A previously unidentified chamber in the Cheops pyramid of Giza has been found by an international research team.
Measurements from as early as 2016 had given cause to believe that there might be a hidden hollow space close to the chevron blocks over the entryway.
Now, researchers from the Technical Universität of Munich (TUM) have made a significant contribution to verifying this theory using ultrasound and endoscopy.
This discovery is significant because the Egyptian pyramid is one of the world's best-studied constructions.
TOPSHOT - This frame grab taken from AFPTV shows people watching a video about a hidden passage inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) at the Giza Pyramids necropolis on the southwestern outskirts of Cairo on March 2, 2023. - Scientists have discovered a hidden passage inside Egypt's Great Pyramid, the authorities announced on March 2, part of a seven-year international research project.
New Mystery Solved
"The pyramids are a World Heritage Site. This means we have to be especially careful when conducting our investigations so that we don't damage anything. We're working on the Cheops pyramid with radar and ultrasound measuring devices that can be used on a non-destructive basis, and in part, even contact-free," Prof. Christian Grosse, TUM Chair of Non-Destructive Testing, said in a statement.
The Cheops pyramid is regarded as the largest and most ancient of the Giza pyramids. Although it has been extensively examined because it was a component of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the building still contains a lot of unsolved mysteries.
Another mystery surrounding the pyramid has finally been resolved by TUM experts. The Munich researchers, who are a part of the worldwide research team "ScanPyramids," have established the existence of an empty chamber that was previously only hypothesized based on measurement data.
The original entrance to the pyramid, which is not open to the public, is located above the hollow space.
Endoscopy Unravels Hidden Chamber
The scientists employed endoscopy to confirm the existence of the chamber. They managed to insert a tube inside the space by locating a gap in the chevron's solid stone masonry between the stones.
The endoscopic camera lens was then guided by this tube. The camera verified that the hollow area existed. The fact that this chamber is huge enough to hold many people makes the find much more interesting, according to Prof. Grosse.
The chamber is bigger than previously thought by researchers. Initial estimations indicate that the length of the chamber is significantly longer than the original measured data, which indicated the presence of a corridor at least five meters long.
No traces of human activity, including footprints, are visible inside the room. The research team, therefore, thinks that this room has not been visited in about 4,500 years.
Further investigation will be necessary to determine the former function of the newly discovered chamber and what is concealed behind the room's back wall.
The research team's findings were published in the journal Nature.
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