Althouse: 17 lost Egyptian pyramids spotted from space.

May 24, 2011

17 lost Egyptian pyramids spotted from space.

"More than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements were also revealed by looking at infra-red images which show up underground buildings."

20 comments:

chickelit said...: Might be generally applicable anywhere there are suspected ancient structures.; 5/24/11, 11:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Might be generally applicable anywhere there are suspected ancient structures.

Or suspected marijuana grow houses.

And if they can do this, the Real Genius Popcorn-Popper / Execution Device is most certainly in service too.; 5/24/11, 11:06 PM
Mary Beth said...: Forget the tin foil hat, I'm lining my roof with the stuff!

I'm trying to decide whether to be impressed or worried about what they can see from space. Maybe a little of both.; 5/24/11, 11:28 PM
YoungHegelian said...: I hope they find some more artworks in those lost pyramids, as I have a special fondness for ancient Egytptian art. It celebrates the ordinary in a way that Greco-Roman often lacks.

Take gander at this from the Met NYC.Where does one find a lovelier example of
domestic bliss and spousal love in the ancient world than this? It’s even better seen live.; 5/24/11, 11:51 PM
AlanKH said...: Well that was just brilliant, announcing the find to the world. We could have snuck in and gotten the goodies to pay down the national debt. Egypt didn't notice the pyramids, so they wouldn't have noticed anything was missing.; 5/25/11, 12:16 AM
JAL said...: That's pretty cool.

Chip must be tap dancing.; 5/25/11, 12:40 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/11, 2:42 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: JAL, I am tap dancing.

I just now looked on Dr. Hawass' site and he's put nothing up about this. It's all Hawass this and Hawass that, but nothing about these amazing photographs.

YoungHegelian, I looked at the statue you linked. It is a famous statue and a bit odd in that the stance of the man is feet together instead of the customary left foot forward. Also the gaze of the woman oddly goes off to the side, most unEgyptian.

I'm especially interested in the hieroglyphics. The hieroglyphics say the two are "royal acquaintances" meaning they were persons within the court but not royal and not necessarily married. There is a hieroglyphic that I cannot make out. Reading right to left, It is near the end at the far left, the rectangular box on a tall stick. between the S and the B (the foot) then finally the W (U) for SABU. As in Latin, vowels were not written so SABU cannot be positively known, the sign is not the A in Sabu (nor an E nor I nor O, nor U, and it is none of the near-vowel sounds) I've looked through the entire Manuel de Cordage but the sign is not to be found anywhere. It must be one of those odd Old-Kindgom things that I've yet to learn.

Notice the size of the glyphs read first at the far right: SW TRch MMeh, "royal acquaintance Memi" then the hieroglyphs become slightly smaller for S something B, W, Sabu, I suppose indicating a difference in status. The figures too. It is easy to assume the male depicted naturally taller than the female, but if the female's status was the same as the male's status then she would be depicted the same height no matter her actual size in life. Which is why the colossal statues at Abu Simbel of Ramses and Queen Khamerenebty II are so incredible. Conventionally the king is depicted much larger than any of his queens, but there at Abu Simbel Ramses shows his queen the same size.; 5/25/11, 2:45 AM
edutcher said...: Absolutely incredible.

This may be the beginning of a series of discoveries; some that could our view of many eras, not just ancient Egypt.

Chip Ahoy said...

JAL, I am tap dancing.

I just now looked on Dr. Hawass' site and he's put nothing up about this. It's all Hawass this and Hawass that, but nothing about these amazing photographs.

Given the political situation, I imagine Dr Hawass is treading very carefully.; 5/25/11, 5:39 AM
AllenS said...: I'm glad that I put the steel roof on the house.; 5/25/11, 6:07 AM
Anonymous said...: "Given the political situation, I imagine Dr Hawass is treading very carefully."

Hawass is on his way out. Being viewed as too close to the old regime has given former 'colleagues' the power to displace him. Egypt will be the poorer.; 5/25/11, 6:27 AM
Mian said...: Amazing discovery. Here in Ohio, downward-looking radar (positioned on small airplanes) has discovered dozens to hundreds of new ancient mounds that no one knew existed, thereby changing the local archaeology scene.

Modern tools are indeed exciting.; 5/25/11, 6:33 AM
Roger J. said...: There is also a relatively new technology, LIDAR, which is able to see the ground while eliminating clutter of vegetation.

Indeed these technologies should go a long way in discovering ancient sites.

Sometimes we don't give science the credit it often deserves.; 5/25/11, 6:38 AM
rhhardin said...: Indian mounds in Ohio were always one of the puzzles, namely why anybody would care.

It's Indian golf courses.; 5/25/11, 6:54 AM
Toad Trend said...: Yes, but can they spot democracy anywhere down there?

Didn't think so.; 5/25/11, 6:55 AM
Fred4Pres said...: I knew those pyramids were around here somewhere. Now can I use those space spotters to find my car keys?; 5/25/11, 7:51 AM
Joe said...: (The Crypto Jew)

“Lost Pyramids”, yes of COURSE….move on folks, nothing to see here save for the Egyptologists…..all you Pakistanis, Taliban, North Koreans, and Iranians not to worry this ONLY works on buried EGYPTIAN structures.; 5/25/11, 8:10 AM
madAsHell said...: They've been combing this area for years with various instruments, and they just find this now??

The unrest in Egypt has diminished the tourism numbers in Egypt, and now they find more buried pyramids.

I've seen the terra cotta soldiers in Xian. The terra cotta soldiers were discovered in precise military formation after being buried for hundreds of years.

Yeah....it seems unlikely.; 5/25/11, 9:09 AM
Shanna said...: This is pretty cool! Although, yes, it is creepy what they can see from space. But still, pyramids!

Indian mounds in Ohio were always one of the puzzles, namely why anybody would care.

We have "toltec mounds" in Arkansas where we went on field trips as a kid. It's a bunch of mounds of dirt, basically.; 5/25/11, 9:26 AM
DADvocate said...: Really cool stuff.; 5/25/11, 10:10 AM