| A new sandstorm is brewing on the outskirts of
the Egyptian desert: newly released ground scans reveal
that a team of Egyptian scientists has identified potential
locations of tunnels and caves - on par with the controversial
Hall of Records - in the immediate vicinity of the pyramids
and the Sphinx.
The pyramids of Gizeh are built on a limestone plateau,
which means that it has got the consistency of a cheese
with lots of holes. Indeed, one cave on the plateau
was actually incorporated into the internal layout of
the pyramid - and may have contributed to why the Great
Pyramid, the only pyramid that has an elaborate structure
in the pyramid itself, has this unique internal structure.
It is therefore to be expected that elsewhere on the
plateau, similar cavities, if not long tunnels, exist.
This makes for intriguing possibilities, as some of
these tunnels may have been used by the ancient Egyptians
- or that other tunnels or caves may have been expanded,
or new "halls" - such as the fabled Hall of
Records - constructed.
In the 1990s, the so-called Osiris Shaft, located under
the causeway of Khafre, became the subject of immense
speculation. Today, it is believed that in ancient times,
people used the water-filled shaft as a swimming-hole.
The shaft descends in several places to a depth of nearly
100 feet (35m) below the plateau. When Zahi
Hawass investigated the structure, the last level
his team excavated was about 25m underground, and was
completely filled with water.
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On almost regular intervals, the temperature as to
what might lie below the Gizeh plateau rises. Some years
ago, Andrew Collins in "The
Gods of Eden" argued that an entire layout
of the Duat was potentially lying in wait of discovery
underneath the plateau. It came at a time when others
were speaking about the fabled Hall of Records, which
according to some traditions would hold important relics
of a bygone age, often said to predate Egypt itself
(read: Atlantis).
More recently, not so much pyramid fever, but cavity
fever, has risen again. Cavity fever has risen, if only
because the groundwater in the area is rising too, and
this might endanger the monuments. In some areas, flooding
has already begun, caused by farming, urbanization and
residential housing near temples. Reda
Mohamed el-Damak, director of the Center of Studies
and Designs for Water Projects at Cairo University's
Faculty of Engineering, states that groundwater is posing
the most serious threat to the Sphinx, carved from the
bedrock of the Giza Plateau, and situated at lower altitude
than the pyramids, who sit on the plateau, themselves.
The latest measurement readings from the site show that
groundwater is only 4 meters deep under the Sphinx.
This means, of course, that any tunnel that goes deeper
than 4 meters around the area of the Sphinx, is now
already under water. Anything inside, unless watertight,
will therefore already be destroyed, if only because
the water that is causing the problem is waste water.
This does not bode well for people searching for the
Hall of Records underneath this enigmatic monument.
Map showing the nine areas subjected to GPR
analysis |
In bygone days, dynamite was the preferred archaeological
tool; today, only non-destructive methods are allowed
and preservation is valued so much more than exploration.
Of course, trying to find out what lies beneath without
using a spade, is not an easy task.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) made its introduction
in the 1970s, and has been used on the Gizeh plateau
since the 1980s. In 1987, Yoshimura
and Tonauchi used GPR to scan
the inner structure of the Great Pyramid, the constitution
of the Sphinx and to determine the age/era during which
the Sphinx was used.
More recently, in 1998, Abbas Mohamed
Abbas was asked to study how best to restore
the Sphinx and its protection against groundwater penetration.
But now, Abbas has been involved
in a series of exploration work, rather than preservation.
In February 2006, Abbas returned
to the Gizeh plateau with GPR technology, this time
to 'investigate deep-wide parts of the plateau to reveal
any hidden shafts or tunnels throughout the studied
sectors." Nine areas of potential interest had
been identified, which Abbas
and his team subjected to a series of detailed scans.
Abbas' survey came about after
Andrzej Wojcikiewicz contacted
Belgian author Patrick Geryl
in 2003, after reading the Polish edition of "The
Orion Prophecy". In 2005, a team convened by Wojcikiewicz
and including Geryl went to
Egypt. The Polish team identified a series of locations,
for which Abbas asked permission
with the Department of Antiquities to scan parts of
the Gizeh plateau - a project paid for by the Polish
foundation.
In his report of his finding, appearing in NRIAG Journal
of Geophysics, Abbas states
that "the results of the survey support the possibility
of the presence of undisclosed relics, of high value".
These are powerful claims to make and they do go beyond
the available evidence, which "merely" points
out the presence of subterranean cavities.
The report states that they have identified two likely
caves and one possible shaft, filled in with clays or
sandy clays, one located close to the southern side
of Khufu's pyramid, the second around the causeway of
Khafre's pyramid. Other features "of less mass"
have been delineated close to the eastern side of Khafre's
pyramid and - no doubt of interest to some alternative
historians - close to the entrance door to the northern
side of the Sphinx.
GPR profile of cave-like phenomena in area 1
and area 2 |
Abbas and colleagues state
that the cavities are at a fairly deep level, ranging
from 12 to 25 metres below the surface, which is, of
course, conform to e.g. the Osiris Shaft. Abbas
also states that "The cave-like features could
be ascribed to a tunnel section of at least 3 to 5 m
width [...] it is like a void in the limestone rock."
They conclude: "we can presume the existence of
a momentous diversity of archaeological structures at
the Pyramids plateau which remain, as yet, unexposed.
These structures could be a linked net of tunnels and
shafts that may well lead to precious tombs."
It is an enigmatic statement to make, and is either
Abbas' wording to guarantee
that future funding is received, or that he has additional
data, not included in the report, that warrants his
optimism. Since the completion of the survey, and the
report, the Polish team has asked for permission to
excavate at the Gizeh plateau in those areas where the
ground scans have revealed cavities. So far, these proposals
have been rejected.
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