Hidden Corridor Inside Great Pyramid of Giza Revealed with Help of Cosmic Rays — But Its Purpose Is Unknown

Jason Duaine Hahn
·2 min read
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People are waiting for a press conference about a new discovery behind the Khufu Pyramid in Giza, Egypt, on March 2, 2023. A discovery of a nine-meter-long and 2.10-meter-wide corridor behind the Great Pyramid of Giza, known as the Khufu Pyramid, was announced on Thursday. Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa said that "the discovery is a result of the international 'ScanPyramids' project that was launched in 2015 by Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities to study the structure of the pyramids without using harmful drilling methods." Egypt Giza Khufu Pyramid New Corridor Discovery - 02 Mar 2023
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CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Shutterstock

Egyptian antiquities authorities have announced the discovery of a sealed-off chamber inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is believed to date back to around 4,500 years ago.

According to an article published in the journal Nature this week, a corridor on the northern side of the Pyramid of Khufu measuring nearly 30 feet long and over 6 feet wide was uncovered using advanced scanning technology.

Former Egyptian antiquities minister Zahi Hawass hailed the discovery as "the most important discovery of the 21st century," NBC News reported.

Experts, however, remain puzzled as to the purpose of the corridor. Christian Grosse, a professor at the Technical University of Munich, hoped it would lead to further revelations.

"There are two large limestones at the end chamber, and now the question is what's behind these stones and below the chamber," he said, per NPR.

Mostafa Waziri, the secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the corridor may have been built to "protect or reduce the pressure on something beneath it," and that the true purpose would be uncovered "very soon," NBC News reported.

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The "Scan Pyramids" project, launched in 2015 by Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities, aims to uncover the mysteries of ancient structures without damaging them, according to Reuters.

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In the case of the corridor, scientists used infrared thermography, 3D simulations, and cosmic-ray imaging.

Per NBC News, the technique, known as muon radiography, utilizes high-speed cosmic ray muon particles that bombard the Earth and have greater penetration capabilities than X-rays. This method enables researchers to visualize any unknown structures present in solid objects.

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As NPR noted, officials hope that such discoveries will help to draw visitors back to the country after Egypt's tourism industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're going to continue our scanning," Waziri said during a press conference, per Reuters, "so we will see what we can do ... to figure out what we can find out beneath it, or just by the end of this corridor."