The Incredible Hydraulic Lifting Machines of Ancient Egypt

What if the oldest stone pyramid in Egypt wasn’t just a tomb… but a machine? In this in-depth investigation, we explore a groundbreaking theory originally presented by a 2024 research team — that the Djoser pyramid complex at Saqqara contains one of the earliest examples of hydraulic engineering in human history. This isn’t just about dragging blocks up ramps. It’s about underground shafts, granite plugs, regulated flood control, and an industrial-level understanding of water management in 3rd Dynasty Egypt. Using my background in fabrication and mechanical systems — and a lifetime of hands-on work building and moving everything you might on a farm— I break down the engineering behind what may have been a functional hydraulic lifting system used to raise massive stone blocks. This video walks you through each step of the design: the water-fed deep trench system, the 28-meter-deep shafts, the interconnected granite boxes, and the use of water to elevate a floating platform. We’ll examine the check dam theory at Gisr el-Mudir, the underestimated sophistication of ancient Egyptian canal systems, and the compelling scrape marks and locking beams inside the north shaft that suggest repetitive mechanical movement. This isn’t speculation — it’s testable, replicable, and based on observable physical clues at the site. By the end of this video, you’ll have a whole new perspective on pyramid construction — not as a mystery solved by brute force or aliens, but as a triumph of early civil engineering and systems thinking. Whether you’re a student of ancient history, a lover of practical mechanics, or just fascinated by lost knowledge, this video is going to change how you see Egypt forever. After the presentation watch at the end where I go over some of the issues I personally found with the theory as a whole, what I plan to do next in solving this mystery and possible other explanations. Intellectual honesty is important and this is a very complex subject. I hope you enjoyed it. 🎬 Watch now and join the expedition into the hidden hydraulics of Djoser. What do you think? Ancient Machine, robber trap, water filtration, just a tomb, or some combination of those? Let me know in the comments! Reference List: Visuals generated by SORA: Main Research Paper: Landreau X, Piton G, Morin G, Bartout P, Touchart L, Giraud C, et al. (2024) On the possible use of hydraulic force to assist with building the step pyramid of saqqara. PLoS ONE 19(8): e0306690. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.... Historical Map Imagery: https://www.davidrumsey.com/ Satellite Maps: Google Earth 1.Monnier F. L’ère des géants: une description détaillée des grandes pyramides d’Egypte: Éditions De Boccard; 2017. 2.Monnier F. Le mégalithisme appareillé dans les pyramides. Egypte, Afrique et Orient 2021:101. View ArticleGoogle Scholar 3.Lauer J-P. Histoire monumentale des pyramides d’Egypte. T. 1. Les pyramides à degrés (III. dynastie). 1–2. Bibliothèque d’étude. 1962. 4.Muller J-F. L’extraordinaire développement de l’Égypte au cours des IIIe et IVe dynasties (2680–2470 avant J.-C.). Conférence Hors Les Murs: Mémoires de l’Académie Nationale de Metz; 2011. p. 291–317. 5.Arnold D. Building in Egypt: pharaonic stone masonry: Oxford University Press, USA; 1991. 6.Stadelmann R. Die ägyptischen Pyramiden. Vom Ziegelbau zum Weltwunder. 1985;19922:147. View ArticleGoogle Scholar 7.Arnold D. The Pyramid Complex of Senwosret I. Expedition TMMoAE, editor. New York1992. 8.Gourdon Y, Goher Sae-M, Blond N, Crépy M, Farout D, Gaber M, et al. Hatnoub (2021). Bulletin archéologique des Écoles françaises à l’étranger. 2022:25 p. View ArticleGoogle Scholar 9.de Haan HJ. The large Egyptian pyramids: modelling a complex engineering project: BAR Publishing; 2010. 10.Nicholson PT, Shaw I. Ancient Egyptian materials and technology: Cambridge university press; 2000. 11.Butzer KW. Early Hydraulic Civilization in Egypt. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 1976. 12.Lehner M. The complete pyramids. London: Thames & Hudson 2001. 13: Excavations at Saqqara (1905-1914) by Quibell, James Edward, 1867-1935; Lacau, Pierre, 1873-1963; Thompson, Herbert, Sir, bart., 1859-1944; Spiegelberg, Wilhelm, 1870-1930 14: Welc, F., Mieszkowski, R., Trzciński, J., & Kowalczyk, S. (2015). Western section of the ‘Dry moat’ channel surrounding step pyramid complex in Saqqara in the light of ground‐penetrating radar prospection. Archaeological Prospection, 22(4), 293-305. https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.1514 #AncientEgypt #PyramidEngineering #Djoser #Saqqara #Egyptology #LostTechnology #AncientMysteries #HydraulicEngineering #Archaeology #MegalithicStructures #AncientMechanisms #HistoryDocumentary #YouTubeHistory #EngineeringHistory #HiddenHistory #AncientWaterTech #OldKingdom #ancientinnovation #ancientcivilization