Two new and probably extremely old pyramids (if those words make sense?), 1,000 tombs, and 3,000 settlements have been discovered in Egypt, buried beneath the soil and sand, but visible to satellite infra-red imaging.
[url]BBC News - Egyptian pyramids found by infra-red satellite images[/url]
"To excavate a pyramid is the dream of every archaeologist," says Dr Sarah Parcak.
She has pioneered the work in space archaeology from a Nasa-sponsored laboratory in Birmingham, Alabama and says she was amazed at how much she and her team have found.
An infra-red satellite image shows a buried pyramid, located in the centre of the highlight box. "We were very intensely doing this research for over a year. I could see the data as it was emerging, but for me the "A-Ha" moment was when I could step back and look at everything that we'd found and I couldn't believe we could locate so many sites all over Egypt."
There's a TV documentary on this next Monday. And it may only be the beginning of such research as many structures will be buried deeper. Exciting times for Egyptology.
V
I noticed that yesterday , was excited myself, so the archeologists must be like a dog with 2 tails
Outstanding!
Yes, outstanding. I get the impression that though virtually all ancient Egyptian tombs have long-since been raided, before modern times, many of these, being buried beneath soil or sand naturally, may be untouched ....
I also get the impression there's a lot more there, or the culture was larger - more people and settlements - than had been realised.
V
Very exciting indeed!! Hope the programme does it all justice. I often find they put things forward as interesting, then when the programme comes out I am disappointed as it tells one very little.
Amazing to think all that evidence of civilisation is still out there to be uncovered! About 8000BC apparently the sahara was savannah grassland and had plentiful rainfall. I always thought that a young civilisation couldn't have constructed the pyramids - it had to be one that had matured.
I shall not be missing the programme however. 😀