Science & Tech
Harry Fletcher
Jun 12, 2024
Archeologists Use Satellite Imagery to Finally Solve a Great Mystery Surrounding the …
ZMG - Amaze Lab / VideoElephant
The pyramids have always fascinated and mystified us, and we’re still finding new and exciting things about them thousands of years after they were built in ancient Egypt.
From the discovery of secret chambers, to a recent landmark discovery on an ancient branch of the River Nile which may have solved the mystery of how the pyramids in Egypt were built, there are constantly new developments changing perceptions in the scientific community.
Now, people are turning to footage from inside the Great Pyramid of Giza which offers something unseen by humans for many, many generations.
The inner structures of the pyramid have proven incredibly difficult to access for many years, not least because passageways and shafts are often too small for archeologists to get through.
NEW: Enhanced Great Pyramid Footage from the Djedi Robot | Ancient Architectswww.youtube.com
However, a secret hatch was first discovered back in 1993 in the Queen’s Chamber of the Pyramid and for years it wasn’t accessible as a result of how tiny the opening is.
The shaft measures just 20cm by 20cm, despite being 60 metres long, and it sits at an awkward angle, too.
However, after many years of experts being unable to access the shaft, back in 2011 a robot was fed into the space and captured footage of the craft which has been untouched by humans for centuries as part of the Djedi Project.
The craft recorded eerie footage of the shaft which shows a space inside one of the most famous structures on Earth which had never been seen by modern civilisation, and it proved a remarkable moment.
Professor Rob Richardson from the Leeds research group involved in the project alongside Egyptian experts, said at the time: "This design was certainly challenging. The robot had to be extremely lightweight - and in the end we got it down to 5kg.
"Because it was so light, it did not require a lot of power - in the end, the challenges started to become opportunities. We developed a system that moved the robot very gently through the passageway."
The video also unearthed a surprising find. Describing it, Professor Richardson added: "About 50 meters along the shaft - several meters before what we think is the end, there is a stone put in place to block further access.
"We do not know what that stone is blocking access to. We were able to get a camera past the stone - it revealed a small chamber with intricate symbols painted on the floor."
Meanwhile, scientists may have just solved one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world after making a landmark new discovery in Egypt.
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