New information has come to light during a recent restoration of one the forever enticing pyramids of Giza in Egypt. During the pre-restoration of the Pyramid of Sahura, researchers used LiDAR imaging to better understand the architecture of the ancient structure, and what they found was truly amazing.
The team found never-before-seen rooms in the blueprint of the pyramid, which they believe to be storage rooms. And although the idea of finding new storage rooms doesn’t sound all that exciting, the truth is that these rooms are of great interest to archeologists as they have no idea what they hold.
The mysterious chambers are 4,400 years old, and many assume that they are filled with royal burial articles as the famous Pyramid of Sahura was originally built as a burial site for the king at Abusir. Sitting near the Nile River, the Ausir complex is known for its thirteen key structures and its tombs that once held the Egyptian pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty.
This isn’t the first time that a research team has “found” the chambers, but it is the first time they have been able to fully understand the shape and construction of the rooms. In fact, in 1836, a team of archeologists noted that they found passages that they believed led to store rooms; however, they were unable to fully explore the storage rooms as the passageways were full of “debris and rubbish.”
But luckily, with the new and seriously impressive LiDAR technology, today’s research team now knows that the 1836 crew was absolutely correct in their assumption. They currently understand that there are eight storerooms to be explored, and with the 3D laser scanning technology used by the LiDAR scanner, they even know exactly where they are and how large they are.
In addition to knowing the size and location of the chambers, they also know how they’re holding up after all these years. According to one of the archaeologists, “Although the northern and southern parts of these magazines, especially the ceiling and the original floor, are badly damaged, remnants of the original walls and parts of the floor can still be seen.”
Now that the team at Sahura understands where these storage rooms are and the condition that they’re in, they can make plans to safely explore inside. Of course, the hope is to find some ancient and untouched artifacts, but for now, what lies inside the eight chambers is a complete mystery.
As well as exploring the chambers, the team of archaeologists will also get to work restoring them to their former glory so that people for generations will be able to see and enjoy the wonders of the Sahura pyramid.
In fact, one member of the research team claimed that their dedication to restoring the chambers will “revolutionize the view of historical development of pyramid structures and challenge existing paradigms in the field.”