On 5 April 1909, the Arizona Gazette printed a front page story about the discovery of an ancient tomb in the Grand Canyon. In it, a certain Mr G. E. Kincaid, an explorer sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute, reported back that he had found a vast complex of underground caverns and tunnels over a mile below the surface of the Canyon.
He went on to say that the tunnels were full of ancient artefacts including Egyptian carvings, copper-headed weapons, and statuettes along with perfectly preserved mummies. He also recorded the presence of Asian artefacts and in particular a large statue of Buddha. The Smithsonian Institute apparently commissioned a full-scale investigation, after which it all went quiet and today they deny all knowledge of the find. It is also interesting to know that the area is now all government-controlled land and completely out of bounds to all visitors. Some of the reasons given are safety and the presence of a rare species of bat. Some reports that do emerge from people who seem to have risked arrest tell of tunnels in the rock face that have been artificially sealed off to prevent entry.
The pyramids are one of, if not the most recognisable landmarks in the modern world. They are constantly being studied by scholars from all across the globe, yet despite this, they are an enigma and even the experts are unsure about their real purpose. The obvious answer is that they were for the tombs of kings but this theory is increasingly being challenged. In Egyptian culture, it was essential that the remains of the body were kept secure as the dead king’s Ba (winged spirit) returned each evening to rest in the body.
Subsequently, many kings were paranoid about tomb robbers and went to great lengths to keep their tombs secure. With this in mind, it begs the question, why build such a visible tomb for all the world to see? Especially as grave robbers were a major problem even before the pyramids were built.