Hidden Egyptian canal route uncovered: 18-10-2007
Archaeologists uncovering an Egyptian canal believe that they may have discovered a waterway that linked directly with the river Nile, which would have been used to transport stone monuments from the quarries where they were created to their installation points.
Although the 8ft-deep canal was initially discovered five years ago on the east bank of the Nile in Aswan City in an obelisk quarry, experts were unsure if it directly connected to the Nile and what its purpose was.
The route remained a mystery for a long time, as a cemetery and tourist facilities barred the way to further excavation.
But using soil temperature readings and shallow seismic reflection, researchers believe they have been able to trace the canal's probable route and have speculated as to its use.
"The temperature readings, taken in spring and winter, did establish that the canal continued another 495ft past the aborted excavations," Dr Richard Parizek, professor of geology and geo-environmental engineering at Penn state university, explained.
"We did not go any further because we were at the boundary of the antiquities site and would have entered the cemetery."
"Transporting huge granite monoliths by boat to the Nile during the annual flood would appear to be easier than having to transport these blocks overland from the quarry to the Nile," he added.
Egyptologists and visitors to Egypt have long wondered how heavy stones reached their permanent places without access to modern technology.
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