Features

Videos: Prehistoric Paintings, The Swimmers and The Beast in Gilf Kebir
Heritage Key

Thanks to Tass for sending me the link. This page a video from the Gilf Kebir showing (briefly) the Cave of Swimmers and (in much more detail) the Mestekawi Foggini cave, both of them located on the western side of the highland plateau to the south-west of Egypt. The video was recorded in 2007, but I hadn't seen it before and I would guess that others have missed it too.

The images are quite simply lovely - not just of the paintings but of the gorgeous desert scenery.

"Giza Cave" Controversy Continues
Discovery Channel News
Rossella Lorenzi

Another older article, this time from September this year. This is an entertaining attempt to create a virtual conversation between three different people with different viewpoints about what lies beneath the pyramids of Giza. The entrance to the "cave complex" was tracked down by explorer Andrew Collins after reading the forgotten memoirs of a 19th century diplomat and explorer. That story was originally reported by Lorenzi in August.

Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, has just entered the "Giza cave" debate.

In a blog posting on his website, complete with pictures, he debunks Collins' claim that a massive cave system lies hidden beneath the Pyramids of Giza and clearly states that that "there is no underground cave complex at this site."

Dr. Hawass' firm statement prompted the immediate reaction of British explorer Andrew Collins and Egyptological researcher Nigel Skinner-Simpson, who claim to have rediscovered the entrance to a cave system explored by Henry Salt and Giovanni Caviglia in 1817.

Using the official statements, I attempted to create a sort of three voice, round table debate, so that everybody can try to draw conclusions on their own considering the various points of controversy.

There's a video of the cave system on the Discovery News site from 4th September 2009.