Ancient Egypt News: Astronomy 01/13/2020

Rain, Rain, Go Away: Dealing with Wastewater and Rain in Ancient Egypt
Photo: H. Köpp-Junk

An efficient drainage system for rain and wastewater is important for every complex society. Even today, water discharge is a central issue in Egypt, especially in the global metropolis Cairo. While irrigation is frequently discussed in Egyptology, dewatering systems are only rarely investigated.

No known depictions or textual sources mention dewatering systems, but there are a variety of archeological finds that elucidate the range, innovation, and high quality of ancient Egyptian engineering skills long before the arrival of Roman water management techniques.

Egyptian methods for dewatering in temples, tombs, and houses are well attested from the middle of the 3rd millennium BCE onward. For example, dewatering systems are used for rain as well as wastewater from bathrooms and kitchens, and there is evidence for these systems in houses, temples, and tombs. Moreover, used water also had to be removed from industrial sites such as those used for dyeing, washhouses, and mummification workshops, since considerable amounts of water were necessary during the embalming process.

Experts Fear Damage to Ancient Egyptian Artifacts en Route to Tahrir Square
Photo ©Michalea Moore 2017

Egypt's recent decision to transport ancient Pharaonic artifacts to a traffic circle in the congested heart of Cairo has fueled fresh controversy over the government's handling of its archaeological heritage.

Cairo has some of the worst air pollution in the world, according to recent studies. Archaeologists and heritage experts fear vehicle exhaust will damage the four ram-headed sphinxes and an obelisk, currently en route to their new home in Tahrir Square.

This Week’s Hubble Image Illustrates an Ancient Egyptian Myth
NASA / ESA / Hubble / I. Karachentsev et al.

This week’s Hubble image shows an elegant spiral galaxy named NGC 4455, located in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair).

This unusually named constellation took its title from an Egyptian queen who ruled from around 250 BC. The Hubble astronomers explained the myth for which the constellation is named: “The story of Queen Berenice II is an interesting one,” the astronomers said. “A ruling queen of the ancient Greek city of Cyrene in modern-day Libya, and later a queen of Ptolemaic Egypt through her marriage to her cousin Ptolemy III Euergetes, Berenice became known for sacrificing locks of her hair as an offering to ensure her husband’s safe return from battle. Her husband did indeed return safely and her hair, which she had left in a Zephyrium temple, had disappeared — it had apparently been stolen and placed among the stars

Tourists Flock to Egypt’s Hatshepsut Temple to Catch Glimpse of Rare Astronomical Phenomenon
Photo ©Michalea Moore 2017

Tourists in Egypt flocked to Queen Hatshepsut Temple on Monday to witness the sun fall perpendicular on the holy shrines of the ancient monument, a unique astronomical phenomenon marking the ancient Egyptian festival of the Goddess Hathor.

A group of Japanese tourists visited the temple, which is located west of Egypt’s Luxor, in order to witness the phenomenon, with dozens of visitors from countries around the world taking photos inside the complex.

Ancient Egypt News 12/16/2019

Sun to Illuminate Egypt’s Ancient Karnak Temple Dec. 21

Crowds of tourists and Egyptians are expected to flock to Luxor on December 21 to witness the magnificent phenomenon of the sun aligning on the Temple of Amun inside the 4,000-year-old Karnak Temple.

The annual two-hour event, starts at 6 a.m., will mark the first day of winter, as per the outstanding progressive knowledge of the ancient Egyptian.

Every year, attendees come to watch the sunlight as it falls perfectly perpendicular on the sanctuary of Amun Ra’a at the center of the temple; the sunrays then move towards the temple’s gates to reach Hatshepsut's ancient temple.

Royal Sphinx Statue Discovered in Egypt's Minya
Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities/Handout via Xinhua

An Egyptian archaeological mission uncovered on Saturday a small royal statue of a Sphinx during excavation in Minya province, south of the capital Cairo, the country's Ministry of Antiquities said in a statement.

"The statue is made of limestone with 35 cm in height and 55 cm in length," said Gamal el-Samastawy, director general of the Antiquities of Middle Egypt, a department of the ministry.

"The clear and beautiful features and details of the statue mirrored the skillfulness of the ancient Egyptian sculptor," he added.

Scientists Have Determined A Woman's Profession In Ancient Egypt Through Examining Her Mummified Remains

By analysing the dentistry of a woman who lived in Ancient Egypt, archaeologists have made a surprising discovery: her unusual profession. A video provides all the details...

With this incredible discovery, archaeologists have gone from surprise to surprise. A short time ago, a team of scientists from the University of Alberta, in Canada, analysed the teeth of a woman who lived 4000 years ago, in Ancient Egypt. From this study, they learnt a lot more than they expected.

More Astonishing Artifacts Transferred to GEM

On Dec. 9, the Grand Egyptian Museum received 309 artifacts dating back to different eras. Among them were 64 heavy artifacts transferred from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.

The artifacts were transferred amid the tight security measures of the Tourism and Antiquities Police and the Security Forces. General Supervisor of the Grand Egyptian Museum Atef Moftah stated that some of the transferred artifacts will be placed on the Great Staircase, while other artifacts will be exhibited in different halls of the museum according to their era.

Visitors Marvel as Sun Alignment Illuminates the Temple of Hatshepsut

Archaeologists and astronomers visited on Monday the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor’s Qurna mountain to witness a sun alignment on the temple’s inner sanctum, lighting up an image of the sun god Amun-Ra inscribed in the form of a winged sun disk.

The sun alignment phenomenon takes place every year on occasion of the ancient Egyptians celebrations of the feast of the god Horus, an example of their greatness in the field of astronomy.

Ancient Artifacts Found at Cairo's Heliopolis Temple
Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities

Ahram Online reports that a mudbrick wall dating to the New Kingdom period, blocks from colossal royal statues dating to the Middle Kingdom period, and Old Kingdom moulds for the manufacture of faience amulets and capital fragments of palm columns have been uncovered at the Heliopolis Temple site, which is located in the Matariya area of northern Cairo. “It came as a surprise that these layers directly overlay a stratum of the prehistoric settlement of Heliopolis,” said Aymen Ashmawi of the Egyptian Antiquities Department.

These Mysterious Egyptian Head Cones Actually Existed, Grave Find Reveals
AMARNA PROJECT

Look closely at paintings of ancient Egyptians and you might spot something strange: cones the size of a coffee cup sitting atop some of their heads. The objects have long baffled archaeologists, many of whom have wondered whether they were merely a symbol. Now, a new study finds these “head cones” were indeed real: Researchers have recovered two of the curious accoutrements in burials dating back 3300 years.

Archaeologists made the discoveries at Akhetaten, one of ancient Egypt’s most unusual cities. The site was occupied for no more than about 15 years during the 14th century B.C.E. while Egypt was under the rule of the pharaoh who gave the location its name, Akhenaten. He developed a short-lived (and, in the eyes of later pharaohs, heretical) religious system focused on the worship of a single god, represented by the Sun. He may also have been Tutankhamun’s father.

• Head Cones in Ancient Egyptian Graves Cap Archaeological Debate
• The First Evidence of 'Head Cones' Found in 3300-Year-Old Egyptian Tom

Egypt Unearths Rare Ka Statue of King Ramesses II

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced on Wednesday, 11 December 2019, that it has discovered a rare statue of King Ramesses II during excavations near Giza Pyramids west of Cairo.


In a statement, the ministry said that the statue was unearthed during excavation works the ministry’s teams started last week inside a piece of land owned by a citizen near the great temple of Ptah in at Mit Rahina (Memphis).

• Rare pink statue of Ancient Egyptian king unearthed near pyramids of Giza
• Rare Pink Statue of Ancient Egypt's King Ramses II With 'Ka' Symbol Unearthed

Akhnaten Lego Opera

Ancient Egypt News 9/30/2019

Jewels of the Nile: 11 Awesome Egyptian Museums
The Coptic museum holds the largest collection of Egyptian Christian relics in the world. Courtesy Experience Egypt, Egyptian Tourism Authority

For much of the 20th century, the Egyptian Museum in the center of Cairo was the gold standard for collections along the Nile.
Mainly because among the many nuggets inside were the glimmering death mask of Tutankhamun and all the other relics discovered in the boy king's tomb by archeologist Howard Carter in 1922.
But Egypt has always had far more treasures than a single museum could display.

Stolen Coffin Returns to Egypt After Mix-Up at the Met
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The museum turned over the coffin after learning it had been looted from Egypt back in 2011

The coffin, believed to be crafted between 50 and 150 BC, was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art two years ago — but was fooled by phony documentation. It appears to have been stolen from Egypt during the 2011 uprisings. NBC New York’s Gus Rosendale reports.

“Sun Shines” on New Exhibit Coming to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Julián Zugazagoitia in Queen Nefertari’s tomb, 1993. He curated the exhibit “Nefertari: Light of Egypt,” which in 1994 opened in Rome. (Courtesy | Julián Zugazagoitia)

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has announced the “Queen Nefertari: Eternal Egypt” exhibition will be coming to Kansas City in November. The exhibition celebrates the mysterious queen and wife to Pharaoh Ramesses II, who referred to her as “The One For Whom The Sun Shines.”

The exhibit will not only focus on the queen herself, but also will feature the women of ancient Egypt. Emphasis will be put on royal life in palaces, everyday life of female artisans, and the strong underlying belief system of ancient Egypt. The exhibit is scheduled to run from Nov. 15 to March 29.

Inside One of Egypt’s Biggest Royal Weddings
The relief above the text shows Ramses II (left), enthroned, wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt. The gods Ptah (second from left) and Seth (seated at right) sit with him. Standing to the right is his bride, Queen Maathorneferure, and her father, King Hattusilis (far right), who did not accompany his daughter to Egypt.

When Ramses II married a Hittite princess, it strengthened the political alliance between the two former enemies. But the arrangements weren’t easy to make.

RAMSES II ENJOYED one of the longest reigns in Egyptian history. He spent more than 65 years on the throne during a period of military and cultural splendor which would win him the title Ramses the Great.

In 1249 B.C. Ramses II had been ruling for 30 years. To commemorate such a notable occasion, pharaohs held jubilee celebrations known as Heb Sed. Ramses chose his magnificent new capital city, Pi-Ramses, to stage a suitably lavish celebration for this milestone.

Pilgrim Gouges: Vandalism in Antiquity, Now Archaeological Curiosity
Pilgrim gouges on the buttocks of sphinxes on the Avenue of Sphinxes at Karnak. Photo by Cammyjams [Flickr].

When does vandalism become an archaeological feature? When it’s done in antiquity, of course.

In the featured image of this article above is a photo of a particular kind of vandalism commonly referred to as “pilgrim gouges.” I’ve noticed these peculiar scoops of stone in various photos of columns, ashlar blocks, monuments and so on, but never really stopped to think about what they were.

In hindsight, all the examples I can think of or locate on the net or in books, are within reach of people. Still, my first guesses included eroded palimpsests and some sort of vandalism in antiquity.

Check out Kat Luno's Art Work!
Book Cover painting for "The Union of Isis and Thoth" by Nicki Scully and Normandi Ellis; Inner Traditions Bear & Co. 9" x 12" Oil on Panel.

Kat is an oil painter & illustrator who loves working with color, symbolism, and portraiture. Her work is infused with a fascination for subjects such as world mythologies, psychology, science fiction & fantasy, as well as various mystical systems such as Tarot and Qabalah. Stylistically, she is influenced by a number of disparate artistic genres that all seem to coalesce into something cohesive in her mind. These include classical realism (particularly turn-of-the-century Russian realism), surrealism, visionary art, spiritual & religious iconography, as well as many kinds of illustration genres

Archaeologists Unpack Two Sarcophagi

A sarcophagus with a mummy inside is seen in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), Cairo, Egypt, on Sept. 21, 2019. Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anany witnessed on Saturday the unpacking process of two ancient sarcophagi ahead of their restoration and display in a new museum. The mummies in the two sarcophagi belong to a senior official of the New Kingdom of Egypt, and his wife, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Inside Tutankhamun's Restored Sarcophagus, In A New Museum Exhibit
The Egyptian King's coffin was discovered in 1922. Photo: Associated Press

The golden coffin of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun will be restored for the first time since its discovery, ahead of a new museum exhibit next year.
The three thousand year old Egyptian relic is in a fragile state and will require careful restoration before it goes on public display next year.

For more info, photos, and a video see

• Restoration of King Tut's coffin to take up to nine months 
• Incredible images: Tutankhamun's golden coffin as it is taken out of its sterilisation tent 
• Pictures show Tutankhamun sarchophagus after being taken out of tomb for first time

Ancient Egypt November 19

Object Biography #23: A False Door of Kha-Inpu (Acc. no. TN R4567/1937)

This pair of finely executed limestone reliefs comes from a larger false door emplacement. They entered the Manchester Museum from the collection of pharmaceutical baron Sir Henry Wellcome (1853-1936), whose vast numbers of objects apparently included material acquired from the collection of Victorian socialite Lady Meux (1847-1910) – including the present object. Pieces from the same tomb chapel are now in the Field Museum of Chicago and the Louvre. When first identified in the Wellcome collection, the limestone was marred by salt encrustations. Fortunately it has now been conserved.

Ancient Egypt: Skeleton of Heavily Pregnant Woman with Broken Pelvis, Fetus Discovered
An ancient Egyptian burial site is displayed, with annotations pointing to the skeleton's pelvis area. MINISTRY OF ANTIQUITIES/FACEBOOK

Archaeologists have uncovered the ancient remains of a woman who died towards the end of her pregnancy, Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities reported on Facebook.

Scientists also found beads made from the shells of ostrich eggs, as well as pottery and jars in the tomb thought to date back some 3,500 years.

Preliminary examinations of the woman’s pelvis revealed the woman—thought to be about 25—may have suffered a fracture that ultimately killed her when improperly treated. The position of the fetus in her body suggested she had been due to give birth relatively soon.

Ancient Egyptian temples: Historic monuments or wedding halls?

In October, two wedding parties were held at two of Egypt’s most renowned ancient landmarks, the Karnak Temple Complex in Luxor and the Philae Temple in Aswan, both UNESCO world heritage sites. The two parties stirred much controversy among residents of both cities and on social media and triggered a wave of contradictory official statements while the question of how detrimental such actions are to the country’s most valued sites remained hanging.

Archaeologists have discovered dozens of cat mummies in an ancient Egyptian tomb

Ancient Egyptians were serious cat people, if a discovery in a tomb near Cairo is any indication.

On Saturday, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities announced that a team of archaeologists had uncovered dozens of mummified cats, along with 100 wooden cat statues and a bronze bust of Bastet, the ancient Egyptian goddess of cats. The artifacts, found in a tomb in a cemetery in what would have been the ancient city of Memphis, are about 6,000 years old.

Dozens of cat mummies discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs - Sky News

Archaeologists Find Mummified Sacred Beetles and Cats in Ancient Egyptian Tombs - Haaretz

Ancient Egyptian tombs yield rare tributes to cats and more - Fox News

Tomb Full of Sacred Cats and Beetles Found in Egypt - Smithsonian

Tens of Cat Mummies and 100 Cat Statues Found Near Ancient Egyptian Pyramid - Yahoo News

Dozens of Cat Mummies Found in 4500-Year-Old Egyptian Tombs - Motherboard

Egypt: Ancient discovery of mummified creatures found near Great Pyramid of Giza - Express.co.uk

Ancient Egypt August 13 2018

New look Bolton Museum to open the doors to Ancient Egypt

Bolton Museum's multi-million Egyptology gallery will be unveiled next month to showcase its Egyptian treasures in all their glory.

Bolton's Egypt will officially welcome people to step back into the land of the Pharoahs on September 22, where they can enter the burial chamber of Thutmose III, of which a full size reproduction has been created.

Karnak on the Cumberland
Victorian-era Egyptomania left its mark on this Nashville landmark. 

There’s a reason the building is affectionately referred to by some as the “Karnak on the Cumberland.” The Downtown Presbyterian congregation was so taken by Egyptomania that its members insisted this infatuation be reflected in the architecture of their church. The result is a stunning, if somewhat unexpected, mixture of Ancient Egyptian and Protestant Christian imagery.

New Egyptian dinosaur reveals ancient link between Africa and Europe
Credit: Andrew McAfee, Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Mansourasaurus shahinae helps fill in gaps of African dinosaurs of Late Cretaceous

When it comes to the final days of the dinosaurs, Africa is something of a blank page. Fossils found in Africa from the Late Cretaceous, the time period from 100 to 66 million years ago, are few and far between. That means that the course of dinosaur evolution in Africa has largely remained a mystery. But in the Egyptian Sahara Desert, scientists have discovered a new species of dinosaur that helps fill in those gaps.

Sphinx discovered during Road Construction between Ancient Temples
(File photo) © Tara Todras-Whitehill / Reuters

An Egyptian infrastructure project has been halted after construction workers found a sphinx-like statue during roadworks between the ancient temples of Karnak and Luxor.

Current GEM logo is temporary: Minister

After the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) launched its logo in June, citizens and experts have raised their objections, claiming that the logo is quite mundane and that it does not represent the Ancient Egyptian collection displayed in the museum.

Digital Resources for Teaching Ancient Egypt

As two newcomers to the teaching world, the Nile Scribes are interested in how they can apply digital humanities to their classrooms in the future. During our brief careers as students of Egyptology, we have been personally acquainted with how far digital humanities has come over the last decade, and the development of online resources for Egyptologists. This week, the Nile Scribes are taking a look at some of the digital tools that are available online to help with teaching Egyptology.Digital Resources for Teaching Ancient Egypt,

What is the Egyptian Book of the Dead? (Part 1) - Ancient Egyptian Religion

An introduction to the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (Spells of Coming Forth by Day) - what the Book of the Dead is, what the Book of the Dead isn’t, what the Book of the Dead’s purpose was, and why anyone would want a Book of the Dead.

Picture of the Week: 2,300-Year-Old Mummy Unveiled in Saqqara near the Pyramid of Teti

The 2300 year old mummy wearing a golden mask was discovered at Egypt’s Saqqara Pyramids complex south of Cairo in May 2005. The mummy is unidentified from the 30th dynasty, had been closed in a wooden sarcophagus and buried in sand at the bottom of a 20’ shaft before being discovered by Louvre’s Saqqara excavations team. The identity of the mummy is unknown but it is believed that it is from the 30th dynasty (380-343 BC). The ancient Egyptian was probably wealthy owing to the fine gold used to make the mummy’s mask and the location of the burial.

Ancient Egypt June 25

See you later, sphinx
Visitors to the Penn Museum explore the Egypt Gallery and its centerpiece, the Sphinx of Rameses II, the sixth-largest granite sphinx in the world, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Photo by Lauren Hansen-Flaschen. 

The colossal stone creature will be going under wraps for conservation at the Penn Museum.

For the first time in 105 years, the Penn Museum’s sphinx will be taken out of public view for an extended period of time. Starting on July 9, the colossal stone creature will be under wraps for an estimated four to six years while artifacts in the Egypt galleries undergo conservation and the spaces undergo a major renovation.

From the Pharaohs to Cleopatra and Julius Caesar: how Egypt influenced Greece and RomeUnknown artist. Antinous as Osiris, about 130. Roman, marble. (Musee du Louvre/RMN-Grand Palais/Daniel Lebee/Carine Deambrosis/Art Resource)

Big, needlelike sculptures, based on Egyptian prototypes, are dotted all over America. The most famous, obviously, is the Washington Monument. Another, in Boston, commemorates the battle of Bunker Hill. There’s even an authentic, 3,000-year-old Egyptian one in New York’s Central Park, known as “Cleopatra’s Needle.”

Solstice at Karnak Temple’s Western Gate  
The sight of the sun falling perpendicular on the temple of Amoun Ra’ in Luxor - Archive

he sun will set from the western gate of the Karnak Temple on June 21, which marks the rare astronomical phenomenon of summer solstice.

Ahmed Abdelkader, a researcher specialized in astronomical tourism, told MENA that sun rays will disappear gradually from the temple’s complex starting 6 p.m.until the Holy of Holies is darkened.

Paul McCartney's 'Egypt Station': What Is It?

Paul McCartney’s upcoming project is titled “Egypt Station,” he’s finally made clear – but fans continue to speculate on what form it might take.

While the Beatles icon had previously said he was planning to release an album in 2018 – and last week unveiled a new track, "Come On to Me," in concert that presumably appears on it – he hasn’t yet said whether that’s what “Egypt Station” is.

Down the Nile, into the Mediterranean
“Hippopotamus” (2nd century), artist unknown. Roman. Rosso antico. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. Photo by Ole Haupt

Because of its scope and depth, it’s best to have an initial understanding of what “Beyond the Nile: Egypt and the Classical World” has set out to achieve. “The overarching goal of this exhibition,” notes Jeffrey Spier, “is for visitors to understand Egypt, Greece, and Rome not as monolithic, separate entities but as cultures that shared and exchanged aspects of their religion, artistic traditions, languages, and customs in an evolving milieu.”

Death of the Firstborn Egyptians

Death of the Firstborn Egyptians from Nina Paley on Vimeo.

Ancient Egypt this week:Pyramids and Wooly Mammoths

Dance!

ANCIENT EGYPT'S SECOND-LARGEST SPHINX, AS UNEARTHED IN 1912
Photo: © Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. Archive number PMAN2418

But who is responsible for the "Alabaster Sphinx" of Memphis?

The July 22, 1912 edition of the San Francisco Call newspaper excitedly reported on the discovery of the Memphis Alabaster Sphinx: "The monster measures some 14 feet in height and 26 feet in length."

At that stage, no-one knew who the sphinx represented. Today, over 100 years later, the "monster" is still missing a name.

Tutankhamun: The story of the men who solved one of Egypt's biggest mysteries

One was a flamboyant aristocrat with a passion for fast cars, erotic photography, gambling and racehorses. The other was a dour and prickly archaeologist who it was said had “a chip on his shoulder” and could pick a fight in an empty room.

The Fifth Earl of Carnarvon George Herbert and Howard Carter were the most unlikely of associates yet the two men, who on the face of it had so little in common, collaborated successfully to make the most famous archaeological find of all time.

The Louvre Crowdfunds a Relic’s Restoration
PHOTO:MUSÉE DU LOUVRE

The Louvre is once again giving the power to the people, launching a new crowdfunding campaign this week to raise the €500,000 ($555,000) it needs to restore and reconstruct an “exceptional” 50-ton ancient Egyptian mausoleum in its collection.

Tuthmosis II shrine in Karnak temple ready to open after restoration

The Centre Franco-Egyptien d'Etude des Temples de Karnak (CFEETK) (French- Egyptian Centre for Karnak Temples Studies) has finally completed the restoration work on the barque shrine of King Tuthmosis III, which was reconstructed in 2010 at the Open Air Museum of Karnak Temple.

WHY MOVIES ABOUT EGYPT ARE FILMED IN MOROCCO

Once upon a time, Egypt was a world leader in the film industry. Fast forward to present days, and movies about Egypt are now being made in Morocco, leaving Egypt without much-needed jobs, American dollars, and tourists.

The world is absolutely fascinated with Ancient Egypt, and capitalising on this passion are the international TV and film industries. The almost constant adaptation of Egyptian mythology in film and TV should create a source of revenue for Egypt, but embarrassingly doesn’t. Instead of shooting on location in Egypt, studios opt to film a lot of their films in Morocco and a few other countries. With news that yet another TV series surrounding Tutankhamen is set to premiere on ITV next week,which was once again not filmed in Egypt, we decided to look into why projects set in Egypt are filmed outside of it time and time again.

The Wonders of the Ancient World: The Great Pyramid of Giza

The wonders of the world are given their status as a wonder of the world for many reasons. One of which is because of their historical, cultural and social value to their respective cities and countries. Each wonder, classic or modem, is unique in it’s own way, whether it be because of it’s unique architecture, it’s purpose or it’s significance in both past and present history. Every single one of these buildings, monuments or locations has it’s own individual story to tell. They are situated all across the globe and represent the marvellous things humanity and nature can produce. Tourism is a key word when it comes to the wonders of the world, because as you may have imagined millions of people visit these destinations every year, to see the sights bestowed with the great title. This means that, while the historical value of each is significant, the remaining wonders all benefit the economy of their countries, meaning their illustrious past is importing the present. Today we are going to take a look at one of the classic wonders of the world, the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Pyramids of Egypt reveal new secrets after extensive scanning mission

Dr Khaled El-Enany, Egypt's minister of antiquities, met with the archaeological committee working on the ScanPyramids project on 13 October. They reviewed the latest findings from the mission, which began in 2015. Its aim is to study the great pyramid of Khufu and the pyramid of Khafre on the Giza plateau, as well as two pyramids on the site of Dahshur known as Bent and Red.

Say What? Wooly Mammoths Coexisted with building the Great Pyramid

I found this fact a bit hard to believe, but the dates confirm it.