All posts tagged: Giza

Allegations of ‘Mismanagement at Giza Great Pyramid After Viral Video

Allegations of ‘Mismanagement at Giza Great Pyramid After Viral Video

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After video of a worker using a hammer, chisel, and other tools on the stones of the Great Pyramid of Giza went viral on social media last November, outrage about the incident has grown to include a statement in Egyptian Parliament and one Egyptologist claiming “mismanagement.” The viral video of construction workers at the 4,600-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was taken by tourists. Officials from the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities told local media outlets that the ancient monument had suffered no damage. Related Articles “We urge citizens to refrain from spreading rumors. What appeared in the video was not an act of demolition, but a removal of almost two-decade-old construction materials, which have no archaeological value, to extend power to the Pyramids,” the ministry said in a statement. “The operation has been carried out by a private sector company in the absence of a specialized antiquities inspector or a restoration specialist,” said Ayman Ashmawi, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The …

Ancient Egyptian Structure Discovered Near Giza Pyramids

Ancient Egyptian Structure Discovered Near Giza Pyramids

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The Giza Plateau in Egypt. Source: Wikimedia Commons.   A previously unknown structure was discovered in an apparent “blank area” of the Giza pyramid complex. Using ground-penetrating technology, a joint research team from Higashi Nippon International University, Tohoku University, and Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics found an ancient “anomaly” hidden beneath the sand of Giza’s West Field Cemetery.   Ground-Penetrating Radar Revealed an “Anomaly” The red rectangle indicates the initial archaeological survey area at Giza. Source: Archaeological Prospection.   Located west of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the West Field Cemetery is an important burial site for ancient royals and high-ranking officers. Archaeologists have long been curious about a so-called “blank area” in the middle of the cemetery that is surrounded by mastabas. These are a type of tomb with a flat-roofed rectangular structure that marks an underground burial site.   Previous excavations in this area of the Giza pyramid complex did not yield significant discoveries. However, a newly-published article about a 2021-2023 excavation revealed a new underground discovery: “We conducted a …

Ancient Egyptian Structure Identified Alongside the Giza Pyramids

Ancient Egyptian Structure Identified Alongside the Giza Pyramids

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A previously unknown L-shaped structure has been identified by researchers using ground-penetrating technology in an ancient Egyptian cemetery in Giza, according to a study published in the journal Archaeological Prospection on Monday. The researchers, a joint team of researchers from Higashi Nippon International University, Tohoku University, and Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, scanned below the sand’s surface in a “blank area” of Giza’s Western Cemetery alongside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Related Articles The Western Cemetery is, according to the researchers, “an important burial place of members of the royal family and high-class officers” that is densely populated with mastabas, a type of tomb with rectangular funerary chapels that give way to shafts connected to underground burial chambers. However, there is the afforementioned blank space in the center of the cemetery with no aboveground structures and on which no noteworthy excavations have been conducted. Over two years beginning in 2021, the team conducted a geophysical survey, using a combination of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to see under the surface. …

Scientists discover the origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza

Scientists discover the origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza

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Rising majestically amidst the pyramids, this immense monument has sparked countless inquiries regarding its inception and function. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) The Great Sphinx of Giza, symbolizing ancient mystique and architectural magnificence, has vigilantly watched over the Giza plateau for thousands of years. Rising majestically amidst the pyramids, this immense monument has sparked countless inquiries regarding its inception, function, and the mystery shrouding its presence. Despite the persistent efforts of historians and archaeologists to unveil its mysteries throughout the ages, a fundamental riddle endures: What environment greeted the ancient Egyptians as they undertook the creation of this colossal statue, and how did the natural landscape potentially shape its design? The Great Sphinx of Giza investigation A riveting investigation by a cadre of New York University scientists has cast new light on this ancient riddle. By conjuring the environmental conditions that prevailed 4,500 years ago, these researchers have sought to understand the dance between natural elements and the raw stone that would become one of the world’s most iconic relics. Yardangs in Egypt’s White Desert. (CREDIT: atdigit/Getty …

Archeologists discover the surprising origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza

Archeologists discover the surprising origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza

Published by skeptic

The Great Sphinx of Giza, an emblem of ancient mysticism and architectural grandeur, has stood guard over the Giza plateau for millennia. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) The Great Sphinx of Giza, an emblem of ancient mysticism and architectural grandeur, has stood guard over the Giza plateau for millennia. Towering against the backdrop of the pyramids, this colossal structure has spurred endless questions about its origin, purpose, and the enigma of its existence. Historians and archaeologists have tirelessly scoured the sands of time to uncover the secrets of the Sphinx, yet a foundational puzzle persists: what landscape greeted the ancient Egyptians as they embarked on the construction of this monolithic statue, and how might the natural terrain have influenced its conception? The Great Sphinx of Giza investigation A riveting investigation by a cadre of New York University scientists has cast new light on this ancient riddle. By conjuring the environmental conditions that prevailed 4,500 years ago, these researchers have sought to understand the dance between natural elements and the raw stone that would become one of the …

Archeologists reveal the mysterious origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza

Archeologists reveal the mysterious origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza

Published by skeptic

The Great Sphinx of Giza, an emblem of ancient mysticism and architectural grandeur, has stood guard over the Giza plateau for millennia. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) The Great Sphinx of Giza, an emblem of ancient mysticism and architectural grandeur, has stood guard over the Giza plateau for millennia. Towering against the backdrop of the pyramids, this colossal structure has spurred endless questions about its origin, purpose, and the enigma of its existence. Historians and archaeologists have tirelessly scoured the sands of time to uncover the secrets of the Sphinx, yet a foundational puzzle persists: what landscape greeted the ancient Egyptians as they embarked on the construction of this monolithic statue, and how might the natural terrain have influenced its conception? A riveting investigation by a cadre of New York University scientists has cast new light on this ancient riddle. By conjuring the environmental conditions that prevailed 4,500 years ago, these researchers have sought to understand the dance between natural elements and the raw stone that would become one of the world’s most iconic relics. Yardangs in …

Photos of the Week: Jet Suit, Surf Horse, Giza Camel

Photos of the Week: Jet Suit, Surf Horse, Giza Camel

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An aerial view of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during a rally in São Paulo, Brazil, on February 25, 2024, to reject claims he plotted a coup with allies to remain in power after his failed 2022 reelection bid. Investigators say the far-right ex-army captain led a plot to falsely discredit the Brazilian election system and prevent the winner of the vote, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from taking power. A week after Lula took office on January 1, 2023, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court, urging the military to intervene to overturn what they called a stolen election. # Miguel Schincariol / AFP / Getty Source link

Egypt scraps plan to restore cladding on one of three great pyramids of Giza | Egypt

Egypt scraps plan to restore cladding on one of three great pyramids of Giza | Egypt

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Egypt has scuttled a controversial plan to reinstall ancient granite cladding on the pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three great pyramids of Giza, a committee formed by the country’s tourism minister said in a statement. Mostafa Waziri, the secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities, announced the plan last month, declaring it would be “the project of the century”. But news that the ancient monument could be altered quickly drew an international outcry, prompting Egypt’s antiquities authority to review the project. The pyramids are the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that still remain. Alone among the pyramids, Menkaure was designed to be clad in granite rather than limestone. Only 16 to 18 layers of granite were installed before construction was halted, apparently because of Menkaure’s death in about 2503BC Over the centuries, pilfering, weathering and collapse caused many layers to disappear, leaving only seven in modern times, although numerous fallen granite blocks remain strewn around the pyramid’s base. Waziri said the project to replace the granite would …

Egypt’s Giza Restoration Bid Faces Backlash From Archaeologists

Egypt’s Giza Restoration Bid Faces Backlash From Archaeologists

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The Great Sphinx of Giza. Via Adrijus Adrijus   Egypt’s Giza restoration project sparked backlash from archaeologists. Overall, this recently unveiled project aims to reconstruct the Menkaure pyramid‘s exterior. Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, revealed the Menkaure pyramid plan in a video posted on January 25. Its objective is to repair the monument’s facade, which originally had sixteen layers of granite.   Egypt’s Giza Restoration Announced in a Cinematic Manner? The Pyramid of Menkaure. Photo: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.   In order to fulfil the restoration, the project will need granite blocks, which will lie at the base. The estimated time for finishing the project is around three years. Social media consumers are criticising the declaration. They referred to the endeavour as “a sad disaster“. Also, social media users likened it to straightening the Tower of Pisa. Renowned Egyptologist Monica Hannaalso released a blog post criticising the endeavour on Facebook.   In it, she disputed the notion that the granite slabs at the pyramid’s foundation were dropped …

Archeologists discover the mysterious origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza

Archeologists discover the mysterious origins of the Great Sphinx of Giza

Published by skeptic

The Great Sphinx of Giza, an emblem of ancient mysticism and architectural grandeur, has stood guard over the Giza plateau for millennia. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) The Great Sphinx of Giza, an emblem of ancient mysticism and architectural grandeur, has stood guard over the Giza plateau for millennia. Towering against the backdrop of the pyramids, this colossal structure has spurred endless questions about its origin, purpose, and the enigma of its existence. Historians and archaeologists have tirelessly scoured the sands of time to uncover the secrets of the Sphinx, yet a foundational puzzle persists: what landscape greeted the ancient Egyptians as they embarked on the construction of this monolithic statue, and how might the natural terrain have influenced its conception? A riveting investigation by a cadre of New York University scientists has cast new light on this ancient riddle. By conjuring the environmental conditions that prevailed 4,500 years ago, these researchers have sought to understand the dance between natural elements and the raw stone that would become one of the world’s most iconic relics. Associate Professor …