THE ACTIVE TEAM MEMBERS

  RUDOLF GANTENBRINK

In 1992 and 1993 I served as the responsible project leader of all three Upuaut campaigns. All of the projects were fully financed by myself or by sponsors whom I had secured. My specific tasks included project preparation and implementation, design and construction of the technical equipment and vehicles, as well as evaluation of the collected data.

  ULRICH  KAPP

As official photogrammeter of the German Archeological Institute (GAI) in Cairo, Ulrich was not only my most important companion on all three campaigns, he also became a truly good friend. Whether swallowing clouds of dust in the "Mankiller" tunnel, or participating in hair-raising escapades on the flanks of the pyramid, Ulrich was always front-and-center, even during the most unpleasant jobs. Without Ulrich, who never let himself become discouraged by the continual setbacks, our investigations would never have proved so successful. Unfortunately, because of GAI internal dispositions, Ulrich was not present on the day of our greatest success – a fact that we both deeply regret.

  ABDEL  NASSER

The young and intelligent assistant provided by the GAI for the 1992 campaign, who also filled in for Ulrich for one day during the 1993 campaign. He was not only a great help, he was also a constant source of jokes and pranks which kept us all in stitches, especially on the bleaker days. Abdel lives in Saqqara, where he showed me great hospitality and, through the Inspectorate, arranged a number of informative visits to the necropolis.

  MOHAMMED

An Egyptian employee of the GAI, Mohammed worked on both 1992 campaigns. At the start, he was both friendly and reserved. I will never forget the look on his face when, despite Galabeya, I forced him to wear a safety belt. 
Perched on the flank of Cheops, 80 meters above the plateau, there was just no way to coax him into the dark and dusty "Mankiller" tunnel at the upper end of the shaft. But once, after the two of us had labored alone at both ends of the shaft, his appearance told me that, in order to solve a tricky problem, he had ventured into the tunnel after all – his turban was covered with "Mankiller" dust. The adventurous spirit of our mission had overcome his fear.

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THE OFFICIALS

  PROF. DR. RAINER  STADELMANN

Until late 1998 Prof. Stadelmann served as the Managing Director of the GAI in Cairo. It was the cooperation of the GAI which enabled our investigation of the Cheops Pyramid in the first place, as Egyptian officials issue the licenses and permits necessary for all archeological efforts only to scientific institutions. Although major differences of opinion arose between Prof. Stadelmann and myself subsequent to the 1993 campaign, I have not forgotten his openness to the new approaches, which constituted the basis of our cooperative efforts. And I fondly recall our many fascinating discussions, which invariably convinced me of his expert knowledge and great experience. Unfortunately, because of his many responsibilities, he was unable to take part personally in our campaigns.

  DR. ZAHI  HAWASS

The Director of the Giza Plateau, member of the "Permanent Committee of the Supreme Council of Antiquities" and Under-Secretary-of-State. The "Mighty Man of Giza" never felt a need to demonstrate his power to us. Right from the start, Dr. Hawass' non-bureaucratic style and his authentic love of the monuments he administers made him the great supporter and promoter of our Cheops missions. From and through him we received every imaginable assistance from the Giza Inspectorate. Dr. Hawass made everything possible, whether people to transport materials, inspectors to work long overtime, special mortar from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo or the complete closure of the pyramid to facilitate our work. "Do you need anything?" is still his first question whenever I visit him at the Inspectorate for a glass of tea.

  MOHAMMED  SHEEHA

In Giza no stone is turned over, no sand is brushed away and no investigation takes place without the presence of an inspector from the Giza Inspectorate. During our campaigns we got to know at least ten different inspectors, all of them pleasant, reliable and punctual. For each and every one of these young Egyptians our campaigns were a very special experience. But only one of them was lucky enough to be present during the most exciting minutes of our examination of the end of the lower southern shaft – Mohammed Sheeha, whom I introduce here as a representative of all his eager and helpful colleagues.

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THE FILM TEAM

  JOCHEN  BREITENSTEIN

After our 1992 campaigns, Prof. Stadelmann expressed his regret that we had not filmed them. So, to better prepare our upcoming 1993 campaign, in November 1992 I enlisted the support of Jochen Breitenstein, a scriptwriter and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. As my budget was very restricted, we decided to videotape only the most significant events of the campaign, with a minimum of equipment and personnel. Little did we know that the small stock of footage we then shot would eventually serve as the basis for a full-fledged documentary. The film I produced, "Robot Journey into the Past" was later to be shown in many countries all over the world. Luckily, in Upuaut-2, we also had a fairly competent second cameraman.

  DIRK  BRAKEBUSCH

The brother of one of my good friends, Dirk is highly adept at technical matters and has broad experience in the field of video. Without pay, simply for the sake of the adventure, he helped us as a cameraman, lighting man and good-natured Boy Friday. At the end of the 1993 campaign, when Ulrich Kapp was suddenly taken off the project by the GAI, Dirk stepped in to replace him, becoming my last and sole assistant. Since then Dirk boasts intimate knowledge of the inner workings of robots and pyramids.

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