Hi-tech scans look to unravel mysteries of Egypt pyramids

New findings at Egypt's Khufu pyramid are raising hopes of unravelling the mysteries of one of the ancient world's most iconic monuments, including whether it may contain secret chambers.

Using the latest infrared technology -- a far cry from the down-and-dirty methods of the "Indiana Jones" films -- a team of researchers from Egypt, France, Canada and Japan have been scanning four of Egypt's famed pyramids with thermal cameras.

Operation ScanPyramids began on October 25 to search for hidden rooms inside Khufu, also known as the Great Pyramid, and Khafre at Giza and the Bent and Red pyramids in Dahshur, all south of Cairo.

The project is expected to continue until the end of 2016, but two weeks in, the experts announced at a news conference at the foot of Khufu that they had already made some remarkable findings.

Observations were made during infrared scanning of limestone blocks as they heat up and cool during different times of the day.

"Several thermal anomalies were observed on all (four) monuments, during the heating up or the cooling down phases," said a statement released by the team of experts and Egypt's antiquities ministry.

"A lot of hypothesis and possibilities could be drawn from those observations: presence of voids behind the surface, internal air currents, different materials with specific thermal capacity," it said.

In particular, it said, an "impressive" anomaly was found "on the eastern side of the Khufu pyramid at ground level" that could indicate the existence of a secret chamber.

The team is made up of experts from the Cairo University faculty of engineering as well as from the French HIP (Heritage Innovation Preservation) Institute.

The technology applied is a mix of infrared thermography, muon radiography imaging and 3D reconstruction -- all of which the researchers say are non-invasive and non-destructive techniques.

The goal is to try to see if unknown structures or cavities are present inside the famed ancient monuments "which may lead to a better understanding of their structures and their construction process".

Antiquities Minister Mamduh al-Damati told reporters the new finds were only a beginning.

Caption: Representative Image

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