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Mon 10 Oct, 2005 02:12 pm
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will send a robot up narrow shafts in the Great Pyramid to try to solve one of the mysteries of the 4,500-year-old pharaonic mausoleum, Egypt's top archaeologist said on Monday.
Zahi Hawass told Reuters he would this week inspect a robot designed to climb the two narrow shafts which might lead to an undiscovered burial chamber in the pyramid of Cheops at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo.
Hawass said the shafts and stone panels which block them could mark the location of the burial chamber of Cheops, also known as Khufu. That would mean none of the chambers already discovered in the pyramid were the pharaoh's real tomb.
The shafts were last probed in September 2002, when a robot drilled a hole through one of the stone panels to reveal a small empty space at the end of which lay another panel, which appeared cracked and fragile.
The new robot, designed by a university in Singapore over two years, would drill through that panel and the stone slab blocking the second shaft.
"I believe that these doors are hiding something... It could be, and this is a theory, that maybe Khufu's chamber is still hidden in the pyramid," he said.
The two shafts, which rise from an unfinished chamber in the pyramid, have puzzled archaeologists since they were first discovered in 1872.
Some Egyptologists had said the shafts, which measure 20 cm by 20 cm (eight by eight inches) were built as vents. Others said they were passages for the king's soul to ascend to the afterlife.
The Cheops pyramid, which is 145 metres (480 feet) high, is the biggest of the pyramids on the Giza plateau on the western edge of the Egyptian capital.
It will be interesting to see if they discover anything new. The last investigation was as exciting as Geraldo breaking through the Chicago vault.
Cool bit of news, edgar, thanks.
This time Geraldo needs to stay home.
I bet this probe gets stuck in there and they have to build another one to pull it out.
It amazes me that even after all this time, there's still possibly more things to find.
edgar, Thanks for sharing that info. I've been to Egypt twice, and still have interest in Egyptology. The pyramids are great, but there are so many things to see in Egypt in Luxor, Abu Simbel, and Aswan. The tomb of Queen Nefertari in Luxor is ragarded as the most beautiful tomb in Egypt, and I was able to see it on my last visit. It's an amazing place to visit.
Well, I saw the great pyramid of Las Vegas. I decided I would like to stay there next trip out.
edgar, As a matter of fact, one doesn't need to travel to Egypt to see many Egyptian artifacts. We have the Rosecrusion Egyptian Museum in San Jose that has some excellent artifacts with replicas of tombs. If you ever come out this way, it'll be a pleasure to show you around.
If I ever get to California, I had planned to visit Campbell, so San Jose would be a hop and skip. But, I don't see travel right away. Thanks for the offer.
Arguably the finest collection of the most venerable Egyptian artifacts to be seen in the United States is at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The founders of the Museum, in 1874, were, one and all, Egyptologists. It was some time before the museum displayed much else. I have read that the only other place outside Egypt which has as fine a collection (perhaps, finer) is the British Museum in London, which also contains the Elgin Marbles.
Merry Andrew, I agree that the British Museum not only has some of the finest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the world, but they also have many treasures from around the world that is second to none. I try to make it a point to visit the British Museum and the Library whenever I visit London; it always enthralls.
I have promised myself to visit Boston again if only to visit their fine musuems. My plate is quite full at the moement, but it's always in the back of my mind.
Make sure you let me know when you plan to be here, c.i. Having lived here for the major part of my life, you couldn't ask for a better guide, if I do say so myself.
Merry Andrew, Thank you for the kind offer. I may just take you up on it sometime next year.
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