 |
||||||||||
|
− SPACE ARCHAEOLOGY −
A discovery of
the ancient stone coffin at Dahshur North
The joint project team of Tokai University Research & Information Center and the Egyptian Culture Center of Waseda university newly discovered a chamber room enshrined a stone coffin considered to be used for the burier of the tomb in the third excavation at Dahshur North remains which was carried out in March of 1998. The discovered room is located in the second basement layer of a Tomb-chapel (shrine styled tomb for the nobility) which is considered to be the center of the remains. The entrance of the room is blocked up with a large quantity of sand and consequently no one can enter the room at present. However, by the investigation using a new developed high definition small TV camera device with an optical fiber light guide with the aid of image analysis, the existence of a human styled coffin estimated to be made of red granite was revealed. A large quantity of sand accumulates on the head part of the coffin, and many objects such as earthenware vessel piece, etc. are scattered in the right and left side of the coffin. The next excavation is planned in December, 1998 and it is expected that prospective information to elucidate the burier of the tomb is obtained.
The Dahshur North is located in the desert of some 30km from Cairo and it was discovered by satellite data analysis in spring of 1996. As a result of trial dig, a typical tomb-chapel with a small pyramid in the New Kingdom period, which has the total length of approximately 47m and the width is up to about 17m, was unveiled. The first excavation began in spring of 1997, and a capstone of the attached pyramid was found at the time. The second investigation was done for one and a half-month in July of the same year. This is the third excavation and more than 4000 objects, including rings of the king of Tutankhamen, his queen, and so on, were excavated from this tomb so far.
The discovered Tomb-chapel by satellite data analysis（in excavation）
An assumptive image of the Tomb-chapel (NHK/HD/CG,NISHIMOTO/WASEDA)
The tomb's basements (NHK/HD/CG,NISHIMOTO/WASEDA)
A computer mosaicked image of the discovered stone coffin
Copyright(C)TRIC/ECCW/NHK
