Final Pieces of the Jigsaw: Are Khufu, Nefertiti & Ankhesenamun Set to Yield Their Secrets?
Subsequently, the Ministry of Antiquities enlisted the services of the renowned Japanese radar specialist Hirokatsu Watanabe and initiated radar scans and infrared thermography tests to ascertain if this theory had any merit.
Soon thereafter, while these studies were underway, the ScanPyramids Mission—established under the authority of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, and led by the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University and the Paris-based nonprofit organization Heritage, Innovation and Preservation (HIP Institute)—was launched in October 2015. State-of-the-art 3D laser scans and muon radiography imaging were employed to study the possible existence of voids or cavities which scientists hoped would lead to a hitherto undiscovered chamber in the enigmatic Great Pyramid. Interestingly, thermal scans had earlier suggested a major anomaly in Khufu's Pyramid.
Needless to say, all of this promoted exceptional levels of excitement and eager anticipation. However, in the months that followed, conflicting and inconclusive results were declared post more scans—including by National Geographic radar technicians—in KV62, leading to much debate and massive disappointment globally. All this came close on the heels of the then Minister of Antiquities, Mamdouh el-Damaty’s ecstatic statement, "... it’s 90 percent likely there is something behind the walls".
But by May 2016, it was amply evident that the possibility of finding hidden chambers in Tutankhamun's tomb was almost out of the question. The reason: the aforementioned radar scans of the burial chamber delivered contradictory conclusions. The investigations in KV62 seemed to have reached a cul-de-sac—until a team of Italian specialists, from the Politecnico University in Turin, Italy, conducted a third round of radar scans earlier this year; the results of which have not been revealed. Add to this the fact that fresh news has not been forthcoming about the ScanPyramids Mission either, and the palpable sense of disillusionment among the public is obvious.
