Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Online publication alert The pyramid of Meidum, architectural study of its inner arrangement by Gilles Dormion and Jean-Yves Verd'hurt.

This relates to an earlier story we reported on regarding two amateur archaeologists who claim to have discovered a secret chamber in the Great Pyramid. There is some controversy over whether these two are legitimate researchers or not. For your edifcation, we post two email messages we have received regarding these two (names withdrawn):

Gilles Dormion has quite a history of unorthodox related research with
regard to Egyptian pyramids. In 1986/87 he located cavities behind the
walls of the Queen's Chamber passage. Subsequently he, and his team,
was given permission to drill through the walls. During one of their
borings they discovered cavities, one of which contained a quantity of
sand that originated from outside of the Giza area*.

In 1998, Dormion and a new team including Mustafa El-Zeiri, were
given permission by Dr. Gaballah Ali Gaballah to probe the Meidum
Pyramid using a fibre-optic endoscope. In brief, their efforts discovered
a previously unknown corridor above the pyramids Descending Passage.
Their findings suggested that this 'new' corridor would distribute the
overlying weight and relieve pressure on the passage below**. The
expeditions results were presented at the Eighth International Congress
of Egyptologists.

Although I do not read or speak French to any extent, I can see that
the general gist of the article cited is to refuse Dormion access to the
Pyramid of Khufu. However, given his previous successes, perhaps
he should be allowed to conduct a non-destructive investigation.


and

Gilles Dormion is not taken seriouly in his home country :

http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/info/afp_article.php?rub=clt&idArticle=0408291707
59.3qzc4jki.xml


The main reason for Liberation articles were a book to be published on
September 1st [see EEF NEWS (317) for book details].


So, we are at an impasse.

An update. . .we think Bronze age burial ground is unearthed

A Bronze Age burial ground in Co Down has been unearthed during work on a dual carriageway on the Belfast-Dublin route.

The construction scheme on the A1, between Loughbrickland and Beech Hill, has led to a number of important archaeological finds that provide evidence of a settlement site stretching back thousands of years.

A cemetery of eight early Bronze Age ring ditch barrow cremation burials, dating to 1800 BC, have been excavated and recorded, following three months of work by 12 archaeologists.

Kev Beachus, the head archaeologist, said: "The wealth of archaeology uncovered provides a fascinating insight into the lives of our ancestors."


We think this is a further story on one we reported in the last few days. But, you know, construction-reveals-burials here, construction-reveals-burials there, they all tend to run together.

They do that. A lot. Archaeologists examine local artefacts

ANCIENT artefacts such as bones and flint axe-handles went under the microscope last week when a team of experts visited Rickmansworth.

Geologists and archaeologists from the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain (AHOB) project visited Three Rivers Museum as part of their quest to find out when the first humans reached the shores of the British Isles.

Mr Graham Williams, of Croxley Green, is a member of the Three Rivers Museum committee. He said of the visit: "It really gave us a clearer picture of what made Ricky tick in the past. It has been a real eye opener.


Like Area 51 but duller Scope of Structure 172 eludes archaeologists (Free registration required)

Archaeologists continue to trace the footprint of Structure 172 through the soil where the exposed cobblestone foundation of the rowhouse-like building now measures 130 feet long. The most recently exposed sections led to the discovery of about two dozen earlier archaeological features that could date to the first days of the historic 1607 fort.