Secret Chamber at Great Pyramid of Giza Discovered by Archaeologists

By: May Man Published: Jun 06, 2024

Archaeologists may have uncovered a new secret beneath the Western Cemetery in Giza, Egypt.

Among the mastabas of King Khufu’s elite, an intriguing find includes an empty above-ground section that leads to a complex of buried ancient structures.

Mysteries of The Pyramid

An L-shaped structure, revealed near the surface, connects to a larger structure deeper underground

Source: Motoyuki Sato

This adds to the mysteries awaiting discovery in this historic land.

What Does The Researcher Think?

Tohoku University researcher, Motoyuki Sato played a key role in the discovery.

Source: Kinori, Wikimedia

Sato noted that the corners of the L-shaped structure are so precise and “too sharp” to have formed naturally.

Humans May Have Been Involved

The detailed construction of the L-shaped structure indicates human involvement

Illustration of the beautiful murals of Ancient Egypt

Source: iStock

This could possibly explain why a significant portion of the crowded necropolis remains untouched above the sand.

Possible Remnants

In a paper published in the journal Archaeological Prospection, researchers suggest that these features could be remnants of an ancient tomb

View of a large tomb that contained several skeletons at El Caño archaeological site in Panama

Source: Wikipedia

However, this discovery raises more questions than it answers.

Use of Modern Technology

Unlike the labor-intensive excavation methods of the past, modern technologies have revolutionized archaeology.

An archaeologist is pictured working at a site

Source: Wikimedia

Using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), researchers from Higashi Nippon International University, Tohoku University, and Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics unearthed this hidden historical artifact without the need for physical digging.

Detailed Mapping

GPR provides detailed mapping of shallow underground features using electromagnetic waves, while ERT identifies deeper structures like walls and shafts, offering valuable information despite less precision.

Source: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

This advanced approach has illuminated new aspects of this ancient site between 2021 and 2023.

Combination of Modern Technologies

By combining GPR, ERT, and satellite data, the team discovered an L-shaped structure.

Pyramids and Sphinx Statue in Desert during the day

Source: Diego F. Parra/Pexels

The structure measured around 32 by 50 feet, buried at depths of 1.6 to 6.5 feet.

Deeper Underground Structure Also Identified

Additionally, they identified a larger 1,000-square-foot structure located deeper underground.

The inside of one of the corridors found underneath the Giza pyramids. There are some steps inside the corridor, and the roof is pointy.

Source: @Rainmaker1973/X

This structure measured between 11.5 and 33 feet below the surface, surpassing the depth of the L-shaped formation.

Possible Deterrent

The researchers observed that the shallower L-shaped structure had been filled with sand at some point.

Depiction of an Ancient Egyptian scribe writing in hieroglyphs

Source: iStock

This suggests it might have served as a passageway to a lower tomb, a common practice among ancient Egyptians to deter intrusion.

More Insights Needed

While GPR and ERT offer valuable insights into underground archaeological features, there are limitations.

A photo of the remote sensing survey being conducted in the western cemetery of Giza, Egypt.

Source: Motoyuki Sato

Discrepancies in the data from the two methods were noted, and anomalies may be exaggerated.

The Mystery Remains

Although such a discovery was made, a mystery remains.

An image of two archaeologists working at a site

Source: Wikimedia

The contents of the deeper structure will need to be further studies to determine whether it is filled with sand or completely void of artifacts.