Discoveries

March 13, 2023

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

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Egypt’s famous Great Pyramid of Giza continues to unveil its secrets.

Archaeologists recently discovered a hidden corridor inside the 4,500-year-old structure, using novel imaging techniques based on cosmic rays to analyze a cavity behind the pyramid’s north face, a cavity first discovered in 2016, NBC News reported.

Members of the international research team explained that the technique tracks cosmic ray muon particles, which strike Earth at near-light speed and penetrate solid objects more effectively than X-rays. This allows scientists to precisely visualize the presence of undiscovered structures within.

The new passage is more than six feet wide and nearly 30 feet long, with researchers suggesting that it was likely designed to help relieve the weight of the vast pyramid.

The latest finding is part of the “ScanPyramids” project launched by Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities in 2015 to look inside the majestic pyramids without using invasive drilling methods.

Scientists previously uncovered a major inner structure in the Great Pyramid in 2017 – known as the Grand Gallery – using the same imaging techniques.

The pyramid – also known as Khufu’s Pyramid – was commissioned by Pharaoh Khufu, a Fourth Dynasty monarch who reigned from 2509 to 2483 BCE.

Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, its history and structure still remain mysteries to archaeological teams.

“We will continue working and searching using technology and advanced scientific methods which are safe, to uncover the secrets of ancient Egypt,” said Ahmed Issa, Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister.

This story originally appeared in the March 13, 2023 newsletter, Blazing Furnace.