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In the early days of archaeology, it took years of careful digging to uncover the shape and size of a structure. Now, newer technologies can help scientists map previously unknown buildings without removing even a shovelful of dirt.
That’s how researchers from Higashi Nippon International University, Tohoku University, and the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics in Egypt uncovered this latest hidden piece of history.
Between 2021 and 2023, the team studied the location using not one but two high-tech methods: ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). GPR uses electromagnetic waves to map shallow underground features in high resolution. For deeper structures, ERT can locate walls, shafts, and similar anomalies but without as much detail.
Combining GPR, ERT, and satellite data, the researchers discovered an L-shaped structure measuring roughly 32 by 50 feet buried 1.6 feet to 6.5 feet under the sand. They also found evidence of a 1,000-square-foot structure about 11.5 feet to 33 feet below ground, deeper than the L-shaped anomaly.
The next step is excavation
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At some point, the shallower L-shaped structure was filled with sand, which could be a clue to its purpose. It may have served as a kind of passageway to a lower tomb, according to the researchers. Ancient Egyptians often filled up such shafts to keep out the living.
While GPR and ERT can offer a more complete picture of sub-surface archaeological finds, these techniques can only take archaeologists so far. The researchers noted that the two methods’ data didn’t precisely match, and the techniques can sometimes make anomalies appear larger than they are.
Other mysteries remain, too. They don’t know what, if anything, is in the deeper structure. It could be filled with sand or totally empty.
To answer some of these questions, the archaeologists needed to start digging, literally. They’re currently excavating the site, Live Science reported.