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A B S T R A C TThe main outbuildings of the Amenemhat II pyramid complex in Dahsour were yet to be discovered due to a very long subjection of the area to the military authorities and also the demolition of the pyramid itself. We describe the discovery of some of these outbuildings using near-surface magnetic investigations. A gradiometer survey was conducted in the area east of the pyramid to measure the vertical magnetic gradient with a high resolution instrument at 0.5 m sampling interval. The data showed some undesirable field effects such as grid discontinuities, grid slope, traverse stripe effects, spikes and high frequencies originating from recent ferrous contamination. These undesirable effects were addressed to produce an enhanced display. We have successfully detected four main structures in the area east of the pyramid; the causeway that connected the mortuary temple with the valley temple during the Middle Kingdom of the 12 th Dynasty, the mortuary temple and its associated rooms, ruins of an ancient working area and an Egyptian-style tomb structure called a Mastaba. An improved recognition for these structures was accomplished by using the analytic signal and Euler deconvolution techniques. Excavation of a small part within the study area has proven the reliability of magnetic discoveries and the shallowness and composition of the detected features.

Geophysical surveys were conducted in the Lahun area (Fayoum, Egypt). The Lahun area is known to have been the royal necropolis during the period of Senusret II (1897–1878 BC), where he built his pyramid. Integrated magnetic and gravity measurements were applied to investigate five locations in the area. The gravity survey was implemented in the areas where chambers, shafts, or cavity-like structures are expected, and magnetic survey was applied in the areas where mudbrick structures are expected. The magnetic survey was conducted using a Geoscan fluxgate gradiometer, whereas the gravity survey was conducted using a Scintrex CG-5 gravimeter. The geophysical survey successfully revealed anomalies that could be part of the trench between the Queen’s Pyramid and the Senusret II Pyramid, several pits in the eastern and southern sides of Senusret II Pyramid, two chambers that could be royal tombs, and the remains of three large mudbrick structures that could be ancient warehouses.

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An archeological study using magnetic and ground-penetrating radar methods has been performed at the Dahshour region (Giza, Egypt), where various covered structures have not been found because of the long coercion of the zone under the military specialists. Dahshour is the southern extension of the Saqqara and Giza Pyramids plateau, around 25 km south of Cairo. The area is known for its colored pyramids—the white, red, and black pyramids, and the famous Bent Pyramid. Four investigation sites were chosen around the Bent Pyramid complex. The geophysical investigation has revealed the presence of some buried structures made up of mud bricks such as tombs, mud-brick walls, causeway, and remains of an ancient temple. Numerous limestone blocks were also detected. The study indicates the possible existence of an older valley temple made up of mud bricks and confirms the existence of another causeway that led to the Nile Valley. To protect the Egyptian heritage around this vital area, a detailed computation of the current crustal stress/strain state has been performed by taking into account all the available GPS observations. Achieved results indicated that the southern and the southeastern sectors of the investigated area are currently accumulating strain, and this means that there is a possibility for future earthquakes to occur around this vital archaeological area. Buried structures are preserved by confinement in the burial materials like a large mold. However, external load or stress can still cause damage. Therefore, during excavation, the stress should be reduced to avoid wall collapsing and structure damage. Therefore, it is recommended to start excavation from the stress direction from the southern side.