14/12/2011 | C. Martin
Robot firm Scoutek UK has expressed hopes that the mystery over the
Great Pyramid's secret gates may be solved next year, news that could be
of interest to people planning to take Egypt holidays in 2012.
A robotic exploration of the 4,500-year-old magnificent pyramid, started
earlier in 2011 by Scoutek, was stopped following the civil unrest in
the country.
As part of the exploration project, a 'micro snake' robot collected
pictures from behind the pyramid's secret gates.
This provided the first-ever glimpse of what lies behind the gates,
encouraging more tourists taking tailor made holidays in Egypt to add
the Great Pyramid to their list of must-see places.
Scoutek now hopes that the exploration project can be resumed next year,
after the issuing of permits for excavations and archaeological research
was resumed by the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Expedition leader Shaun Whitehead told Mail Online: "I'm very confident
we can resume work in 2012.
"We're still waiting for permission to return to the pyramid.
"In the meantime, we have been working on enhancing the robot.
"The main plan is to carefully survey and document the shafts, to gather
as much information as possible to allow archaeologists to determine
their purpose. We also still plan to look beyond the blocking stones at
the ends of the shafts, if it is safe and practical to do so."
Copyright Press Association 2011