Archaeology & History

Experts to conduct new scans of the pyramids

By T.K. Randall
October 29, 2015

Image: The Mortuary Complex of Menkaure, Egypt
Credit: Noureddin Abdulbari / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) Experts from Egypt, France, Canada and Japan have launched a renewed effort to hunt down the secrets of Egypt's archaeological wonders by searching for hidden tombs and chambers within two of the pyramids at Giza and two of the Dahshur pyramids to the south of Cairo.

Known as "Scan Pyramids", the project will employ a combination of infra-red and muon scanning technologies to help map these ancient structures in more detail than ever before.

The same techniques could even be used to seek out evidence of hidden chambers within the tomb of King Tutanhuman where archaeologist Nicholas Reeves believes Queen Nefertiti may be buried."This special group will study these pyramids to see whether there are still any hidden chambers or other secrets," said Minister of Antiquities Mamduh al-Damati. "These engineers and architects will conduct the survey using non-destructive technology that will not harm the pyramids."

Dating back over 4,000 years, the huge stone monuments built by the ancient Egyptians remain some of the most impressive and significant archaeological structures on the planet.

"The idea is to find the solution to the mystery of the pyramids," said Mehdi Tayoubi of the Parisian HIP Institute. "A similar attempt was made 30 years ago, but this is the first project at a global level using cutting-edge technology to look inside the pyramids."

Source: Times of Israel

Tags: Pyramids, Chambers