News Archaeology

Was Egypt’s first pyramid built with hydraulics? The theory may hold water

A water-powered elevator may have hoisted stones for King Djoser’s pyramid. The claim has critics.

Egyptian King Djoser's pyramid rises above a sandy landscape, while sun-tinged clouds cast a golden glow on the scene.

A contested new analysis suggests that Egyptian King Djoser’s nearly 4,700-year-old pyramid, shown here, was built with the help of a water-powered elevator inside the massive structure.

Anton Petrus/Moment/Getty Images

By Bruce Bower

Waterpower may have given a big lift to builders of Egypt’s oldest known pyramid, the nearly 4,700-year-old Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara.