7 ms·

"...for some reason:" - they shouldn't be allowed to destroy such an important monument to satisfy their curiosity.

virmundi 9y ago
A) proper digging shouldn’t destroy the monument. B) removal of parts of the structure is how we know what’s in it at all. The same is true for any othe other monuments that are structures. We had to dig through the valley of the kings to find the tombs. If we don’t breech the obstruction, we won’t understand the thing.
- justinator 9y ago
  It's at the very least, a double-edged sword. You're essentially condoning grave robbing.
  - kzrdude 9y ago
    Traditional archaeology is well documented, controlled, and destructive.
    - Piskvorrr 9y ago
      You two are not in contradiction.
      - dmix 9y ago
        Except 'grave robbing' implies a malice and questionable morality. There is great value in doing this and well documented/controlled excavation can minimize destruction to the very minimum.
  - zeefoo 9y ago
    Graves that are never seen are of no value whatsoever.
  - darkmarmot 9y ago
    This entire planet is one mass grave. We only respect the dead for a limited period of time. (No one who died over 20k years ago has much in the way of cultural defenders...) At the 3k+ range, I think we can get a pass...
- interestingcpp 9y ago
  It seems like this is itself a demonstration there are alternative techniques.
  - virmundi 9y ago
    There are new techniques for discovering things. Once we know there is a void, at present, no number of muons will help us see details. Perhaps we’ll learn how they built the thing. There are a great many marvels from Egypt that defy our current understanding of their tech.
SkyMarshal 9y ago
Also perhaps they're not sure that destroying the obstacle won't cause a tunnel collapse, or otherwise harm their research more than help it.
tryingagainbro 9y ago
100% agree. Let's wait, been waiting for millennia already. Otherwise, next year another team has another curiosity that requires just a small hole...and 2000 years later the thing is crumbling.
MrFantastic 9y ago
I don't think that a 12 inch hole drilled big enough for a drone in a section of the pyramid that is protected from the weather and not visible to the public is "Destroying a monument". Do you think that the DNA test of King Tut was also destruction?
- jbmouret 9y ago
  If someone has the authorization to bore a hole, it will be much smaller than that (the current target would be 1-2 inches).
- PhasmaFelis 9y ago
  Given the wholesale robbery that early Egyptologists got up to (mummy-unwrapping parties were a popular social event in 19th-century England), one can perhaps excuse the Egyptian authorities for being a bit overprotective.
noncoml 9y ago
I was at the Vatican museum recently and was surprised to see most sculptures appeared to be permanently damaged for embedding a number label. (example: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvqlG6iPcP8/UGzso1C3AcI/AAAAAAAAJFI/WPaDY27CdKc/s1600/IMG_9621.JPG http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvqlG6iPcP8/UGzso1C3AcI/AAAAAAAAJF...) I agree with you, let’s not be arrogant, like in the past, and destroy what we should save for future generations.
- dsego 9y ago
  I was also there in april, and I am surprised the tourists and kids are left unattended, taking selfies, touching everything. It's an accident waiting to happen. Most tourists (ashamed to admit, but this includes me) don't actually appreciate or care about ancient art, it's more like been there, done that.
  - Gustomaximus 9y ago
    I'd encourage people to chide tourists that touch historic objects in museums. People should know better and while I suspect they dont care (from when I've done this many a time), it's worth trying!
- vacri 9y ago
  Future generations will really appreciate that plugged shaft!
- briankelly 9y ago
  Is that part of the original sculpture? It looks like a modern pedestal constructed for it to me.
  - noncoml 9y ago
    You are right, but that was just an example I found on the web. Here is another one: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Sculpture_no4_in_the_Vatican_museum.JPG https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Sculptur... A few more: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2693/4094114491_b9ae422af4_b.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2693/4094114491_b9ae422af4_b.j... https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4293/35910672716_90f1f62105_k.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4293/35910672716_90f1f62105_k....
syrrim 9y ago
What's the point of having monuments if you can't look at them?

A) proper digging shouldn’t destroy the monument. B) removal of parts of the structure is how we know what’s in it at all. The same is true for any othe other monuments that are structures. We had to dig through the valley of the kings to find the tombs. If we don’t breech the obstruction, we won’t understand the thing.

justinator 9y ago
It's at the very least, a double-edged sword. You're essentially condoning grave robbing.
- kzrdude 9y ago
  Traditional archaeology is well documented, controlled, and destructive.
  - Piskvorrr 9y ago
    You two are not in contradiction.
    - dmix 9y ago
      Except 'grave robbing' implies a malice and questionable morality. There is great value in doing this and well documented/controlled excavation can minimize destruction to the very minimum.
- zeefoo 9y ago
  Graves that are never seen are of no value whatsoever.
- darkmarmot 9y ago
  This entire planet is one mass grave. We only respect the dead for a limited period of time. (No one who died over 20k years ago has much in the way of cultural defenders...) At the 3k+ range, I think we can get a pass...
interestingcpp 9y ago
It seems like this is itself a demonstration there are alternative techniques.
- virmundi 9y ago
  There are new techniques for discovering things. Once we know there is a void, at present, no number of muons will help us see details. Perhaps we’ll learn how they built the thing. There are a great many marvels from Egypt that defy our current understanding of their tech.

SkyMarshal 9y ago

Also perhaps they're not sure that destroying the obstacle won't cause a tunnel collapse, or otherwise harm their research more than help it.

tryingagainbro 9y ago

100% agree. Let's wait, been waiting for millennia already. Otherwise, next year another team has another curiosity that requires just a small hole...and 2000 years later the thing is crumbling.

MrFantastic 9y ago

I don't think that a 12 inch hole drilled big enough for a drone in a section of the pyramid that is protected from the weather and not visible to the public is "Destroying a monument". Do you think that the DNA test of King Tut was also destruction?

jbmouret 9y ago
If someone has the authorization to bore a hole, it will be much smaller than that (the current target would be 1-2 inches).
PhasmaFelis 9y ago
Given the wholesale robbery that early Egyptologists got up to (mummy-unwrapping parties were a popular social event in 19th-century England), one can perhaps excuse the Egyptian authorities for being a bit overprotective.

noncoml 9y ago

I was at the Vatican museum recently and was surprised to see most sculptures appeared to be permanently damaged for embedding a number label. (example: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvqlG6iPcP8/UGzso1C3AcI/AAAAAAAAJFI/WPaDY27CdKc/s1600/IMG_9621.JPG http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvqlG6iPcP8/UGzso1C3AcI/AAAAAAAAJF...) I agree with you, let’s not be arrogant, like in the past, and destroy what we should save for future generations.

dsego 9y ago
I was also there in april, and I am surprised the tourists and kids are left unattended, taking selfies, touching everything. It's an accident waiting to happen. Most tourists (ashamed to admit, but this includes me) don't actually appreciate or care about ancient art, it's more like been there, done that.
- Gustomaximus 9y ago
  I'd encourage people to chide tourists that touch historic objects in museums. People should know better and while I suspect they dont care (from when I've done this many a time), it's worth trying!
vacri 9y ago
Future generations will really appreciate that plugged shaft!
briankelly 9y ago
Is that part of the original sculpture? It looks like a modern pedestal constructed for it to me.
- noncoml 9y ago
  You are right, but that was just an example I found on the web. Here is another one: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Sculpture_no4_in_the_Vatican_museum.JPG https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Sculptur... A few more: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2693/4094114491_b9ae422af4_b.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2693/4094114491_b9ae422af4_b.j... https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4293/35910672716_90f1f62105_k.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4293/35910672716_90f1f62105_k....

syrrim 9y ago

What's the point of having monuments if you can't look at them?