Exploring the Great Pyramid void

April 13, 2023
This article is from Ancient Egypt issue 136


Subscribe now for full access and no adverts

The international ScanPyramids team has published a paper revealing more details about one of the voids discovered in the Pyramid of Khufu in 2016/2017 (see ‘News’, AE 93).

The Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. Image: Robert B Partridge

Several large anomalies were discovered after the pyramid was bombarded with radiographic muon particles, a non-invasive method of visualising the pyramid’s internal structure.

The paper reports on the findings of a dedicated study of the corridor-shaped structure, behind the so-called ‘chevron zone’ on the north face, just above the entrance, which reveal a space 9 metres long and 2.1 metres wide.

The inside of the 9-metre-long hidden corridor at the Great Pyramid at Giza, which was revealed using cosmic-ray muon radiography. Image: ScanPyramids/Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

Although this is not a newly discovered tunnel – as claimed in a large number of press and social media reports – the research is still an important step in understanding how the pyramids were constructed.

The team believe the most likely function of these voids was to relieve pressure so as to help keep the pyramid structurally intact.

By Country

Popular
UKItalyGreeceEgyptTurkeyFrance

Africa
BotswanaEgyptEthiopiaGhanaKenyaLibyaMadagascarMaliMoroccoNamibiaSomaliaSouth AfricaSudanTanzaniaTunisiaZimbabwe

Asia
IranIraqIsraelJapanJavaJordanKazakhstanKodiak IslandKoreaKyrgyzstan
LaosLebanonMalaysiaMongoliaOmanPakistanQatarRussiaPapua New GuineaSaudi ArabiaSingaporeSouth KoreaSumatraSyriaThailandTurkmenistanUAEUzbekistanVanuatuVietnamYemen

Australasia
AustraliaFijiMicronesiaPolynesiaTasmania

Europe
AlbaniaAndorraAustriaBulgariaCroatiaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkEnglandEstoniaFinlandFranceGermanyGibraltarGreeceHollandHungaryIcelandIrelandItalyMaltaNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaScotlandSerbiaSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeySicilyUK

South America
ArgentinaBelizeBrazilChileColombiaEaster IslandMexicoPeru

North America
CanadaCaribbeanCarriacouDominican RepublicGreenlandGuatemalaHondurasUSA

Discover more from The Past

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading