Scientists have uncovered another mystery in the The Great Pyramid of Giza. Even after 5,000 years since its creation, the pyramid can still surprise those who investigate it.
Using a technique that harnesses the power of cosmic rays, scientists have confirmed the existence of a large empty space within Khufu’s pyramid. An article published in the journal Nature on Thursday pinpointed the void to be directly above the structure’s Grand Gallery.
The newly discovered space is nearly 100 feet long, but the process the scientists used can only sketch a rough outline of the void. Scientists can’t be sure of the shape, the incline, or if there is anything inside.
Photo Credit: Scan Pyramids Project.
This void could be a possible hidden chamber, according to ABC News, but as of now, the purpose and the function are completely unclear.
The researchers who led the study, Mehdi Tayoubi from the HIP Institute in France and Kunihiro Morishima from Nagoya University in Japan, have not said if the empty space is a hidden chamber. Gizmodo reports that the two suspect that the space is actually an internal feature that is a “deliberate architectural feature” of the Great Pyramid.
Some experts say such empty spaces have been known to exist for years.
"This is a premier," said Mehdi Tayoubi, a co-founder of the ScanPyramids project and President of the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute. "It could be composed of one or several structures... maybe it could be another Grand Gallery. It could be a chamber, it could be a lot of things."
Prior to this find, the Great Pyramid was known for having three distinct rooms: the King’s Chamber, the Queen’s Chamber, and an unfinished room. There’s also the Grand Gallery, which is a sloped hallway-like structure measuring 28 feet high, 153 feet long, and about 6 feet wide.
The only thing archaeologists can be sure of is the logistics of the original construction that survived on papyri scrolls. The scrolls described how construction was orchestrated, including how the stones were transported.
There is still no official ruling on how the pyramid was created or what strange rooms are hidden beneath thousands of stone blocks.