The existence of the incredibly large chamber was confirmed by the endoscope. The cavity had been suspected after measurements years ago.
An international research team has discovered a previously unknown chamber in the famous Egyptian pyramid of Cheops at Giza. The existence of a surprisingly large chamber was confirmed by an endoscope that was passed through a narrow gap between the stones, said the Technical University of Munich (TUM), which participated in the work with a team.
For years, measurements have pointed to a hidden cavity. Last but not least, the discovery is particularly significant because the Egyptian pyramid is considered one of the best-studied structures in the world, TUM scientists explained Thursday.
“Something special” to discover a cavity of this size
According to initial estimates, the new corridor above the pyramid’s actual entrance even exceeds the originally assumed size of at least five meters in length. Discovering a cavity in a pyramid is something special – even more so at this size, says Christian Große, chair of non-destructive testing at TUM. Since 2019, the Munich-based company has been part of the international research team called ScanPyramids, which has been examining Egyptian pyramids with different means and technologies since 2015.
Measurements with muon tomography, an imaging method for three-dimensional images of large-volume objects, suggested the existence of a cavity. For a more detailed examination, the TUM team used methods such as radar and ultrasound, which made a significant contribution to the discovery.
(APA/dpa)