lifts. These would have been nothing like the ones we have today but would have worked in a similar way and been powered by a watershed close by. This would have helped to raise the enormous limestone efficiently.
Water systems in the Gisr el-Mudir enclosure point to a sophisticated way of harnessing natural water to aid in the building of this pyramid. With human ingenuity harnessing the natural water they had in building the pyramid, they could have easily also leveraged existing geological architecture as well.
Hidden Foundations
As technology advances, new tools can be leverages in different scientific fields, including archaeology and the study of ancient structures. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been a game changer when it comes to the study of the deeper parts of Pyramids. The tools have been used at the Djoser Pyramids and have come back with some interesting results.
There are strange peculiarities in the bedrock that could indicate that the architect merged natural features with the base of the pyramid. Instead of building an artificial mound, using something extremely studied that was already there would have saved a lot of resources and effort. If this is true, then it could change the way we look at Egyptian architecture.
Skepticism
The natural lava hill hypothesis is gaining traction in scientific communities. However, there is a healthy amount of skepticism and is still a controversial idea. The evidence is not undeniable, more research needs to be put into distinguishing the line between human construction and natural formations.
Even at Gunung Padang, the idea is disputed. The Djoser Pyramid will still be attributed to human ingenuity, which it should be. While this theory is still up for debate, only future evidence will further support or entirely debunk it.
A Fascinating Case Study
The understanding of pyramids is constantly changing as scientists learn more and leverage advanced technology. Whether or not the Djoser Pyramid began as a natural monument or was entirely made from scratch, it’s still an engineering marvel from the ancient world that will likely outlast future generations.
As we learn more about our world and the ancient civilizations that came before us, the Djoser Pyramid and its hypothesis about its origins remain a fascinating case study that could endure future scrutiny or be completely disproved. Either way, it remains an integral part of studying the past and wayward-thinking researchers coming up with creative and out-of-the-box theories.
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