One of the most sensational Biblical-era structures ever discovered in the Judean Desert has just been announced by a team of Israeli archaeologists. Aided by citizen scientist volunteers, the researchers have located an enormous pyramid that dates back to the Ptolemaic era, when Israel was ruled by a dynasty of pharaohs.
"What we have here is one of the richest and most intriguing archaeological excavations ever found in the Judean Desert," explained excavation leaders Matan Toledano, Dr Eitan Klein, and Amir Ganor in a statement. "This pyramidal structure we discovered is huge, and made of hand-hewn stones, each one weighing hundreds of kilograms."
Work at the site is ongoing, but the researchers say that "in the first excavation week, the volunteers found written historical documents, exceptional bronze vessels, and remains of ancient furniture, which thanks to the desert climate were preserved in amazing condition."
Among the items discovered within the pyramid are ancient Greek papyri as well as bronze coins featuring the Ptolemies - who ruled over Egypt and much of the surrounding area between the fourth and first centuries BCE. Other coins from the reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV were also unearthed, suggesting that the pyramid probably dates back to around 2,200 years ago.
Wooden tools, fabrics, and weapons make up the rest of the stash, although archaeologists say they expect to find more relics as the excavation continues. A roadside "way station" was also identified beneath the structure, although exactly who used this facility and why is currently unknown.
"We still do not know for certain what the building's purpose was: is this a guard tower, guarding an important commercial route through which the Dead Sea resources of salt and bitumen were transported to the coastal ports?," ponder Toledano, Klein, and Ganor. "Or at some point was this enormous structure on the mountaintop marking a grave, or serving as a monument in ancient history?"
Without the tireless work of local volunteers, the answers to these questions may have been lost forever, as tomb raiders and thieves have endangered many of the Judean Desert's archaeological wonders with their constant illegal excavations. The discovery of the pyramid is the culmination of an eight-year campaign to scour the area in order to safeguard its hidden relics.
Yet while the researchers are cautious not to make any sensational or unsubstantiated claims until they have more evidence, the same cannot be said for the authors of a wild new study about the Great Pyramid of Giza. Using ground-penetrating radar, the team allege to have discovered a huge network of underground structures that reach a depth of more than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) beneath the famous landmark.
Despite not being involved in any excavations in Giza, the study authors have publicly announced that the Great Pyramid sits atop some sort of colossal and highly advanced subterranean construction. In response, other Egyptologists have denounced these claims as baseless and lacking in solid evidence, while some have also questioned the methods used, suggesting that the imaging technology employed by the study authors could never detect anything that far beneath the ground.