Podcasts Other The Inquiry Whats going on with the pyramids?

Whats going on with the pyramids?

Published: Feb. 29, 2024, 8:06 a.m.

One of the most famous of Egypt\u2019s pyramids, Menkaure\u2019s pyramid on the Giza plateau, is the subject of controversy after the Egyptian authorities announced plans to restore it in what the country\u2019s Head of Antiquities has called \u201cthe project of the century\u201d and Egypt\u2019s \u201cgift to the world\u201d.\n \nBut not everyone believes such a restoration is in keeping with the demands of proper archaeological preservation.

The plans met with opposition from archaeologists and Egyptologists both inside and outside the country. The project has now been paused after recommendations from a scientific committee commissioned by the Egyptian authorities.

So what\u2019s going on with the pyramids?

Presenter: Gary O\u2019Donoghue\nProducer: Louise Clarke\nResearcher: Matt Toulson\nEditor: Tara McDermott\nTechnical producer: Nicky Edwards\nProduction co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Contributors: \nAidan Dodson, honorary Professor of Egyptology at Bristol university in the UK\nDr Jennifer Hellum, senior lecturer in classics and ancient history at the University of Auckland in New Zealand\nHeba Saleh, Cairo correspondent for the Financial Times\nSalima Ikram, professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo

Photo by KHALED ELFIQI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock via BBC Images