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Archaeologists debate 4,600-year-old 'provincial' pyramids that predate Giza

Archaeologists revealed the uncovering of yet another provincial pyramid near the ancient settlement of Edfu in Southern Egypt at a symposium held by the Society for Study of Egyptian Antiquities in Toronto, Ontario, on January 11.

The 4,600-year-old structure, built decades before the Great Pyramid of Giza, is the seventh of its kind found scattered near major ancient settlements, throughout central and southern Egypt.

While the existence of the Edfu pyramid had been known for some time, it was not until 2010 that a team of archaeologists led by Gregory Marouard, a research associate at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, began the excavation. Found under a thick layer of sand, modern waste and blocks that had fallen from the pyramid itself, it measured only 16-feet tall - A far cry from the 43-feet it once proudly stood at.

In fact, it looked so diminutive that most locals had believed the hump to be the tomb of an ancient sheikh. Researchers believe the provincial pyramids were built by either Pharaoh Hui who reigned from 2635-2610 B.C. or his son and successor, Pharaoh Snefru who ruled from 2610-2590 B.C.

Boy raises money for sick best friend

Seven-year-old Dylan Siegel has raised over half a million dollars to fund research in the hope of curing his best friend Jonah Pournazarian's rare liver disease.

Pournazarian has to be fed a very precise mixture of water and cornstarch every three hours through a tube in his stomach because he suffers from Glycogen Storage Disease Type 1b. It is a very rare liver disorder that causes his blood sugar to always be dangerously low. If his parents or teacher miss a dose, he could die. One scientist was researching for a cure for the disease, but he was running low on funding and almost had to stop his research. That's where Siegel stepped up.

Siegel describes his friendship with Pournazarian as "awesome as a chocolate bar," so he wrote a book called "Chocolate Bar" about things that are awesome to him to raise money for finding a cure for his best friend. If you "I like to go to the beach. That is so chocolate bar," says one page in the book. "I like to help my best friend. That is the biggest chocolate bar," says another. Siegel has been selling the book for $20 for more than a year and has raised $600,000, every cent of which is going towards research.

Thanks to Siegel, Dr. David Weinstein of the University of Florida research team says its no longer a matter of if but when children with this disease will be cured.

Students show love for 'waving lady'

Every day 84-year-old Tinney Davidson waves to students on their way to and from from Highland Secondary School in Comox, British Columbia.

The students wanted to find a way to thank her for brightening their day, so they held a special assembly for her on Valentine's Day. Davidson used to wave with her husband, Ken, but he passed away several years ago. She enjoys doing it, so she kept up their tradition and still waves every morning, lunch hour, and afternoon! The waving started when she noticed children passing by would glance at her window.

"So I thought 'If they're looking in, I'll wave to them.' And that's how it started," Davidson said. It took some students a while to get used to a stranger waving at them.

"At first it was pretty strange so you wouldn't wave back, but then it became a thing," one student said. "It's lovely to see a warm smile on a dreary day," said another. To show her how much they care and thank her for her kind gesture, the students invited her to visit the school on Valentine's Day and didn't tell her they were throwing a surprise assembly in her honour.

Students made speeches and thanked her with handmade Valentines, which overwhelmed Davidson with happiness.