Egyptian pyramids found from space
Seventeen lost pyramids, thousands of tombs and more than 3000 settlements have been discovered in Egypt, using infrared technology from 700km above Earth.
Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmington identified evidence of thousands of structures not visible to the naked eye, uncovering an archeological goldmine.
Orbiting satellites equipped with cameras, so powerful they can pinpoint objects less than a metre wide, helped researchers to spot building materials under the surface of the ground.
By using this method, an analysed image revealed the ancient city plan of San el-Hagar buried beneath the modern city.
Ancient Egyptians used dense mud bricks to construct their homes, pyramids and tombs, allowing the cameras to differentiate between the walls and the regular soil surrounding them.
The breakthrough find is a huge coup for the burgeoning science of space archaeology, and is also hoped to boost Egypt’s waning tourism industry.
The research team, led by U.S. Egyptologist Sarah Parcak, believe the findings are just the beginning, with thousands more unknown sites expected to lie beneath the surface.
"I couldn't believe we could locate so many sites all over Egypt," Ms Parcak told the BBC.
There are also suggestions an entire world of secrets remain undiscovered below the Nile.
“These are just the sites close to the surface. There are many thousands of additional sites that the Nile has covered over with silt,” Ms Parcak said.
The new technology has opened doors for research possibilities.
“It gives us a much bigger perspective,” she said.
“Indiana Jones is so old school. We’ve moved on from Indy – sorry Harrison Ford.”
