Seventeen lost pyramids are among the buildings identified in a new satellite survey of Egypt and which 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 of two suspected pyramids through the analyzation of the 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. 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, however,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. Recently, 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 which really validation the technology. The Egyptian authorities plan to use the technology to help protect the country's antiquities in the future and also hopes that the new technology will help engage young people in science and will be a major help for archaeologists around the world. -BBC News
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