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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."
1 - about 10 years ago
2 - copper, not iron
3 - handles (loop), not spikes
4 - fibre optic camera is small enough to fit in/through the cracks, maybe reach the other side?
5 - there is another sensor for seeing 'thru' the stone that is blocking the pathway, range is 3 ft thru concrete, maybe 2 or 3 times that through stone of the pyramid structure.
6 - the stone is of the nice variety only found in the chambers of the interior of the pyramid
Unanswered questions lead to more investigation.
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.
The government of Egypt did not build the pyramids, they just happen to lie within an area that Egypt currently controls. The pyramids were there well before the current government.
It's the same thing for other interesting unique things of the past. I wouldn't expect any government to object to scientists or historians doing non-intrusive research at sites like Stonehenge, the Lighthouse at Alexandria, volcanoes in Hawaii, or any other place or object which has significant historical or scientific value.
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Probably the easy way.
Remember the pyramids are built up out of seperate blocks. They probably cust the shafts out out of the blocks as they were being laid. Cut the bottom part of the shaft out of one block, cut the upper part out of another block, then set it on top of the lower block, continue until the shaft reaches it's destination. As for the door, well you just set in place at the top of the shaft, then build up the pyramid around it.
For everything there is is usually a hard a way and a n easy to do it. The trick is finding the easy way.