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Robot To Explore Mysterious Pyramid Passage
a_timid_mouse writes "The National Geographic Society, using the same kind of robot used to search for survivors in the ruins of the World Trade Center, is trying to solve a mystery that lies deep in the bowels of the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza. Up a tiny square tunnel is a stone hatch with copper handles that was discovered in 1872. No one knows the purpose of the shaft, and no one knows what lies behind the hatch. Enter the Pyramid Rover."
Heres the deal..
The shafts themselves were discover in 1840 or something..
The thing you saw was Rudolph Gattenbrink about 1992?
He was commissioned to add ventilation fans to the shafts that actuall reach the outside surface. The tourists created too much humidity inside the pyramid and were causing damage.
Of the 4 shafts, only two make it out.
Now, Rudolph sent his robot up the other 2 shafts to see if they reach the surface. One of them bent in such a strange way, they couldnt get past one of the bends. One of them ended at this mysterious door that had polished stone leading up to it... (Polished stone was reserved for important areas of the pyramid.) The door also had some metal like handles. (Wasnt this stone age construction?)
His discovery of that door is what you saw on television.
So the question has been for 10 years, Whats behind the freaking door!
Rudolph has offerred many times to go back to the pyramid with his robot. But due to political issues, Egypt doesnt want him to work on that site. They dont like how he documented and revealed his first find.. Egyptology is more politics than science... Alot of people think that Rudolph is being robbed of credit. I noticed the CNN article mis-credits the discovery of the door.... Poor Rudolph and these pyramid games.
Sooooo... The Egyptian authorities have allowed National Geographic to build its own robot. Thats what this is. They are going to try and determine whats behind the damn door.. Im sure they have already looked. In fact many believe there is a room behind the door that can be reached through a different passage that hasnt been revealed to the public. There have been reports of secret drilling in the pyramid in 1998? time frame. (They closed the pyramid to allow "renovations!" hahah!)
There have been rumours that an underground system of passages connect the pyramids with each other.. There have been rumours that a black dog/man (anubis?) statue is behind the door. There have been rumours and rumours and rumours. I guess this presentation on monday will actually probably only create more rumours. If its empty, did they remove stuff befhore hand. If there is something there, who knows what will happen.
According to the web site, it's going to be on TV 9/16, 8pm (eastern/pacific) on Fox. Pretty cool...
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
The BEST place to get info about the shafts and the history is:
http://www.cheops.org/
It is a site constructed by Rudolph Gattenbrink and contains all of his findings in a very public way... AutoCAD drawings of how each block was cut to form the shaft, etc...
Zahi Hawass (The director of the Giza site) loves to take credit for anything and everything.. I true ego-maniac... I would love to see Rudolph Gattenbrink get the credit he deserves...
There is a petition located at:
http://www.dailygrail.com/petition/