FLavius Valerius Constantinus Posted February 7, 2006 Report Share Posted February 7, 2006 link to article Some of the world's most precious archaeological treasures - the ancient Egyptian tombs and temples at Luxor - are being devastated by salt water that is eating their foundations, scientists have discovered. The temples of Amun, Luxor and Karnak, designated World Heritage Sites, have survived 4,000 years of arid desert heat but are now being destroyed by rising ground water. The threat has been uncovered by American Egyptologists, who have warned that urgent action is now needed. Their view has been backed by Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. 'When I found out the Temple of Luxor and the Temple of Karnak were going to completely fall apart because of the rising water table, I was shocked,' Hawass said in an interview in Science... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastman456 Posted February 7, 2006 Report Share Posted February 7, 2006 According to some Egyptological websites, the problem is saturation irrigation by farmers whose farms are now pushing into the areas. Pumps have already been installed in the Luxor area and have achieved great success. Drip irrigation systems have been suggested as a cure for the problem in the future, however, at $400/acre they are prohibitively expensive for growers who may only make that much per year off of their entire farms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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