With the aid of satellite remote sensing technology, previously unknown ancient remains were detected in the Memphite necropolis of Egypt. It was the first discovery in Egypt using this new method. The joint project team of Tokai Research & Information Center and The Egyptian Culture Center of Waseda University was authorized for the study. The main purpose of this study is to detect undiscovered remains in Egypt by the analyses of satellite data and ecology of the Egyptian dynastic period.

The most remarkable discovery so far was a mud brick construction which was found at Dahshur North (some 20 km south from Giza). The remain is considered to be a typical tomb-chapel in the New Kingdom period. The total length is approximately 47m and the width is up to about 17m. It should be noted that one of the largest tomb-chapel comparable to the tomb-chapel of Horemheb (47m in length and 15m in width) at Saqqara. Horemheb was the person in charge of military affairs under Tutankhamun, and became the pharaoh later after Tutankhamun's successor. So far, more than four thousand findings, such as a limestone pyramidion (cap stone), shaft, underground chambers, rings bearing a hieloglyph, beads, amulets, etc., have been uncovered from the site.
The New kingdom monuments have not been reported in Dahshur area so far, and the site is on a high location between the area of south Saqqara and Dahshur which is surrounded by the Old Kingdom and the Middle Kingdom monuments, its topographical importance will be revealed with the future excavation.

Map and Landsat-TM image over Dahshur North area　Copyright(C)TRIC

The discovered mud brick architecture (Tomb-chapel) by using satellite data

Uncovered shaft and pyramidion