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Last secret door of Great Pyramid 'to be opened in 2012', says British company
'Micro-snake' robot to explore 8in shafts hidden in 4,500-year-old pyramid 'I am very confident we can resume our work in 2012' - expedition leader Will solve archaeological puzzle that has remained unsolved since 1872
By Rob Waugh
UPDATED: 08:27 GMT, 14 December 2011 The secret gates at the heart of the Great Pyramid may be opened for the first time in 2012, a British robot company believes - solving a mystery that has puzzled archaeologists since 1872. Scoutek UK had already begun exploring behind the gates earlier this year - and produced the firstever images from behind the gates using a 'micro snake' robot. But the exploration was halted by the recent unrest in Egypt. Expedition leader Shaun Whitehead said, 'I'm very confident we can resume work in 2012.'
The secret gates Great Pyramid of Khufu could open for the first time next year, as Leicester robot company Scoutek UK hopes to conclude their exploration of the legendary inner chamber in 2012
The 'Micro-Snake' robot which will explore the interior of the Great Pyramid once the 'Djedi' expedition resumes.
Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities stopped granting permits for research such as the Djedi robotic exploration of the Great Pyramid. But it has recently started granting permits again. 'We're still waiting for permission to return to the pyramid,' Whitehead told Mail Online today. '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.' The expedition is named Djedi after the magician who Khufu consulted while building the pyramid. It is a joint project founded by Dr Ng from Hong Kong University, and Scoutek UK, in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, Dassault Systmes in France and the University of Leeds. The four narrow shafts deep inside the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid have puzzled archaeologists ever since they were first found in 1872. The shafts are just eight inches across - and thus can't be explored by human explorers. Many experts believe that the shaft was designed to provide an 'exit' for the Pharaoh's spirit into.
Mystery markings: A close up view of the red figures on the floor behind the first blocking stone in the tomb
Hieroglyphics such as this are common in pyramids. Now a camera has revealed other ancient markings in the Giza pyramid
The pyramid is the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing, and is thought to have been built as a tomb for Pharoah Khufu, who ruled in the Fourth Egyptian Dynasty and died in 2566 BC. Khufu had the Great Pyramid of Giza built as a monumental tomb, inside of which are tomb chambers, ante-rooms, chambers, ventilation shafts and access tunnels. There are three main chambers: The King's Chamber, the Queen's Chamber and the Grand Gallery. The King's Chamber has two shafts connected to outside, but two tunnels from the Queen's Chamber deep inside the widest part of the pyramid have two stone doors. Some experts now believe this may indicate a secret chamber, further still within the pyramid.
Inside the chamber: The limestone ceiling of the Queens Chamber inside the Great Pyramid can be seen, but what lies beyond has puzzled Egyptologists
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