Egyptian government officials announced Thursday, March 2, that archaeologists have found a secret, sealed chamber inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, outside Cairo, dating back some 4,500 years.
The discovered corridor, on the north side of the so-called Cheops Pyramid, was discovered using modern scanning technology, according to a report published on the website of univision.
The chamber measures nine meters long and two meters wide and stands above the main entrance of the pyramid. Archaeologists do not know what the function of the place was, which cannot be accessed from the outside.
In 2017, scientists announced the discovery of another sealed corridor, a 30-meter chamber, also inside the Great Pyramid.
Renowned Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass and Egyptian Tourism Minister Ahmed Eissa announced the discovery Thursday at an unveiling ceremony outside the pyramid, sharing the first images from the camera.
The finding was thanks to Scan Pyramids
The discovery of the secret chamber in the pyramid was thanks to the Scan Pyramids project, an international program that uses scans to look at unexplored sections of ancient structures.
According to Christian Grosse, a professor at the Technical University of Munich and a leading member of the project, various scanning techniques were implemented to locate the camera, including ultrasound measurements and ground-penetrating radar.
Grosse hopes these techniques will lead to more finds inside the pyramid: “There are two large limestone (rocks) at the end of the chamber, and now the question is what is behind these stones and below the chamber.”
Experts are divided on how the Egyptian pyramids were built. This type of finding contributes to obtain more conclusions about its origins.