The pyramid builders' waterways: Reconstructing the ancient topography of Khufu’s Pharaonic Harbour at Giza, Egypt

International audienceThis article describes the location and sedimentary environments of the Khufu harbour in Giza, Egypt, with the aim of reconstructing its palaeoenvironmental evolution during the Old Kingdom (2686–2160 BCE). We use chronostratigraphy and sedimentology to elucidate the site’s Holocene sedimentary units and compare and contrast the results with previous studies. Our research provides new insights into the palaeogeography of the Giza floodplain during the 4th Dynasty (2613–2494 BCE), including its impacts on the settlement patterns and cultural practices of the ancient Egyptians and their interactions with the natural environment. The findings provide valuable information for understanding the history and archaeology of the Giza area and contribute to ongoing efforts to preserve and interpret the cultural heritage of ancient Egypt

Nile waterscapes facilitated the construction of the Giza pyramids during the 3rd millennium BCE

International audienceThe pyramids of Giza originally overlooked a now defunct arm of the Nile. This fluvial channel, the Khufu branch, enabled navigation to the Pyramid Harbor complex but its precise environmental history is unclear. To fill this knowledge gap, we use pollen-derived vegetation patterns to reconstruct 8,000 y of fluvial variations on the Giza floodplain. After a high-stand level concomitant with the African Humid Period, our results show that Giza’s waterscapes responded to a gradual insolation-driven aridification of East Africa, with the lowest Nile levels recorded at the end of the Dynastic Period. The Khufu branch remained at a high-water level (∼40% of its Holocene maximum) during the reigns of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, facilitating the transportation of construction materials to the Giza Pyramid Complex

Feeding the pyramid builders: Early agriculture at Giza in Egypt

International audienceWhile the exact technical processes employed in the construction of the pyramids are still a subject of ongoing debate, it is widely recognized that the Giza Plateau served as a hub where various trades converged with the common objective of building the necropolis. Of particular importance was the development of a local and sustainable food supply for the thousands of laborers involved in this monumental undertaking. Here, we explore the long-term behavioural mechanisms that led human societies to gradually colonize the Nile swamps at Giza. They developed herding and farming, paving the way for greater human exploitation of the area during the Dynastic Egypt. We show that transhumance tribes, originally from the Eastern Sahara, settled along the Giza Plateau 5200 years ago, primarilyengaging in herding and, more sporadically, agriculture. Giza was transformed into a pastoral landscape, with the development of large swaths of the floodplain, providing societies with permanent access to livestock produce (e.g. proteins, milk, meat and wool). Our palaeoecological data reveal that the initial complex societies at Giza were deeply rooted in transhumance, pastoralism and animal husbandry. These activities played a fundamental role in establishing the foundations of a robust and sustainable food system, while also serving as a crucial logistical support for the subsequent construction of the monumental structures that celebrated the grandeur of pharaonic Egypt