Archaeologists have found a hidden chamber in Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the ancient world’s seven wonders that dates back to 4,500 years ago. The discovery is the first of its kind in the structure since the 19th century, when other chambers were detected inside it.
A Newly Discovered Chamber Inside The Giza Pyramid
An international team of researchers made the discovery with the help of cosmic ray imaging. The scientists recorded the behavior of subatomic particles known as muons that can penetrate rock, quite like X-rays but deeper.
A 30-meter void was detected deep within the pyramid located above the Grand Gallery region and with a cross-section similar to it. At present, the archaeologists do not know whether the chamber had a purpose or if it was created with a specific function in mind.
However, researcher Mehdi Tayoubi has suggested that the chamber was hidden since the pyramid was constructed.
"The romantic interpretation and what everyone wants to hear is that this is a hidden room and the king's body is inside or there's grave goods we didn't know about or we're going to learn more about history ... and none of that is responsible speculation at the moment," Harvard University Egyptologist Peter Der Manuelian said.
Manuelian added that it is known at present is that the void is huge, which implies that it was an intentional addition and therefore warrants further exploration. The researcher has also said that the good part about using muons for the project is that they cause no damage to the pyramid, whereas in the past, before modern innovations, archaeologists sometimes used to blast through a pyramid’s walls.
The Great Pyramid: Pyramid Of Cheops Also Known As Khufu’s Pyramid
The Great Pyramid was built by the pharaoh Khufu who belonged to the fourth dynasty and ruled from 2509 to 2483 BC. One of the major tourist attractions in the world, the monument measures 140 meters in height and is located on the Giza Plateau.
Previous explorations, which took place in the 19th century, revealed that the pyramid has three chambers: the king’s chamber at the top, the queen’s chamber at the center, and a subterranean chamber at the structure’s base.
Incidentally, King Khufu’s mummy is missing, though a granite sarcophagus is present in the king’s chamber. The queens of the pharaoh were buried elsewhere, and all the treasures that may have been contained in the chambers were robbed long ago.
