WHO ACTUALLY CAME BEFORE THE EGYPTIANS?

WHO ACTUALLY CAME BEFORE THE EGYPTIANS?

When you dig deep into Egyptian history, it’s obvious that their civilization didn’t just spring up out of nowhere. It’s clear that some of their most stunning achievements were crafted early on, indicating they leaned heavily on the technological innovations of a previous civilization that inhabited the same area. Take a look at the evidence. 

The infamous Step Pyramid of Djoser, hailed as the birth of pyramid construction, was erected around 2,630 BCE by the architect Imhotep for Pharaoh Djoser. This first pyramid had a well-documented constructor and timeline, providing a solid framework for dating other pyramids. 

Now, if we were to find a pyramid in Egypt that predates the Step Pyramid, we would face an explosive revelation: that structure could not be considered "Egyptian" in the way we understand it. Instead, it would be a product of a civilization that predated the pharaohs, who would later seize and co-opt it as their own. Recent scientific discoveries bolster this tantalizing hypothesis.

A groundbreaking study from the Department of Archaeometry at the University of the Aegean in Greece utilized Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) to date limestone from the temple of Qasr-el-Sagha back to around 5550 BCE, with an average of 4700 ± 850 BCE. This staggering evidence implies that this temple could be as much as 3,000 years older than Djoser’s Pyramid.

The red granite covering the Small Pyramid (Pyramid of Mycerinus) also underwent similar testing, revealing it could date as far back as 4,400 BCE, averaging around 3450 ± 950 BCE. This outer layer could have potentially been placed 2,000 years before the Step Pyramid, screaming that the core structure could be even more ancient.

So, who were the minds behind these monumental edifices? It’s becoming painfully clear that the early Egyptians, the ones we have glorified in history, were merely inheritors, not the original creators. They built upon the fragile remnants of a civilization that came before them, leaving us to question the true genesis of these awe-inspiring achievements.