Ancient Mysteries

A new study covering 650 ancient Egyptian temples dating back as far as 3000BC has revealed that many were aligned with astronomical events so precisely that it was possible to setyour calendar by them.

"Ancient Egyptian temples were aligned so precisely with astronomical events that people could set their political, economic and religious calendars by them. So finds a study of 650 temples, some dating back to 3000BC."

View: Full Article | Source: NewScientist

Located roughly 20 miles south of Cairo, it is home to the world-famous step pyramid of King Djoser. Dating back more than 4,000 years, it is the oldest of Egypt’s 97 pyramids. Saqqara is also famous for being one of Egypt’s oldest burial grounds, earning it the nickname “City of the Dead.” It was here, in 1891, that French archeologists unearthed an ancient tomb containing the burial remains of Pa-di-Imen, an official from the third century BC. Among the various items discovered was a small wooden model of what appeared to be a bird, lying beside a papyrus bearing the inscription: “I want to fly.” The artifact was later sent to the Cairo Museum, where authorities placed it alongside several other bird figurines. The model sat largely unnoticed, until 1969, when Egyptologist Dr. Kahlil Messiha was examining the bird collection and noticed that there was something very different about the Saqqara bird.

It’s interesting because on one hand, clearly, it should look like a bird because it has eyes and has a typical nose of a bird. On the other hand, the wings are clearly not bird wings. To the middle of the rim, you see this wing a bit thicker. In this region, the lift-up is the highest. The whole thing becomes thinner to the, um, end of the wings. And those wings, uh, model down. And this is a very modern aerodynamic design. Then the other point is, birds have no rudders. Because a bird does not need a rudder because of its aerodynamic architecture. And so, there is the idea they are not representing birds, but flying machines, or aircraft. Could the ancient Egyptians have possessed the power of flight?

In 2006, aviation and aerodynamics expert Simon Sanderson built a scale model of the Saqqara bird five times larger than the original to test that possibility.We’re running at a constant speed, slowly increasing the angle of attack, and then measuring the forces which it’s producing. That way, we can learn about its flight characteristics. At ten degrees, we’re producing four times weight and lift. So, it actually would be flying now. Test shows the Saqqara bird is a highly developed glider...

A new robot has been developed that will attempt to reach a sealed chamber within the Great Pyramid of Giza.The specially designed robot will attempt to move along a small shaft and drill through two stone doors believed to seal a chamber that has remained hidden away for over 4,000 years. Following in the footsteps ofHoward Carter and Abbot and Costello, a specialized robot will penetrate deeper into the Great Pyramid of Giza than ever before.

The robot, part of a years long exploration called the Djedi Project, will explore a shaft inaccessible to a previous robot, unlocking a room that has remain sealed for 4,500 years.

View: Full article | Source: MSNBC

Mystery surrounds a series of drawings and symbols on a Pictish tablet that could be an ancient language.Some experts believe the symbols represent words rather than being simply drawings and that they have linguistic meaning however others have cast doubt on this analysis. A linguistic mystery hasarisen surrounding symbol-inscribed stones in Scotland that predate the formation of the country itself.

The stones are believed to have been carved by members of an ancient people known as the Picts, who thrived in what is now Scotland from the 4th to the 9th Centuries.

View: Full article | Source: BBCNews