The Pyramids of Giza at the Giza Plateau, Egypt, are one of the most famous sights in the world. It's probably photographed from every possible angle from the ground, but often do you see it from above? Sure, Google Earth might give you an insight into aerial photography, but GeoEye has kindly given Heritage Key amazing satellite imagery at a high resolution, allowing us to see the pyramids as if we were in the space shuttle (or an alien space craft).
Dr Vasko (or Vassil) Dobrev explains his search for the tomb of Userkare - a Sixth Dynasty Pharaoh who ruled between the reign of Teti and Pepi I. In the video, Dr Dobrev explains that Egypt was in a power limbo after the assassination of Teti, until Userkare came to bring peace and restore order. He is excavating a site at Saqqara South where his team have so far covered a fifth of a hectare, out of a 15 hectare plateau. Dr Dobrev shows us in this video what he has found so far at this site including one of it's most famous locations, the chapel of Haunefer, and some insight into the world of archaeology.
In New Discoveries in Drabu el Naga, Dr. Hawass brings us up to date with his excavations at this promising site on the West Bank of the Nile, close to Luxor and directly across from Karnak. There are about 80 numbered tombs at Drabu el Naga, some of which are royal tombs dating from the Seventeenth Dynasty, with other New Kingdom tombs belonging to Theban priests and privileged court officials.
In New Discoveries in Drabu el Naga, Dr. Hawass brings us up to date with his excavations at this promising site on the West Bank of the Nile, close to Luxor and directly across from Karnak. There are about 80 numbered tombs at Dra Abu el-Naga, some of which are royal tombs dating from the Seventeenth Dynasty, with other New Kingdom tombs belonging to Theban priests and privileged court officials.
Submitted by Bija Knowles on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 15:40
A new series of excavations is due to begin at the Etruscan necropolis at Tarquinia, 60km north of Rome. The site is home to Etruscan tombs dating from as early as 700 BC – many of them painted with lurid frescoes depicting exotic wild animals and scenes of Etruscans dancing, fighting and making love. While the locations of over 150 painted tombs are known (not all open to the public), it is thought that there are more to be discovered.
The Alyscamps is a Roman burial ground just outside the city walls of Arles, in Provence, France. During Roman times it was a famous necropolis. It is named after the mythological Elysian Fields and was the main burial ground for Arles for 1,500 years. The Alyscamps is located outside the old town, in keeping with Roman custom of placing necropolises outside residential areas, and was also at the end of an important road out of Arles: the Aurelian Way, which lead all the way, via the Alps, to Rome. It would have been mainly the rich citizens who would have been buried there and some of the sarcophagi attest to the wealth, and also craftsmanship, at the time. The necropolis was used after Arles became Christianised in the fourth century AD.
Abusir is an extensive necropolis of the Egyptian Old Kingdom, which most likely served as a burial place for members of the elite from the then-nearby ancient Egyptian capital Memphis. It probably came into favour after Giza - part of a large "pyramid field" of which Abusir too is part - became subscribed to capacity during the 4th Dynasty.
There are 14 pyramids (of distinctly inferior quality to the sort found at sites such as Giza) at Abusir, which are traceable to various pharaohs of the period. There are also many other types of burial chambers, mortuary temples and funerary monuments. Czech archaeologists have carried out extensive work at the site. In 1988 they discovered the sarcophagus of a priest and palace administrator, Lufaa, dating from 525 BC. Most recently, in 2008, they found a remarkably intact 4,500 year old burial chamber belonging to an upper-middle class Old Kingdom priest Neferinpu.
Archaeologists are currently excavating further areas of the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first and most infamous Emporer of China. The site, where the magnificent terracotta warriors were discovered relatively recently - 1974 - contains the undisturbed tomb of the Emperor. With rumours of flowing mercury and incomparable treasures, the question on everyone's lips is - what's inside?
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Artisans apparently carved a map of the entire Qin kingdom on the floor, laced the ceiling with jewels to represent to sky, and created rivers and oceans with quicksilver.
Submitted by Bija Knowles on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 09:21
In a small fishing and tourist town on the southern curve of the Bay of Naples, a group of archaeologists have been digging since 2006. Last month (May 2009) they pulled two statues from the ground: a bride and bridegroom. The statues were meant to decorate a tomb or grave and have lain buried at the via Nicotera archaeological site, possibly since the first century BC. At the time the archaeologists were excavating a necropolis. Made of the local Italian 'tufa' stone and finished with stucco, they are thought to be the work of local craftsmen more than 2,000 years ago.
Three new ancient egyptian tombs dating back almost 3500 years have been discovered near Luxor by an archaeological mission lead by Dr. Zahi Hawass. One of the newly discovered tombs belonged to Amun-Em-Opet, Supervisor of Hunters and dates back to shortly before King Akhenaten's reign. Entrances to 2 undecorated tombs have been found to the north-west of Amun-Em-Opet's. The newly discovered were unearthed at the necropolis of Dra Abu el-Naga, on Luxor's west bank.
In a small fishing and tourist town on the southern curve of the Bay of 
Three new ancient egyptian tombs dating back almost 3500 years have been discovered near Luxor by an archaeological mission lead by 
