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| Reuters Photo |
Melchizedek quite some time ago said we are in a special time in the history of civilization when many of the ancient secrets are going to be revealed through new discoveries and the use of new technologies in archaeology.
Is this exciting story about new discoveries in the Giza pyramid the beginning of the unveiling of new discoveries? If so it will usher in a new era in human history when we begin to discover the long lost secrets of our past.
Thursday, Nov 2nd 2017
Great
Pyramid of Giza's hidden chamber is revealed: Scientists uncover a mysterious
'big void' in Egypt's 4,500-year-old monument that could reveal its ancient
secrets
·
Scientists mapping the Great Pyramid using cosmic-ray
based imaging have found a new secret structure
·
The internal structure is located above the Grand Gallery
- that links two of the Pyramid's chambers
·
It traces a similar route for at least 30 metres (100ft)
and has a volume of 600 cubic metres (20,000 cubic ft)
·
The precise design and purpose of the space is unknown
and it has yet to be reached in person by experts
PUBLISHED: 08:00 EDT, 2
November 2017 | UPDATED: 13:31
EDT, 2 November 2017
·
6.7kshares
A long-hidden narrow void
in the Great Pyramid of Giza has been found by scientists in a discovery that
could finally reveal the secrets of the 4,500-year-old monument.
The void stretches for at
least 30 metres (100ft) above the Grand Gallery - an ascending corridor that
links the Queen’s chamber to the King’s in the heart of the
pyramid.
It is not known why the
void exists or if there are any valuable artefacts inside as it is not
obviously accessible.
But it has similar
dimensions to the Gallery, which is 50 metres (164ft) long, eight metres (26ft)
high and more than a metre (3.2ft) wide.
Researchers suggest it
could be a 'construction gap' - part of a trench that allowed workers to access
the Grand Gallery and King's Chamber while the rest of the pyramid was
built.
The discovery was made
after physicists took images of the inside of the pyramid using particles fired
to Earth from space.
These cosmic particles
penetrate the rock in a similar way to X-rays, only much deeper.
The collaborative effort, between
archaeologists, historians and physicists, has been hailed as the biggest
discovery inside the Giza landmark since the 19th century.
The Great Pyramid of Giza has been shrouded
in mystery for millennia, but now a long-held secret of its structure might be
known thanks to particle physics. An apparent narrow void lying undiscovered
deep within the ancient Wonder of the World has been found by scientists using
cosmic-ray based imaging. An overview of the breakthrough is shown here
WHAT
COULD THE SPACE HAVE BEEN USED FOR?
Because
no one has physically seen inside the void, what it was built for remains a
mystery.
The
researchers say the space has remained hidden since it was first constructed
4,500 years ago.
It
could be one big space, but may also be made up of several chambers or
tunnels.
The
void could be on an incline, which means it could have been used to transport
huge blocks into the centre of the pyramid and was then left.
Researchers
suggest it could also be a 'construction gap' - part of a trench that allowed
workers to access the Grand Gallery and King's Chamber while the rest of the
pyramid was built.
More simply, the void may
have simply been left there to relieve weight from the Grand Gallery below.
Made
under the watch of the Pharaoh Khufu and completed in around 2550 BC, Egypt's
Great Pyramid, or the Pyramid of Giza, served as the world's tallest man-made
construction for thousands of years.
The structure, also known
as Khufu's Pyramid, is the sole survivor of the ancient Seven Wonders of the
World.
How it was built has long
been a bone of academic contention and there is no universal agreement about
its creation.
Scientists say the latest
discovery, published in the journal Nature, could help shed light on its
construction.
To find out more about the
pyramid, researchers from countries including France and Japan began a project
to scan the structure in October 2015.
The scientists made the
discovery using cosmic-ray imaging, recording the behaviour of subatomic
particles called muons that penetrate the rock.
Detectors were set up
inside the pyramid, including in the so-called Queen's Chamber.
This allowed the pyramid's
insides to be seen without physically disturbing it, as the results showed
empty space differently from rock.
The presence of the space,
dubbed the ScanPyramids Big Void, was confirmed using three different detection
technologies over several months after first being spotted, the paper
said.
The results were then
analysed three times.
The ScanPyramids mission is
made up of researchers from Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, the University of
Cario, and the non-profit organisation the Heritage Innovation Preservation
(HIP) Institute.
'ScanPyramids Big Void is
not a room or a chamber - we don't know if it is horizontal or inclined if it
is composed by one or several successive structures, but it's big,' report
author Mehdi Tayoubi, president and co-founder of the HIP Institute, told
MailOnline.
'The Grand Gallery is an
internal spectacular internal structure (47m long, 8m high) a kind of internal
cathedral at the centre of the pyramid.
8
·
Described as a 'deep void', it is at least
about 100 feet long and up to 230 feet above ground, running over the Grand
Gallery. It's function is unknown, and scientists are now hoping a flying robot
could be sent in to uncover its secrets.18
·
The internal structure (white dots in image)
is located above the Grand Gallery - that links two of the pyramid's chambers -
and traces a similar route for at least 30 metres (100ft), according to a study
published in the journal Nature. It could either lie on a horizontal or
inclined (pictured) plane, the scientists said
MUON
DETECTORS
8
Muons are created when cosmic rays react
with the upper atmosphere, producing a shower of particles (artist's
impression), some of which decay into muons
Muon detectors have
previously been used to map out the inside of the Fukushima's nuclear reactor
in Japan and it is hoped they can be used to explore other archaeological
sites.
The detectors work by
using cosmic particles known as muons that have the power to penetrate deeply
into most materials.
The subatomic particles
require only a few special instruments because they rain down naturally from
the atmosphere above.
Muons are created when
the upper atmosphere reacts with cosmic rays, producing a shower of particles,
some of which decay into muons.
The elementary particles,
which weigh around 200 times more than electrons, can very easily pass through
any structure, even large and thick rocks like mountains.
Researchers can use these
tiny particles to measure the density of structures, just like X-rays pass
through our bodies to visualise our skeleton.
+18
·
The detectors work by using cosmic particles known as
muons that have the power to penetrate deeply into most
materials. Researchers can use these tiny particles to measure the density
of structures, just like X-rays pass through our bodies to visualise our
skeleton. Pictured is the results of one of the team's muography scans on the
pyramid, which helped to reveal the new structure (SP-BV)
'This Big Void, with same
size characteristics as the Grand Gallery, could be successive chambers, a
tunnel. Many hypotheses are possible.'
Despite the breakthrough,
the newly discovered structure has yet to be reached in person by any
researcher.
Report author Mr Tayoubi
said: 'This structure is not accessible, we don't see (that) people tried, if
you look at the Grand Gallery, to access the void which is above.
'So this void was hidden, I
think, since the construction of the pyramid, it was not accessible.
8
·
To find out more about the pyramid,
researchers from countries including France and Japan began a project to scan
the structure in October 2015. Researchers placed detectors in two rooms within
the pyramid to collect subatomic particles as they fell from the sky, revealing
the structure of the building like an X-ray reveals bone
WHAT
THEY FOUND
An apparent void lying
undiscovered deep inside the Great Pyramid of Giza has been discovered by
scientists.
The internal structure is
located above the Grand Gallery - that links two of the pyramid's chambers.
It traces a similar route
for at least 30 metres (100ft).
While the precise design
and purpose of the space is unknown, it was hailed by the team of academics as
the biggest discovery inside the Giza landmark since the 19th century.
'This was a study about
physics, it was not about Egyptology - we are not claiming anything about
interpretation for this void - we are just claiming that there is a void and that's
all,' study author Mehdi Tayoubi said.
Despite the breakthrough, the newly
discovered structure has yet to be reached in person by any researcher.
The team employed by-products of the cosmic
ray known as muons that are only partially absorbed by stone and take
noticeably different trajectories through air
'We needed this technique -
the right technique at the right time - to be able to identify it and discover
it.'
He added they were 'very
confident' the results were correct.
Because no one has
physically seen inside the void, what it was built for remains a mystery.
Researchers claim the space
could be on an incline, which means it could have been used to transport huge
blocks into the centre of the pyramid and was then left, experts said.
'This
finding is very exciting, but I don't think it's likely to be some kind of
secret chamber,' Dr Kate Spence, an archaeologist at the University of
Cambridge who was not involved in the study, told the Telegraph.
HOW
ARE SCIENTISTS PEERING INSIDE THE PYRAMIDS
Over the course of their
lengthy study, the team have used several techniques to scan Egyptian pyramids.
Infrared
thermography -
Infrared detects infrared energy emitted from object, converts it to
temperature, and displays an image of its temperature distribution to reveal
objects that may be hidden.
3D
scans with lasers -
Lasers bounce narrow pulses of light off the interiors of a structure to map it
in detail. Once the scanning is complete, the data can be combined into a
highly detailed 3-D model.
Cosmic-ray
detectors -
This detects muons that are created when cosmic rays hit the atmosphere. Muons
pass harmlessly through people and buildings.
Muons traveling through
rock or other dense material will slow and eventually stop. The idea is to
catch the muons after theyve passed through an pyramid and measure their
energies and trajectories. Researchers can then compile a 3D image that reveals
hidden chambers.
18
· 8
·
Detectors were set up inside the pyramid,
including in the so-called Queen's Chamber. This allowed the pyramid's insides
to be visualised without physically disturbing it, as the results showed empty
space differently from rock
+18
·
Muons (artist's impression) are created when
the upper atmosphere reacts with cosmic rays, producing a shower of particles,
some of which decay into muons. The elementary particles, which weigh around
200 times more than electrons, can very easily pass through any structure, even
large and thick rocks like mountains
'I think it is an inclined
ramp that was used to transport huge blocks into the centre of the pyramid and
then left. The orientation leads up to the huge granite roof struts at the top
of the relieving chamber.
Researchers from the
Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities’ scientific committee suggest it could be a
'construction gap' - part of a trench that allowed workers to access the Grand
Gallery and King's Chamber while the rest of the pyramid was built.
More simply, the void may
have simply been left there to relieve weight from the Grand Gallery below.
The finding opens up the
possibility that the void could be linked to other different and undiscovered
structures within the pyramid, the study claimed.
Crucially, the authors
said, it could provide a method by which scientists can finally start to piece
together how the pyramid was built.
+18
·
Muon detectors (artist's impression) placed
in known rooms within the Great Pyramid picked up the subatomic particles as
they passed through layers of stone, meaning the scientists could map the
pyramid without breaking through its walls
+18
·
The presence of the void, dubbed the
ScanPyramids Big Void, was confirmed using three different muon detection
technologies over several months after first being spotted, the paper said.
Pictured is the pyramid's descending main entrance hallway. The new structure
is above this entrance-way
THE
SCANPYRAMIDS PROJECT
8
After muon detectors detect voids within a
pyramid, the team often use thermal imaging scans (pictured) to confirm their
finds
The team's finding has
been a long time coming after months spent trying to find the elusive 'void'.
The researchers began
using muon technology, thermal scanning and 3D laser mapping to lay out the
pyramid's internal structure in 2015.
Scanners placed in the
Great Pyramid's grand descending corridor, as well as a tunnel near the north
facing entrance dug out by medieval explorers, found a small structure above
the structure's entrance in 2016.
Thermal imaging of the
pyramid confirmed a human-height, corridor-shaped void that ran parallel but
above to the descending corridor.
Researchers realised this
corridor, labelled the ScanPyramid Northfacing Corridor, must lead somewhere,
and spent the following months using mapping technology to find where it led.
This has now led the team to the new
structure, which sits above the pyramid's Grand Gallery.
They added that the
development 'show how modern particle physics can shed new light on the world's
archaeological heritage'.
'This was a study about
physics, it was not about Egyptology - we are not claiming anything about
interpretation for this void - we are just claiming that there is a void and
that's all,' Mr Tayoubi said.
Muon detectors have
previously been used to map out the inside of the Fukushima's nuclear reactor
in Japan and it is hoped they can be used to explore other archaeological
sites.
The detectors work by using
cosmic particles known as muons that have the power to penetrate deeply into
most materials.
Despite the breakthrough, the newly
discovered structure has yet to be reached in person by any researcher. Experts
used several types of muon detector, which reads subatomic particles as they
rain down from the sky, for their study
18
·
The finding opens up the possibility that the
void could be linked to other different and undiscovered structures within the
pyramid, the study claimed. Pictured is a virtual reality layout of what we
know of the pyramid's internal structures so far, including the newly found
structure, pictured as white dots next to the King's chamber
THE
PYRAMID OF GIZA
+18
The Great Pyramid, also known as Khufu's
Pyramid, is the sole survivor of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World
For
more than 4,500 years, Egypt's pyramids have kept their secrets hidden deep
within the labyrinth of passages and chambers that lie inside their towering
stone structures.
But
the long-running row over whether the Great Pyramid of Giza is hiding a network
of previously undiscovered tunnels behind its stone walls has now been
answered.
The
researchers confirmed the find using cosmic particles known as muons to scan
the Great Pyramid of Giza.
They
used the scans to create maps to reveal the internal structure of the 479 feet
(146m) high pyramid.
Last
year thermal scanning identified a major anomaly in the Great Pyramid, the
largest and oldest of the pyramids at Giza and one of the seven Wonders of the
Ancient World.
Those
scans identified three adjacent stones at its base which registered higher
temperatures than others.
Those scans identified
three adjacent stones at its base which registered higher temperatures than
others.
This
led to theories that they may be hiding a secret chamber that had yet to be
discovered.
A
team of experts then set up the ScanPyramid's project to use muons, tiny
subatomic particle that are typically produced by cosmic rays smash into atoms
on Earth, to peer through the pyramid's huge stone blocks, some of which weight
up to 15 tons.
Dr
Hawass has in the past been sceptical of the usefulness of conducting such
scans.
He recently clashed
publicly with British Egyptologists over their theory that a secret burial
chamber may be hidden behind the walls of Tutankhamun's tomb in his pyramid in
the Valley of the Kings.
Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza has been
shrouded in mystery for millennia, but now a long-held secret of its structure
might be known thanks to particle physics
The subatomic particles
require only a few special instruments because they rain down naturally from
the atmosphere above.
+18
Some archaeologists have pinned hopes on
using the sophisticated technology to locate the burial place of the legendary
queen Nefertiti (pictured)
Muons are created when the
upper atmosphere reacts with cosmic rays, producing a shower of particles, some
of which decay into muons.
The elementary particles,
which weigh around 200 times more than electrons, can very easily pass through
any structure, even large and thick rocks like mountains.
Researchers can use these
tiny particles to measure the density of structures, just like X-rays pass
through our bodies to visualise our skeleton.
The team's finding has been
a long time coming after months spent trying to find the elusive 'void'.
The researchers began using
muon technology, thermal scanning and 3D laser mapping to lay out the pyramid's
internal structure in 2015.
Scanners placed in the
Great Pyramid's grand descending corridor, as well as a tunnel near the north
facing entrance dug out by medieval explorers, found a small structure above
the structure's entrance in 2016.
Thermal imaging of the
pyramid confirmed a human-height, corridor-shaped void that ran parallel but
above to the descending corridor.
Researchers realised this
corridor, labelled the ScanPyramid Northfacing Corridor, must lead somewhere,
and spent the following months using mapping technology to find where it led.
GREAT
PYRAMID'S CURSED TOMB REOPENED
Yesterday it was reported
that archaeologists in Egypt have reopened a 'cursed tomb' containing the
remains of the people who built the Great Pyramid of Giza to visitors.
It is the first time it
has been opened to the public since its discovery almost 30 years ago.
The area dates back 4,500
years and is located in the 'tribal mountain' area, near the Pyramid of
Giza.
The Press Office of the
Ministry of Antiquities shared the revelation on Instagram with a picture of
the area, saying 'Opening the workers cemetery site at Giza Plateau to
visit'.
Yesterday it was reported that
archaeologists in Egypt have reopened a 'cursed tomb' (pictured) containing the
remains of the people who built the Great Pyramid of Giza to visitors
The
newly opened area contains a cemetery of workers along with the graves of the
supervisor of the royal palace, the supervisor of the construction workers and
a man of significance who was buried with the workers, accordingto Newsweek.
The site has been closed
off since 1990.
Archaeologists from the Ministry of
Antiquities believe the man who supervised the workers filled the cemetery with
curses to protect the dead from thieves.
This has now led the team
to find the new structure, which sits above the pyramid's Grand Gallery.
Some archaeologists have
pinned hopes on using the sophisticated technology to locate the burial place
of the legendary queen Nefertiti.
The wife of King Akhenaten,
who initiated a monotheistic cult in ancient Egypt, queen Nefertiti remains an
enigma, best known for a bust depicting her that is now on exhibition in
Berlin's Neues Museum.
A British Egyptologist,
Nicholas Reeves, believed her remains were hidden in a secret chamber in the
tomb of Tutankhamun, in the southern Valley of the Kings.
In 2015, archaeologists
scanned the tomb with radar hoping to find clues.
Both Reeves's theory and
the inconclusive results have been dismissed by other Egyptologists.
One of them, former
antiquities minister Zahi Hawass, said that an adept of the sun god Aton would
never have been allowed to be buried in the Valley of the Kings.
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