Why You Can't Explore The Pyramids (+ Other Ancient Mysteries)

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Why We Can’t Explore the Pyramids (and Other Ancient History Mysteries)</h4>

Why is so much about the pyramids still so unknown? How is it that, in the modern world, there remain so many stories, events and monuments from our past that we just can’t be certain of? And does technology offer any hope for finding the answers?

In this video, we’ll first count down ten of the most infamous and unexplained archaeological mysteries on Earth. Then, we’re taking a closer look at the Egyptian pyramids specifically, to discover why it REALLY is that so much of them is out of bounds to visitors. And finally, we’re highlighting one exciting case study in which today’s innovations are shedding all new light on the people and civilizations of our planet’s distant past.

This is Unveiled, and today we’re taking a closer look at some of the greatest ancient history mysteries of all time.

This is Unveiled, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Archaeological Mysteries.

#10: Moai Statues, Easter Island

Arguably the most famous thing about Easter Island, the Moai Statues are a symbol recognized worldwide. However, while nearly everyone can tell you what these huge, large-headed statutes look like, they retain some mysteries. Chief among them for a long time has been how they were transported from where they were carved since they’re all so massive. Although sledges were dismissed initially, both for their impracticality in attempts to recreate the movement and for the lack of trees on Easter Island, these days the prevailing theory is that they walked there. Or rather, that they were walked – shuffled along upright very slowly using teams and ropes. Even so, a consensus hasn’t been reached.

#9: Saqqara Bird

Egypt is full of mysterious artifacts and ruins. While the pyramids and sarcophagi get a lot of attention, one of the strangest archaeological finds is only a few inches long. The Saqqara Bird is an object first found in a tomb in the eponymous town in 1898. An apparent model bird, this artifact’s exact purpose remains a subject of discussion over a century after its discovery. Was it a toy? Was it a ceremonial object? Some have even suggested it’s an example that Egyptians may have known about small-scale aviation, given its aerodynamic tail. While it’s too heavy to fly itself, the idea has been intriguing to many.

#8: Voynich Manuscript

Named for the man who purchased it in 1912, the Voynich Manuscript dates from the early 15th century. This early codex has puzzled scholars for centuries. Written in a language and script found nowhere else, the Voynich Manuscript contains various drawings, which depict astrological symbols, people, creatures, and plants, not all of them real. Attempts to decode the manuscript suggest the language may be a constructed one, possibly a code written to protect its contents. As for its purpose, it’s generally believed to be a record of herbs and knowledge on the planets. However, the seemingly coded language, as well as the fictitious plants and animals have many wondering if the Voynich Manuscript could have deeper or weirder origins.

#7: Stones of Pumapunku

Pumapunku is an archaeological site in modern Bolivia, constructed by the Tiwanaku culture. The location’s most distinctive and mysterious feature is its stone blocks. Razor straight and featuring interlocking holes that fit them together like a Jenga tower, these stones seem remarkably advanced in their construction for being made in the 6th century AD. The stones’ uniformity suggests mass production and highly accurate measurements, which flies in the face of what even the Tiwanaku’s successor state, the Incas, were capable of centuries later. Pumapunku has been a popular subject of fringe theories, such as ancient, advanced civilizations or alien intervention. However they were made, these stones are a remarkable feat of engineering.

#6: London Hammer

Appropriately found in London… Texas, the London Hammer is a typical iron workman’s hammerhead and part of a wooden shaft. What makes it so contentious is its potential age. Many regard it as an anomalous or impossible artifact, due to being found encased in rock from the Cretaceous era. How could a man-made tool exist in rock from millions of years before humans existed? The most common explanation is that a natural concretion effect occurred around a more modern hammer. Unfortunately, definitive dating of the artifact is likely difficult, since it currently resides in a Creationist museum which does not allow tests on their “proof.”

#5: Stonehenge

One of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, Stonehenge is a ring of stone megaliths in southern England. Constructed sometime between 4 or 5 thousand years ago, Stonehenge’s exact purpose has never been confirmed, since its builders left no written records. The reasons vary from the astronomical to the supernatural. Still, the site has been a burial ground for millennia. In addition to why it was constructed, how has also been a matter of debate. Although some are incredulous that the huge stones could have been moved the many miles from where they were cut without modern tools, several explanations have been offered and even demonstrated. But however much we learn about it, Stonehenge will always maintain its mystique.

#4: Indus River Valley Civilization

Also known as the Harappan Civilization, this ancient society lived in the Indus River Valley in what is now India and Pakistan some 5,000 years ago, making it one of the earliest civilizations on Earth. Despite its storied history, many things remain a mystery about it. Chief among these are its writing system and its fate. The Indus script lacks a proverbial Rosetta Stone, so it has yet to be deciphered. However, some theories exist as to why it disappeared. The prevailing reasons for its decline are outside invasion, possibly from Central Asia, as well as climate change and natural disasters; leading to drought and forcing its people to migrate.

#3: Lost City of Helike

The ancient Greeks told of a city that sank beneath the waves. No, not Atlantis – Helike! Unlike that legendary location, Helike is confirmed to have been a real place. Once part of the Achaean League, Helike sank underwater after an earthquake and tsunami devastated it in the 4th century BC. For decades in the 20th century, archaeologists and marine explorers searched for Helike’s location. It was finally discovered in 2001. However, while Helike has been rediscovered, there are still many secrets to uncover about the lost city, and its location underwater makes research a tough proposition.

#2: Antikythera Mechanism

Computers are a modern invention, right? Wrong! Recovered from a shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island of the same name, the Antikythera Mechanism is one of the oldest analogue computers ever discovered, dating from somewhere between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. The mechanism was designed for predicting not only the positions of the five observable planets in the night sky, but also eclipses decades in advance. Clockwork mechanisms were previously thought to not have been invented until centuries later. And given its complexity, it seems certain the ancient Greeks had made other devices of similar construction and capability. We still don’t know how the mechanism was constructed with the tools available at the time, or what other mechanical wonders they made.

#1: Bronze Age Collapse

During the 12th century BC, the cultures of the Mediterranean Sea experienced violent upheavals that led to many of them either declining or falling outright. The suddenness of the collapse has intrigued archaeologists and historians for centuries. Records of the time indicate raids by so-called “Sea Peoples,” which may have contributed to political instability. The advent of iron weapons may have also led to more losses by existing civilizations who didn’t adapt quickly enough. There’s also evidence of a succession of disasters, including volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Pollen samples also suggest a period of higher heat, and climate change could have led to drought. The most common explanation involves some or all of these - a perfect storm that led to this massive societal collapse.

Which of these mysteries are you most intrigued by? Let us know in the comments as, next, we travel to Egypt, for a closer look at another world famous site. And another place about which there is a constant swirl of debate; the Great Pyramids. We all know what they are, but why is it so difficult to get inside to find out more?

There are few more iconic buildings on Earth than the ancient pyramids of Egypt. Soaring up from the ground, their pointed tops piercing the sky above, they mark some of the most incredible landscapes found anywhere on the planet. But, while everyone knows what these iconic structures look like from the outside… what’s happening inside is much more mysterious. 

First things first, of course you can visit the pyramids, to at least view them from the outside, and they’re a bucket list destination for so many travelers. But it’s not a free rein once you get there, and with good reason. The Great Pyramid site in Giza, for example, where probably the most famous pyramids of all time can be found, is thought to be around 4,600 years old. And there are other pyramids that are even older than that. These incredible monuments are true, tangible history, then, that’s still standing strong before us… which is amazing, but it also means that they’re subject to all kinds of rules and laws to protect and preserve them for many more years to come.

For example, while there have been various daredevil climbers that have done so, it’s illegal to climb the pyramids in Egypt. Especially just for the thrill of it. But also, while some parts of them are accessible to the public, the pyramids’ internal chambers tend to be mostly closed off, too. Tickets to venture into those on the Giza site, for instance, are often limited… and those who do get inside usually recall seeing only a few dusty corridors and darkened rooms. Again, given the historical significance of these places, it’s perhaps unsurprising that those maintaining them want to avoid a public free-for-all. But, what’s a little more surprising, is that exploring the pyramids is hard, as well, for actual explorers.

There are a few reasons for this. One is that the pyramids are (and were) first and foremost tombs. Built for the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, they’re the last resting places for the most powerful people of their time. The Great Pyramid of Giza, for example, is a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty, who reigned during the twenty-sixth century BCE. There is, then, an overriding desire to respect these sites, rather than just breaking them open for anyone to gaze upon. And, also, because they are tombs, many of the chambers and rooms within them were sealed off when they were built… so it’s not as though someone could just open a door into them, anyway.

Nevertheless, another reason as to why exploring the pyramids is difficult in modern times… is because that respect perhaps hasn’t always been there in the past. Many of the pyramid sites have been visited by grave robbers (or tomb raiders) throughout their history, with unknown artifacts seemingly removed in many cases long before any kind of organized, archaeological survey could take place. Unsurprisingly, the authorities are keen to avoid this happening in the future, and so there are various legal hurdles to overcome before anyone can get beyond the standard tourist walkways.

But, arguably more than anything else, exploration of the pyramids is difficult because the authorities (and most explorers) are desperately keen not to damage anything. Maintaining the structural integrity of these things is of paramount importance to everyone, and so the prospect of large-scale drilling to get into them, for example… just doesn’t satisfy anybody. The pyramids have stood for more than four thousand years, but they could still be brought crashing down within moments… and that’s the primary concern.

As a result, the pyramids do continually rank as some of the most mysterious places on planet Earth. While we do have maps of their inside layouts, featuring estimates and projections for some of the chambers that could be there… there’s precious little of any particular detail. They’ve been here for so long, but there’s still so much that we don’t know about them… and, because of that, any discovery that is made is automatically headline news. Because, while it is difficult for us to physically explore these monuments ourselves, science and technology is now enabling us to find at least some answers from afar.

For decades now, researchers have been sending remote controlled robots into the pyramids, to have a look around and send back footage - often to screens setup outside the pyramid itself. Not only is a single robot far less intrusive than an army of even well-meaning archaeologists, but it can also usually fit through smaller gaps… through tiny shafts, for example, between one ancient room and another. In early 2020, for instance, news broke of a lightweight, five-kilogram robot that was used to again explore the Great Pyramid in Giza. It carefully traveled down a sixty-meter-long, recently discovered, square tunnel, measuring only about twenty centimeters across. Eventually, its way was blocked by a stone (perhaps purposefully placed there) which meant that it still couldn’t fully explore the expected room that lay beyond. But naturally, this mini breakthrough should lead to greater research and efforts to work out how to get past that stone, and further down the tunnel. 

Aside from robots, though, modern exploration of the pyramids has increasingly made use of particle physics to improve our view. The world leading “ScanPyramids” mission, which was started in 2015, employs an entirely non-invasive process known as muon tomography to generate accurate, 3D images of what’s happening inside. Its most famous discovery to date came in late 2017, when a massive, previously unknown space was found in (again) the Great Pyramid, just above the Grand Gallery (a key room that was previously known about). This mysterious or hidden “void”, as it was widely dubbed, is at least one hundred feet long. While many Egyptologists have claimed for years that there should be hidden spaces and gaps within the pyramids that we don’t yet know about, this particular find forced everyone to take note. The dimensions are for something as significant as another hall or chamber, although work is ongoing to figure out exactly what the void’s purpose is.

As we move forward, the hope is that new technology like that employed by “ScanPyramids” (as well as the fast-improving explorer robots) could well take us into a new golden age for discovery in Egypt. A great sense of mystery has hung over these spectacular monuments for literally thousands of years, while the unanswered questions have mounted up for modern minds over the last few centuries, during which the pyramids have been subject to more and more speculation.

Famously, there are various “alternate” theories around that claim the pyramids might be more than just ancient tombs. That they might have in fact been put here by a higher power, or an extraterrestrial being, for some other reason… rather than built by hand (by thousands of dedicated workers) as conventional science and history continually says. Some of these more “out there” ideas are likely born out of the fact that so much about the pyramids is still unknown, though. And physically exploring them up close is often impossible. But, if we were to reach a time when all pyramids are one hundred percent scanned, so that there are no more “hidden voids” to uncover, perhaps then we’ll finally have a better grasp on the truth.

Between now and then, however, and especially as we learn more and more about the pyramids through modern technology, the calls to enable deeper exploration by hand are sure to grow. What’s your verdict on the direction we should take from this point forward? Is it more important to drill through to hidden chambers, even if it means risking wider damage to the pyramids themselves… or should we continue as we have been doing, leaving those chambers untouched, but maybe never knowing for sure what’s inside them?

Perhaps one day in the future there will be no mystery left to solve when it comes to these magnificent places… because we’ll have come to know them as well as we know the buildings of today. We’ll have walked through them and marveled at all the artifacts that they might still hold. But, equally, perhaps one day in the future the pyramids will no longer be standing… and not because of some devastating natural disaster, but because our curiosity - our need to know - will drive us too far, and we’ll destroy them.

Everything has its time on Earth, and the pyramids have certainly had longer than most… but it’s little wonder that there’s a feeling of caution whenever the idea of probing deeper into them is debated. What’s clear is that we’ll never see their like again. And that’s the real reason why you can’t explore the pyramids.

Again, what’s your verdict? Let us know! Of course, there are other sites other than the pyramids that have been routinely targeted by explorers, as well. Not least, the Amazon Rainforest. So, in the final part of this video, we’re headed to South America and into the very heart of the jungle. Thankfully, though, we have some very modern technology to make the trip a little easier.

How well do we really know our ancestors? How much do we really know about our ancient past? These are questions at the beating heart of modern-day exploration and archaeology… and thanks to a game changing, technological revolution in the field, we’re quickly realizing that, actually, there’s so much that we’re only just beginning to understand. 

As with so many cutting-edge technologies, LiDAR (or Light Detection and Ranging) began life as a tool used in space exploration… at one time featuring in the Apollo program in the early 1970s, as part of early efforts by NASA to map the moon. In short, it’s a mapping technique whereby lasers are directed at the ground from the air, via planes, helicopters, or drones. The lasers hit the ground and rebound back, with LiDAR tech able to precisely measure the different distances at play, and therefore construct an accurate, 3D map of the ground. Crucially, though, while operating at different wavelengths, LiDAR can penetrate through things that might have otherwise obscured the picture. Things like leaves, tree canopies, and dense vegetation, for example, which is why it’s become such a vital and ground-breaking method in the exploration of Earth.

The stereotypical image of an explorer or archaeologist is perhaps one of an intrepid adventurer, slashing their way through thick undergrowth in the middle of a distant jungle somewhere, in search of an ancient, legendary trail or a treasure-laden lost city. But, while a lot of hands-on groundwork similar to that is still carried out, times are certainly changing in the twenty-first century. The paper maps, compasses and machetes of tradition do still have a place… but nowadays, with any journey into the wilderness, there’s the potential for it to be significantly more planned and deliberate. Thanks to LiDAR, archaeologists can be so much more informed before they ever set foot onto an actual site. 

Over the 2010s, the technology really started to take off. So far, it has been variously used to gain a better understanding of multiple Mayan sites in modern-day Mexico… and scattered, ancient villages in the Amazon rainforest. It’s also notably helped us to gain a clearer than ever picture of the famous Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia. In all cases, LiDAR maps have been produced from above, and they’ve revealed to archaeologists that the extent of these ancient locations is usually far greater than we had previously thought. It’s now known, for example, that Angkor Wat was once but one part of an even vaster ancient settlement, much larger than previously predicted, with LiDAR images able to pick out the roads, waterways and homes that were once crowded around the temple. 

Of course, the evidence for what LiDAR is now picking up has always been there, and perhaps it would have been discovered by traditional exploration on foot, given enough time… but this technology is fast-tracking us to near-instant results. It’s said that LiDAR can achieve in just a few hours what it would otherwise have taken years of traditional groundwork to figure out. As the images are captured from above by machines, it’s not as though LiDAR is a dangerous pursuit, either. It’s exploration at a distance, yes, but it undoubtedly gets results.

Still, there are some that remain doubtful as to quite how heavily we should be relying on this technology. And, to a certain extent, it still won’t replace classic, on-the-ground exploration. What LiDAR can do is produce high-resolution images accurate to within around twenty centimeters… but what it still can’t do is determine exactly what it is that it’s mapping. For that, archaeologists still need to get up close, on the ground, in the thicket, and in the mud. LiDAR is perhaps best used more like a contemporary guide, then, highlighting areas of interest at a site that might otherwise have been easily overlooked, simply because the jungle has become too overgrown, or the landscape has been too drastically altered in modern times. The laser imaging means that now, rather than blindly searching for things that may (or may not) be there, today’s explorer can confidently descend onto a location that they know will yield results.

It's one reason why it’s said (by some) that we’ve recently entered into a new “golden age” for exploration. Although, on the one hand, it would seem that because most of Earth is at least accounted for on maps, there isn’t a great deal of our world left to discover… on the other, LiDAR technology is proving how we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what’s really there. And, in just the first few years since its introduction into archaeological study, it’s genuinely forcing us to rewrite whole periods of human history. 

For example, our understanding has already changed regarding the Maya civilization. The rise and fall of Mayan cities across a roughly three-thousand-year history up until the late seventeenth century is reasonably well-known. There are numerous iconic sites and monuments found across Central America, including the ruins of Tikal in Guatemala… and Chichen Itza on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. However, the early use of LiDAR over some Mayan sites suggests that their scope may have also been hugely underestimated. 

One of the first major LiDAR surveys in archaeology came in the year 2009, as part of the ongoing Caracol Archaeological Project, led by the University of Nevada. Caracol itself is an ancient Mayan city in modern-day Belize. It was first discovered in 1937, and there’s been a continuous and dedicated effort to excavate and explore it since around the mid 1980s. But, in 2009, LiDAR was introduced and the picture of Caracol dramatically changed almost overnight. Researchers were suddenly able to accurately map a far wider area than ever before, as more than seventy square miles revealed itself to them - including new evidence of roads and canals fanning out from the center. Before LiDAR, Caracol had been thought of as a reasonably modest settlement… but after LiDAR, the reality was clear that Caracol was actually a large and sprawling city. And, nowadays, the LiDAR maps inform so much about how Caracol is studied.

Of course, it’s not as though LiDAR is the only example of how technology is driving modern exploration. Although there’s a lot of work left to do in our efforts to map the seafloor, we’ve seen similar techniques used to improve our knowledge of the ocean, too, allowing us to see through the waves at what’s really there. But, still, there’s little doubt that LiDAR has kick-started an incredibly exciting time for archaeology, specifically. It’s leading a new frontier for exploration, which is bringing to light whole buildings, landmarks and communities that might have otherwise been lost forever.

And so, in some cases, it really is prompting us to seriously rethink our own past. Estimates on the maximum populations for sites like Angkor Wat and Caracol have increased, for example, partly as a result of LiDAR discoveries. And, in the bigger picture, this could change our understanding of how whole civilizations worked… and of how much of a wider impact they might’ve had. With LiDAR typically helping to detail the “outskirts” of ancient cities, as well, archaeologists are producing a whole range of new maps from which historians can draw new conclusions about how ancient societies were structured. How things like wealth, work and trade were managed. And, suddenly, we’re connecting up ancient sites like we’ve never done before… seeing them not just as seemingly isolated ruins, but as shared remnants of a time and place that was once so much bigger.

In archaeology, as in most things, modern technology is driving change at a phenomenal rate. Thanks to lasers from the sky, we’re now scanning whole jungles within hours and realizing the true extent of the ancient secrets they hold. The contemporary explorer must still be ready to hack their way through dense forests, wade through rivers, and scramble through caves… but they can now do it all knowing that technology is lighting their way.

So, what do you think? Which of the many mysteries of the ancient world are you most captivated by? And how do you envisage the future use of technology in our continual quest for answers?

From the Pyramids to Stonehenge, from Angkor Wat to the Indus Valley, the history of humankind, of life on Earth, and of Earth in general never disappoints. Everywhere you look, there are stories of old waiting to be told. And, of course, with every passing moment, new history is always being made.