Team of Researchers from Cairo University and Heritage, Innovation and Preservation Institute Discover 'Thermal Anomalies' That Could Give Information About The Internal Structure of the Pyramids
Mysterious "thermal anomalies" were recently discovered by an international team of architects and scientists while observing the pyramids of Giza.
BBC News reported Tuesday the thermal cameras used by the team detected high temperatures in three adjacent stones situated at the bottom part of the Great Pyramid, also known as the Khufu pyramid.
Experts suggest the existence of the thermal anomalies could be caused by empty areas beneath the surface of the pyramid, internal air currents, or even the variation in the building materials used for the infrastructure.
A "particularly impressive" thermal anomaly was found at the 4,500-year-old Khufu pyramid, which is the largest pyramid in history and marked as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, CNN noted Wednesday.
"This anomaly is really quite impressive and it's just in front of us, at the ground level," Heritage, Innovation and Preservation Institute founder Mehdi Tayoubi told Discovery News.
Other anomalies were also spotted at the smaller Khafre pyramid and two other pyramids located in Dahshur.
The discovery was made in the course of "Operation Scan Pyramids", a scientific mission that aims to visualize the interior of the pyramids using noninvasive techniques such as 3D scans and drones.
The techniques used will "detect the presence of any unknown internal structures and cavities in ancient monuments, which may lead to a better understanding of their structure and their construction processes."
The thermal differences were spotted using infrared technology, which was employed to monitor the pyramids from its heating phase starting at sunrise to sunset when it begins its cooling stage.
The team conducting the study consists of scientists and architects from Cairo University's Faculty of Engineering and Paris-based organization Heritage, Innovation and Preservation Institute. The study is authorized by the Egyptian Ministry of Aniquities.
Tayoubi while they have several hypothesis with regard to the existence of the thermal anomalies, they have yet to arrive at a conclusion. All data observed will be subject to further analysis.
"Operation Scan Pyramids" bears the motto "Just because a mystery is 4,500 years old doesn't mean it can't be solved."
It seems the researchers are one step closer to unravelling the mysteries behind the pyramids.
