A new study reconstructed the flow of the Khufu branch of the Nile River going back 8,000 years by analyzing fossilized pollen found in sediment cores. They found flowering grasses and marsh plants, indicating that, while the Nile is currently about four miles away, water levels were once high enough that this branch would have been very near to the pyramid complex. And since the timing coincides with the accepted dating of the pyramids, researchers believe that the Khufu branch may have been used to carry stones to the building site. This is backed up by the Wadi al-Jarf papyri, which described the transport of stone to Giza via the Nile. According to the study, “The Khufu branch remained during the reigns of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, facilitating the transportation of construction materials to the Giza Pyramid Complex.”
I'd also be excited about a waterslide! Very cool about the excavations at Bilsk, too. I know some of it was excavated years ago, but it's huge and I'm glad they're still finding interesting Scythian-related stuff there. And I call bs on that Neolithic seal. No matter how hard you squint, that's never gonna be horned animal heads. Sometimes I think archaeologists just make stuff up because they can :-\
Great to see and hear you on the video. Hope that continues.
Thanks, Pat! It has been a lot of fun. Definitely plan to keep it up 😀
I'd also be excited about a waterslide! Very cool about the excavations at Bilsk, too. I know some of it was excavated years ago, but it's huge and I'm glad they're still finding interesting Scythian-related stuff there. And I call bs on that Neolithic seal. No matter how hard you squint, that's never gonna be horned animal heads. Sometimes I think archaeologists just make stuff up because they can :-\
Haha, yeah I've wondered the same thing 😀 Happens all the time with cave paintings — "This blob here is a [insert way-too-specific type of animal]".