Western Section of the ‘Dry Moat’ Channel Surrounding Step Pyramid Complex in Saqqara in the Light of Ground‐penetrating Radar Prospection

AbstractThe Dry Moat is one of the most impressive and at the same time puzzling architectonic structure preserved within the famous royal necropolis at Saqqara, Egypt. It is a rock‐hewn ditch about 40 m wide and of variable depth, which surrounds the Step Pyramid complex built by Pharaoh Djoser from the Third Dynasty which was the first monumental structure totally built of stone blocks in human history. The function and intention of the Dry Moat remained unknown prior to this study and was unique in the Old Kingdom (ca. 4600–4200 BP). The main focus of the ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) survey conducted in 2012 was recognizing the course of the western section of the Dry Moat and determining the geometry of this structure. The GPR survey confirmed the effectiveness of the GPR method and determined that this vast architectural structure is a ditch surrounding the Step Pyramid. The western section of the Dry Moat was found to have a different geometry than previously thought. The stratigraphy of the infilling beds suggests that it is deeper in the western part than in the eastern one. In the light of conducted GPR prospection it seems likely that the Dry Moat served originally as the huge quarry for material used for construction of the Step Pyramid. It may have also had a secondary function that was purely religious in nature, as has been suggested by some scholars. The Dry Moat seems to be a unique stone work without any known analogies from ancient Egypt. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.