17 lost pyramids discovered in Egypt by space scientists

msnbc.com ^ | May 25, 2011 | msnbc.com staff and news service reports

[Free ThinkerNY]

Seventeen lost pyramids are believed to have been found in Egypt by a team of space archaeologists from Alabama, according to a report.

Sarah Parcak and her team at a NASA-sponsored laboratory at the University of Alabama at Birmingham made the discoveries using a satellite survey, and also found more than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements in infrared images that show up buildings underground, BBC News reported.

The BBC said that two of the suspected pyramids had been confirmed by initial excavations.

"We were very intensely doing this research for over a year. I could see the data as it was emerging, but for me the 'aha' moment was when I could step back and look at everything that we'd found, and I couldn't believe we could locate so many sites all over Egypt," Parcak said.

She said it was likely that more buildings would be found.

"These are just the sites [close to] the surface. There are many thousands of additional sites that the Nile has covered over with silt. This is just the beginning of this kind of work," Parcak told the BBC.

"It just shows us how easy it is to underestimate both the size and scale of past human settlements," she added.

She said the techniques she used were "an important tool" in working out where to focus excavations on the ground.

"It gives us a much bigger perspective on archaeological sites. We have to think bigger and that's what the satellites allow us to do," she said. "Indiana Jones is old school, we've moved on from Indy ... sorry, Harrison Ford."

[Vince Ferrer]

Indiana Jones is old school

It's not the years, its the milage.

[Jack Hydrazine]

There are a number of pyramids in Egypt that the Egyptian government knows all about but they won’t let scientists study them. Now that more are known still won’t change the minds of the government.

[Celerity]

This could be the biggest news of our lives. Sand preserves things amazingly well, and we may be able to unearth preserved history. This could enhance our understanding of ancient culture 100 fold.

And who knows, lots of new UFO stuff too !

[KarlInOhio]

Every one of those newly discovered pyramids is financially valuable to the Egyptian government. So how much did we charge them for this information? Oh, wait, we just guaranteed another couple billion dollars of borrowing by Egypt.

[Publius6961]

There are a number of pyramids in Egypt that the Egyptian government knows all about but they won’t let scientists study them. Now that more are known still won’t change the minds of the government.

I for one, am not interested. Europeans preserved what was worth preserving and studying before "egyptians" took over.

If present egyptians are what the ancients have degeretated to, it is best if the sands keep whatever is left.

[cameraeye]

Gee! Let's see what is wrong with this picture....you have a homicidal government that wants to kill all those who don't believe: They once called the Pyramids a pagan religion worship and should be dismantled or blown up. The number one thing is that I believe it would not be a very conducive for tourists to go to a country that threatens to kill them. Sad to say even if we find Senusret III Pyramid, it will not make a difference to them. Glad I was there in the early 80’s.

[Birdsbane]

OK, OK, all I want to know now is how deep do I have to go into the ground before I could even possibly begin to realize my lifelong dream of becoming a truly respectable HERMIT! Ground penetrating radar will lead anyone to your front door at 40 feet, not to mention all the tell tale signs of disturbed soil... Now an infrared photo from space can reveal a Holy Hermitage, or tombs thereof, for eons, way, way, way back... I have a feeling that a huge portion of the book of the history of human existence is about to be opened. The world may become an exciting place once again...especially for TREASURE!!!! 17 new pyramids & a hole heap of undisclosed discoveries have caused me to postpone my final days of solitude for a while... Really! First on my agenda...”The Lost Port Orford Meteroite”.

[SunkenCiv]

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[MaxMax]

but they won’t let scientists study them.

They're afraid someone might accidentally turn on the Megabeeber
and the Aliens would return.

[Irish Eyes]

Thanks for the post, I had not heard of this before, fascinating.