Archaeologists have discovered a hidden tunnel inside the ancient tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Seti I, who ruled the country more than 3,000 years ago, Egypt’s culture minister Hosni Farouk said on Wednesday.
Archaeologists had been searching for the secret passage inside the tomb in the Valley of the Kings necropolis in central Egypt for decades.
The unfinished tunnel may have been an attempt by the pharoah to build a secret tomb-within-a tomb before he died, the head of Egypt’s supreme council of antiquities, Mr Zahi Hawass believes.
“I have been trying to reveal the mystery of this tomb for the past 30 years. It is a very important find for Egyptian archaeology and the realisation of a personal dream,” Mr Hawass said.
“Seti I had hoped to conceal his true burial chamber and lie undisturbed for ever,” said Mr Hawass, who led the archaeological dig.
The tunnel is cut into the rock at the end of the fabulously decorated tomb of Seti I, who ruled Egypt from 1314-1304 BC during the New Kingdom.
The 174-metre long tunnel descended for two staircases before ending abruptly.
Mr Hawass’ team was stunned to uncover the passage, which was at the end of a tunnel that had been excavated by an earlier Egyptian team in the 1960s.
The passage measured more than 25 metres in length and led to a staircase with 54 steps. Beyond the first passage, a second staircase was cut into the rock. The last step was apparently never finished and the tunnel ends abruptly. Mr Hawass’ team found a false door decorated with hieroglyphics containing written instructions from the architect to the workmen carving out the tunnel.
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‘Men can get impotent due to shopping’
London, June 30: Attention, ladies! Men can now cite solid health reasons for not going shopping — it could make them impotent, says a new study.
Researchers have found that a gender bending chemical compound is present on some till receipts. And, the levels of hazardous substance Bisphenol A can be high enough to suppress male hormones in the body.
The compound, used to make ink visible on thermally sensitive paper, is ingested by men when they handle receipts and then touch their mouths or handle food, the Daily Mail reported.
Prof. Frank Sommer, a Berlin-based urologist who led the study, was quoted as saying, “A substance like that could shift the balance of sex hormones in men towards oestrogen. In the long term, this leads to less sexual drive, encourages the belly instead of the muscles to grow and has a bad effect on erection and potency.”
BPA is also used in food cans, shower curtains, toys and babies bottles. In addition to suppressing male hormones, it is thought that it may be triggering early puberty in girls. —PTI