A new golden age of Egyptology may have only just begun. But this time things are a little different. Instead of treks through the desert, khaki hats, and camel rides into the sunset, modern archeologists are using satellite imaging and modern technology to uncover the lost secrets of Egypt.
Astoundingly, scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham believe they have discovered 17 "lost" pyramids using this methodology, according to MSNBC.
1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements have also been uncovered with the use of infra-red technology, according to the BBC.
Thus far, at least two of the suspected pyramids have been confirmed and excavated.
From the BBC:
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. "To excavate a pyramid is the dream of every archaeologist," she said.
Story continues below The team analysed images from satellites orbiting 700km above the earth, equipped with cameras so powerful they can pin-point objects less than 1m in diameter on the earth's surface.
The program at the university is funded by NASA.
Egypt's Lost Cities, a program detailing these new discoveries, will air on the BBC on May 30.
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Poster Comment:
Continued at link with photos. PLEASE note that this will be televised on BBC on the 30th.
