BAM Akademie: Guest lecture Inside the Great Pyramid: Science Meets Ancient Mystery

Many theories and hypotheses have been proposed to explain how the Great Pyramid of Egypt, known as “Cheops,” was built. However, none has yet been conclusively proven. Can new technologies help uncover the mystery of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? This is the aim of the ScanPyramids project.

ScanPyramids is a multinational project with partnership of institutions from Egypt, France, Japan, Germany, and Canada. It uses the most advanced non-invasive and non-destructive technologies to investigate inside the pyramids and identify previously unknown significant voids. These methods include infrared thermography, muography, ground-penetrating radar, ultrasound, electrical resistivity, 3D reconstruction, modelling, simulation, image fusion, and acoustic imaging, all working together to complement one another.

Two major discoveries have already been confirmed and published: one near the northern entrance of the Great Pyramid (ScanPyramids North Face Corridor), and another—a large void—above the Grand Gallery (ScanPyramids Big Void). A further discovery has recently been published at the Pyramid of Menkaure.

The presentations will be delivered by some of the leaders of the ScanPyramids mission from Egypt, France, and Germany. They will explain the technologies used, show videos of the measurements, present new technical findings, and take the audience inside a corridor that had remained unknown for 4,500 years through virtual reality.

This will also be a unique opportunity to ask questions directly to these experts.

Mohamed Elkarmoty: Deputy Coordinator of the ScanPyramids Project; Assoc. Professor of Engineering Geology, Co-chairholder of the UNESCO Chair on Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage, Cairo University.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Geophys. Christian U. Große has been a professor since 2010 and has held the Chair of Non-Destructive Testing at the Technical University of Munich since 2012; he is a recipient of the NWO-Humboldt Foundation Award and the author of more than 500 scholarly publications.

Supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung DGZfP e.V. and Dassault Systèmes Foundation, Paris.

Hosted by BAM Division 8.

General Information:

• On-site-Event Ludwig-Erhard-Saal, Unter den Eichen 87
• Lecture language: English
• Registration and participation for free
• Registration is necessary. Please arrive some time before the event starts, as access to BAM premises requires an ID check at the main gate.

Registration:

Please register following this link.