Tut plus two
March 17, 2016 5:09 AM Subscribe
Back in November of last year, archeologist Nicholas Reeves announced that in analyzing high resolution scans of Tutankamun's tomb (KV62) that there was almost certainly rooms beyond the four currently known hidden behind the plaster coated walls of the burial chamber.
After running handheld ground penetrating radar scans, a Japanese team has announced a "90% chance of two hidden chambers, containing metallic and/or organic material."
The hypothesis that the rooms contain the burial of Nefertiti is still unconfirmed. Higher resolution scans are planned for the end of the month.
After running handheld ground penetrating radar scans, a Japanese team has announced a "90% chance of two hidden chambers, containing metallic and/or organic material."
The hypothesis that the rooms contain the burial of Nefertiti is still unconfirmed. Higher resolution scans are planned for the end of the month.
They probably just want to make sure they bombard it with as many different types of exotic rays as possible before opening it up, to ensure that when Nefertiti wordlessly beckons them in she's the beautiful type of undead and not the shrivelled mummy kind.
posted by No-sword at 5:38 AM on March 17, 2016 [96 favorites]
posted by No-sword at 5:38 AM on March 17, 2016 [96 favorites]
has "[more inside]" ever been more appropriate?
posted by indubitable at 5:41 AM on March 17, 2016 [129 favorites]
posted by indubitable at 5:41 AM on March 17, 2016 [129 favorites]
Thirty years later, will a brash TV host finally find redemption in the ancient sands of Egypt?
posted by Flashman at 6:02 AM on March 17, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by Flashman at 6:02 AM on March 17, 2016 [8 favorites]
Roadmaps!
posted by dr_dank at 6:07 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by dr_dank at 6:07 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Thirty years later, will a brash TV host finally find redemption in the ancient sands of Egypt?
See Alsoposted by zamboni at 6:12 AM on March 17, 2016 [8 favorites]
Eaten Alive, a 2014 Discovery Channel special that drew comparisons and similar criticism when host Paul Rosalie was not eaten alive by an anaconda as hinted at in promotional material.
Grain storage, obv.
posted by kcds at 6:18 AM on March 17, 2016 [40 favorites]
posted by kcds at 6:18 AM on March 17, 2016 [40 favorites]
Which is, obviously, extremely prudent.
Feh. Carter didn't pussyfoot around and it didn't cost him anything.
Just break through the damn wall. Even just a camera. Hell, scheduling my last colonoscopy took less time than this project.
posted by IndigoJones at 6:38 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Feh. Carter didn't pussyfoot around and it didn't cost him anything.
Just break through the damn wall. Even just a camera. Hell, scheduling my last colonoscopy took less time than this project.
posted by IndigoJones at 6:38 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:39 AM on March 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:39 AM on March 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
Before they go in, they need to be sure of snakes. If I've learned one thing about archeology, you don't want to send an archeologist into a ancient sealed chamber that's full of snakes.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 6:42 AM on March 17, 2016 [16 favorites]
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 6:42 AM on March 17, 2016 [16 favorites]
Feh. Carter didn't pussyfoot around and it didn't cost him anything.
Just break through the damn wall. Even just a camera. Hell, scheduling my last colonoscopy took less time than this project.
posted by IndigoJones
So you are related to Indiana!
posted by jason_steakums at 6:43 AM on March 17, 2016 [18 favorites]
Just break through the damn wall. Even just a camera. Hell, scheduling my last colonoscopy took less time than this project.
posted by IndigoJones
So you are related to Indiana!
posted by jason_steakums at 6:43 AM on March 17, 2016 [18 favorites]
Feh. Carter didn't pussyfoot around and it didn't cost him anything.
He quite literally *sawed Tutankamun's body in half* to get it out of the coffin.
Archaeology today is very much aware of the incredible amount of damage they can do on a dig, and they will always bias to the conservative now if there's ways to get information without actually disturbing the site. The amount of information we lost in the early days is staggering -- it was tossed out with the soil, or lost because they didn't know to look.
And we are well aware that we're not perfect, technology and analysis is always changing, and we may well be losing information by the way we dig.
Plus, in this case? That's a painted wall. If we just dig through it, we're destroying part of that painting.
At Giza, there were several sealed pits around Khufu's pyramid. They drilled into one and stuck a camera in, and found a boat. They did it to another one and found another boat. They dug out the first boat, but initially left the second for the future, and didn't investigate the other pits.
Better imagery of the 2nd reveals that it's inscribed much more than the first -- and confirms that it was indeed Khufu's boat, because his name is on it. Because of that, they've decided to excavate the 2nd (and document that throughly) but they're still leaving the other pits alone for now.
The future may find a better way -- but they can't if we just dig them up now.
Thus -- this investigation will be slow. Next step will be higher-resolution GPR scans, to change that 90% to 100% and get a sense of the size of the chambers. After that? A small drill hole, atmospheric samples, then a camera through the hole to see what's in there.
What that shows will help to decide what to do next.
posted by eriko at 6:51 AM on March 17, 2016 [50 favorites]
He quite literally *sawed Tutankamun's body in half* to get it out of the coffin.
Archaeology today is very much aware of the incredible amount of damage they can do on a dig, and they will always bias to the conservative now if there's ways to get information without actually disturbing the site. The amount of information we lost in the early days is staggering -- it was tossed out with the soil, or lost because they didn't know to look.
And we are well aware that we're not perfect, technology and analysis is always changing, and we may well be losing information by the way we dig.
Plus, in this case? That's a painted wall. If we just dig through it, we're destroying part of that painting.
At Giza, there were several sealed pits around Khufu's pyramid. They drilled into one and stuck a camera in, and found a boat. They did it to another one and found another boat. They dug out the first boat, but initially left the second for the future, and didn't investigate the other pits.
Better imagery of the 2nd reveals that it's inscribed much more than the first -- and confirms that it was indeed Khufu's boat, because his name is on it. Because of that, they've decided to excavate the 2nd (and document that throughly) but they're still leaving the other pits alone for now.
The future may find a better way -- but they can't if we just dig them up now.
Thus -- this investigation will be slow. Next step will be higher-resolution GPR scans, to change that 90% to 100% and get a sense of the size of the chambers. After that? A small drill hole, atmospheric samples, then a camera through the hole to see what's in there.
What that shows will help to decide what to do next.
posted by eriko at 6:51 AM on March 17, 2016 [50 favorites]
Radiation of all types is like prayer to Nyarlathotep!
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:06 AM on March 17, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:06 AM on March 17, 2016 [14 favorites]
Born in Arizona, moved to Babylonia.
posted by Sphinx at 7:09 AM on March 17, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by Sphinx at 7:09 AM on March 17, 2016 [9 favorites]
Damn your eponysterical eyes, Sphinx. Beat me by a second.
posted by Optamystic at 7:10 AM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Optamystic at 7:10 AM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
Feh. Carter didn't pussyfoot around and it didn't cost him anything.
It cost him the respect of Radcliffe and Amelia Peabody Emerson and that is treasure beyond gold.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:25 AM on March 17, 2016 [14 favorites]
It cost him the respect of Radcliffe and Amelia Peabody Emerson and that is treasure beyond gold.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 7:25 AM on March 17, 2016 [14 favorites]
IndigoJones: "Which is, obviously, extremely prudent.
Feh. Carter didn't pussyfoot around and it didn't cost him anything.
Just break through the damn wall. Even just a camera. Hell, scheduling my last colonoscopy took less time than this project."
Tut, Tut, Tut.
posted by Splunge at 7:28 AM on March 17, 2016 [12 favorites]
Feh. Carter didn't pussyfoot around and it didn't cost him anything.
Just break through the damn wall. Even just a camera. Hell, scheduling my last colonoscopy took less time than this project."
Tut, Tut, Tut.
posted by Splunge at 7:28 AM on March 17, 2016 [12 favorites]
I can't link, but the Ministry of Antiquities has posted pictures of the scans and layout of the material on its facebook page.
posted by Capt. Renault at 7:29 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Capt. Renault at 7:29 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Aziz! Light!
posted by Splunge at 7:31 AM on March 17, 2016 [15 favorites]
posted by Splunge at 7:31 AM on March 17, 2016 [15 favorites]
They drilled into one and stuck a camera in, and found a boat. They did it to another one and found another boat.
Eh, probably just another boat.
posted by BlueHorse at 7:45 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Eh, probably just another boat.
posted by BlueHorse at 7:45 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
So that's where the grain is!
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:39 AM on March 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:39 AM on March 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
Whatever they find in there, I just hope it's not this.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:50 AM on March 17, 2016
posted by tobascodagama at 8:50 AM on March 17, 2016
Eh, probably just another boat.
Why would a Pharaoh need two boats? It's probably an airplane or a zeppelin.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:55 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Why would a Pharaoh need two boats? It's probably an airplane or a zeppelin.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:55 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
"Eh, probably just another boat."
Yes, but what's inside the boats? More boats.
It's boats all the way down.
posted by komara at 8:56 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yes, but what's inside the boats? More boats.
It's boats all the way down.
posted by komara at 8:56 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Thirty years later, will a brash TV host finally find redemption in the ancient sands of Egypt?
Came for the Al Capone's Vaults reference, was not disappointed.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:01 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Came for the Al Capone's Vaults reference, was not disappointed.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:01 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
New tomb, new curse. They'd better not stream the opening, the whole internet might be doomed.
At Giza, there were several sealed pits around Khufu's pyramid. They drilled into one and stuck a camera in, and found a boat.
A 5000 year old boat?
Bham. Mind blown.
posted by popcassady at 9:03 AM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
At Giza, there were several sealed pits around Khufu's pyramid. They drilled into one and stuck a camera in, and found a boat.
A 5000 year old boat?
Bham. Mind blown.
posted by popcassady at 9:03 AM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
Why would a Pharaoh need two boats?
Maybe he had one, and then they needed a bigger boat.
posted by Dr Dracator at 9:13 AM on March 17, 2016 [19 favorites]
Maybe he had one, and then they needed a bigger boat.
posted by Dr Dracator at 9:13 AM on March 17, 2016 [19 favorites]
I want my mummy!
posted by Devonian at 9:29 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Devonian at 9:29 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Send in the Egyptian equivalent of Geraldo Rivera.
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:56 AM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:56 AM on March 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
Ten to one this is Disney doing viral marketing for that Indiana Jones movie they just announced. Just need a good title now.
Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Mummy's Tomb. No, that's been done.
Indiana Jones and the Chamber of Secrets.
God damn it.
Well, I don't know what they're going to call it but they'll come up with something.
Indiana Jones and the Gods of Egypt... oh, for fuck's sake!
posted by Naberius at 10:46 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Mummy's Tomb. No, that's been done.
Indiana Jones and the Chamber of Secrets.
God damn it.
Well, I don't know what they're going to call it but they'll come up with something.
Indiana Jones and the Gods of Egypt... oh, for fuck's sake!
posted by Naberius at 10:46 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also, I now seriously demand some kind of huge Indiana Jones/Harry Potter mashup. Get to it, market.
posted by Naberius at 10:48 AM on March 17, 2016
posted by Naberius at 10:48 AM on March 17, 2016
Also, I now seriously demand some kind of huge Indiana Jones/Harry Potter mashup.
So basically dial Gilderoy Lockhart down to about an 8.
posted by Etrigan at 11:00 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
So basically dial Gilderoy Lockhart down to about an 8.
posted by Etrigan at 11:00 AM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Here are the actual radar images. Pretty cool to see where they think organic vs. metal objects might be!
posted by Esteemed Offendi at 11:41 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Esteemed Offendi at 11:41 AM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
As long as its not CGI Scorpion King, I will not be disappointed.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:51 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:51 PM on March 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Can't wait to see what they might find in there.
This mask is my favorite ancient Egyptian artifact. It was located in KV-63 which was opened in 2006, the first new tomb to be discovered in the Valley of the Kings since 1922. It's actually just a few steps away from Tutankhamun's tomb.
The mask is so incredibly beautiful, and lifelike. At least to me. It feels oddly natural for a stylized representation. I just can't get over that subtle melancholy in the eyes. Maybe I'm projecting but either way I never seem to get tired of looking at this thing... which is why it's been my desktop background ever since the picture was first published.
They don't really know who it is, but it's from the time of Tutankhamun and there's a chance it might even be him. Personally I intuitively interpreted it as a girl's face when I first saw it, but it could totally be a boy's face, too.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 1:01 PM on March 17, 2016 [22 favorites]
This mask is my favorite ancient Egyptian artifact. It was located in KV-63 which was opened in 2006, the first new tomb to be discovered in the Valley of the Kings since 1922. It's actually just a few steps away from Tutankhamun's tomb.
The mask is so incredibly beautiful, and lifelike. At least to me. It feels oddly natural for a stylized representation. I just can't get over that subtle melancholy in the eyes. Maybe I'm projecting but either way I never seem to get tired of looking at this thing... which is why it's been my desktop background ever since the picture was first published.
They don't really know who it is, but it's from the time of Tutankhamun and there's a chance it might even be him. Personally I intuitively interpreted it as a girl's face when I first saw it, but it could totally be a boy's face, too.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 1:01 PM on March 17, 2016 [22 favorites]
Hell, scheduling my last colonoscopy took less time than this project.
Well, I'm guessing that your colon doesn't contain incredibly fragile, irreplaceable and literally priceless archaeological treasures. And if it does, then maybe you should put down that burrito.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:29 PM on March 17, 2016 [11 favorites]
Well, I'm guessing that your colon doesn't contain incredibly fragile, irreplaceable and literally priceless archaeological treasures. And if it does, then maybe you should put down that burrito.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:29 PM on March 17, 2016 [11 favorites]
an Egyptologist I once knew told me that Egyptian tombs do have curses, but they are less "Death will come on Swift Wings" and more "If you are reading this, you are desecrating my tomb, so fuck you. I hope you break your leg in the wilderness and donkeys poop on you. Asshole." I found that somehow charming.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:27 PM on March 17, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:27 PM on March 17, 2016 [14 favorites]
So if they open the first vault and show you it's a boat, should you change your mind about which vault you want to open?
posted by Segundus at 2:40 PM on March 17, 2016 [22 favorites]
posted by Segundus at 2:40 PM on March 17, 2016 [22 favorites]
Late as heck, but...
Optamystic: "Damn your eponysterical eyes, Sphinx. Beat me by a second."
I set you up for the "got a condo made of stone-a" line perfectly.
posted by Sphinx at 2:48 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Optamystic: "Damn your eponysterical eyes, Sphinx. Beat me by a second."
I set you up for the "got a condo made of stone-a" line perfectly.
posted by Sphinx at 2:48 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Optamystic: "Damn your eponysterical eyes, Sphinx. Beat me by a second."
I set you up for the "got a condo made of stone-a" line perfectly.
Look at the tags, kids. I was way ahead of you on that one.
posted by eriko at 4:58 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
I set you up for the "got a condo made of stone-a" line perfectly.
Look at the tags, kids. I was way ahead of you on that one.
posted by eriko at 4:58 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Hairy Lobster, I wanted to see that image in a better resolution and found a relatively recent article with a clearer picture. While searching I also found an incidental remark that confirms your impression of a woman's face, saying the yellow masks may hypothetically have indicated tombs meant for female children or women.
posted by cgc373 at 5:25 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by cgc373 at 5:25 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Soundtrack for this fpp...
"I'm looking for the last, the last pharaoh
When night falls on the land
I'm looking for the last, the last pharaoh
I'm gonna lay him down if I can..."
posted by MonkeyToes at 10:10 PM on March 17, 2016
"I'm looking for the last, the last pharaoh
When night falls on the land
I'm looking for the last, the last pharaoh
I'm gonna lay him down if I can..."
posted by MonkeyToes at 10:10 PM on March 17, 2016
Or...
"Oh Mr. Tut, they dig the tomb,
All that gold leaf brightens up a room
But what's the diff, when you're stiff, what riff they're playin'
When your ears have spent five thousand years decayin'
What does it matter, what possessions you may boast
When you're just a ghost, it's only jive, Clive,
Your sarcophagus is glowin' but your esophagus is showin'
Who cares how rich you are, love, when you look like Boris Karloff
Call Nautilus, they might even refund your dues
Because you're all wrapped up in them Dead Egyptian Blues."
posted by eriko at 6:10 AM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
"Oh Mr. Tut, they dig the tomb,
All that gold leaf brightens up a room
But what's the diff, when you're stiff, what riff they're playin'
When your ears have spent five thousand years decayin'
What does it matter, what possessions you may boast
When you're just a ghost, it's only jive, Clive,
Your sarcophagus is glowin' but your esophagus is showin'
Who cares how rich you are, love, when you look like Boris Karloff
Call Nautilus, they might even refund your dues
Because you're all wrapped up in them Dead Egyptian Blues."
posted by eriko at 6:10 AM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
As long as its not CGI Scorpion King, I will not be disappointed.
Not enough cod around those parts anymore.
posted by Etrigan at 7:22 AM on March 18, 2016
Not enough cod around those parts anymore.
posted by Etrigan at 7:22 AM on March 18, 2016
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posted by tobascodagama at 5:25 AM on March 17, 2016 [8 favorites]