エジプトで未知のピラミッドが発見 [海外]
人工衛星の赤外線カメラが世紀の大発見
Egyptian pyramids found by infra-red satellite images (BBC)
人工衛星に搭載された超高感度の赤外線カメラが映し出した映像を分析したところ、エジプトの地下に埋もれた未知のピラミッド１７基、千以上の墓と３千の集落を発見した。
画像を分析してこれらの道の遺跡を発見したのは、考古学者で米アラバマ大学のサラ・パーキャック博士らのチーム。
「これほど多くの遺跡を見つけることが出来たなんて驚きです。我々は１年以上にわたってこの調査に取り組んできましたが、これほど多くの遺跡がエジプトにあったなんて信じられません。
ピラミッドの発掘は考古学者全員の夢なのです。」とサラ博士は語る。
同博士のチームは、約７００キロ上空の人工衛星から、地上にある直径１メートル以下のものまで判別できる強力な赤外線カメラで撮影された画像を分析。
古代エジプトの建造物には泥れんがが使用されているため、周囲の土壌よりも密度が高く、家や神殿、墓の形を判別できるという。
「今回発見された遺跡は、地表に近いところにあるものばかりですが、ナイル川の沈泥の下にはさらに何千もの遺跡が埋もれているのです。今回の発見は、今後の発掘作業の始まりにすぎません」とサラ博士は語る。
同チームはさらに、タニスというところで約３千年前の住居も発見し、その建造物の形状が衛星の画像とほぼ完全に一致していたという。
今回の大発見に結びついたハイテク技術ー人工衛星に搭載された超高性能赤外線カメラは、世界中の考古学者にとって発掘調査の大きな手助けとなり、今後の様々な発掘調査に活用されていくものと思われます。
最後にサラ博士は次のよう述べています。
「もうインディー・ジョーンズの時代ではないのです。私たちは進歩したのです。ハリソン・フォード、ごめんなさいね。」
![インディ・ジョーンズ レイダース 失われたアーク《聖櫃》 [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61t-1Zc34rL._SL160_.jpg "インディ・ジョーンズ レイダース 失われたアーク《聖櫃》 [DVD]")
▼衛星画像で地下に埋もれたピラミッドの場所を指で示す考古学者のサラ・パーキャック博士
▼人の目で見た時と赤外線カメラで見た時の違い
▼赤外線画像によって写し出される都市タニス。タニスにあった無数の墓が浮かび上がる
関連サイト
DailyMail
YouTube
Egyptian pyramids found by infra-red satellite images
Seventeen lost pyramids are among the buildings identified in a new satellite survey of Egypt.
More than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements were also revealed by looking at infra-red images which show up underground buildings.
Initial excavations have already confirmed some of the findings, including two suspected pyramids.
The work has been pioneered at the University of Alabama at Birmingham by US Egyptologist Dr Sarah Parcak.
She says she was amazed at how much she and her team has found.
"We were very intensely doing this research for over a year. I could see the data as it was emerging, but for me the "Aha!" moment was when I could step back and look at everything that we'd found and I couldn't believe we could locate so many sites all over Egypt.
"To excavate a pyramid is the dream of every archaeologist," she said.
The team analysed images from satellites orbiting 700km above the earth, equipped with cameras so powerful they can pin-point objects less than 1m in diameter on the earth's surface.
Infra-red imaging was used to highlight different materials under the surface.
Test excavations
Ancient Egyptians built their houses and structures out of mud brick, which is much denser than the soil that surrounds it, so the shapes of houses, temples and tombs can be seen.
"It just shows us how easy it is to underestimate both the size and scale of past human settlements," says Dr Parcak.
And she believes there are more antiquities to be discovered:
"These are just the sites [close to] the surface. There are many thousands of additional sites that the Nile has covered over with silt. This is just the beginning of this kind of work."
BBC cameras followed Dr Parcak on her "nervous" journey when she travelled to Egypt to see if excavations could back up what her technology could see under the surface.
In the BBC documentary Egypt's Lost Cities, they visit an area of Saqqara (Sakkara) where the authorities were not initially interested in her findings.
But after being told by Dr Parcak that she had seen two potential pyramids, they made test excavations, and they now believe it is one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt.
But Dr Parcak said the most exciting moment was visiting the excavations at Tanis.
"They'd excavated a 3,000-year-old house that the satellite imagery had shown and the outline of the structure matched the satellite imagery almost perfectly. That was real validation of the technology."
The Egyptian authorities plan to use the technology to help - among other things - protect the country's antiquities in the future.
During the recent revolution, looters accessed some well-known archaeological sites.
"We can tell from the imagery a tomb was looted from a particular period of time and we can alert Interpol to watch out for antiquities from that time that may be offered for sale."
She also hopes the new technology will help engage young people in science and will be a major help for archaeologists around the world.
"It allows us to be more focused and selective in the work we do. Faced with a massive site, you don't know where to start.
"It's an important tool to focus where we're excavating. It gives us a much bigger perspective on archaeological sites. We have to think bigger and that's what the satellites allow us to do."
"Indiana Jones is old school, we've moved on from Indy. Sorry, Harrison Ford."
Egyptian pyramids found by infra-red satellite images (BBC)
人工衛星に搭載された超高感度の赤外線カメラが映し出した映像を分析したところ、エジプトの地下に埋もれた未知のピラミッド１７基、千以上の墓と３千の集落を発見した。
画像を分析してこれらの道の遺跡を発見したのは、考古学者で米アラバマ大学のサラ・パーキャック博士らのチーム。
「これほど多くの遺跡を見つけることが出来たなんて驚きです。我々は１年以上にわたってこの調査に取り組んできましたが、これほど多くの遺跡がエジプトにあったなんて信じられません。
ピラミッドの発掘は考古学者全員の夢なのです。」とサラ博士は語る。
同博士のチームは、約７００キロ上空の人工衛星から、地上にある直径１メートル以下のものまで判別できる強力な赤外線カメラで撮影された画像を分析。
古代エジプトの建造物には泥れんがが使用されているため、周囲の土壌よりも密度が高く、家や神殿、墓の形を判別できるという。
「今回発見された遺跡は、地表に近いところにあるものばかりですが、ナイル川の沈泥の下にはさらに何千もの遺跡が埋もれているのです。今回の発見は、今後の発掘作業の始まりにすぎません」とサラ博士は語る。
同チームはさらに、タニスというところで約３千年前の住居も発見し、その建造物の形状が衛星の画像とほぼ完全に一致していたという。
今回の大発見に結びついたハイテク技術ー人工衛星に搭載された超高性能赤外線カメラは、世界中の考古学者にとって発掘調査の大きな手助けとなり、今後の様々な発掘調査に活用されていくものと思われます。
最後にサラ博士は次のよう述べています。
「もうインディー・ジョーンズの時代ではないのです。私たちは進歩したのです。ハリソン・フォード、ごめんなさいね。」
インディ・ジョーンズ レイダース 失われたアーク《聖櫃》 [DVD]
- 出版社/メーカー: パラマウント ホーム エンタテインメント ジャパン
- メディア: DVD
▼衛星画像で地下に埋もれたピラミッドの場所を指で示す考古学者のサラ・パーキャック博士
▼人の目で見た時と赤外線カメラで見た時の違い
▼赤外線画像によって写し出される都市タニス。タニスにあった無数の墓が浮かび上がる
関連サイト
DailyMail
YouTube
Egyptian pyramids found by infra-red satellite images
Seventeen lost pyramids are among the buildings identified in a new satellite survey of Egypt.
More than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements were also revealed by looking at infra-red images which show up underground buildings.
Initial excavations have already confirmed some of the findings, including two suspected pyramids.
The work has been pioneered at the University of Alabama at Birmingham by US Egyptologist Dr Sarah Parcak.
She says she was amazed at how much she and her team has found.
"We were very intensely doing this research for over a year. I could see the data as it was emerging, but for me the "Aha!" moment was when I could step back and look at everything that we'd found and I couldn't believe we could locate so many sites all over Egypt.
"To excavate a pyramid is the dream of every archaeologist," she said.
The team analysed images from satellites orbiting 700km above the earth, equipped with cameras so powerful they can pin-point objects less than 1m in diameter on the earth's surface.
Infra-red imaging was used to highlight different materials under the surface.
Test excavations
Ancient Egyptians built their houses and structures out of mud brick, which is much denser than the soil that surrounds it, so the shapes of houses, temples and tombs can be seen.
"It just shows us how easy it is to underestimate both the size and scale of past human settlements," says Dr Parcak.
And she believes there are more antiquities to be discovered:
"These are just the sites [close to] the surface. There are many thousands of additional sites that the Nile has covered over with silt. This is just the beginning of this kind of work."
BBC cameras followed Dr Parcak on her "nervous" journey when she travelled to Egypt to see if excavations could back up what her technology could see under the surface.
In the BBC documentary Egypt's Lost Cities, they visit an area of Saqqara (Sakkara) where the authorities were not initially interested in her findings.
But after being told by Dr Parcak that she had seen two potential pyramids, they made test excavations, and they now believe it is one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt.
But Dr Parcak said the most exciting moment was visiting the excavations at Tanis.
"They'd excavated a 3,000-year-old house that the satellite imagery had shown and the outline of the structure matched the satellite imagery almost perfectly. That was real validation of the technology."
The Egyptian authorities plan to use the technology to help - among other things - protect the country's antiquities in the future.
During the recent revolution, looters accessed some well-known archaeological sites.
"We can tell from the imagery a tomb was looted from a particular period of time and we can alert Interpol to watch out for antiquities from that time that may be offered for sale."
She also hopes the new technology will help engage young people in science and will be a major help for archaeologists around the world.
"It allows us to be more focused and selective in the work we do. Faced with a massive site, you don't know where to start.
"It's an important tool to focus where we're excavating. It gives us a much bigger perspective on archaeological sites. We have to think bigger and that's what the satellites allow us to do."
"Indiana Jones is old school, we've moved on from Indy. Sorry, Harrison Ford."
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