Researchers Use Cosmic Rays to Discover Mysterious 30-Metre-Long Space Inside the Giza Pyramid, Baffled by Its Purpose
In 2017, experts shocked the world when they announced a new development in a magnificent 4,500-year-old monument. The Great Pyramid in Giza had been explored extensively by then, and therefore, the discovery stunned many people. Findings regarding this new development were published in Nature.
The experts used muon detectors to find a 30-meter-long space in the monument. The appliance tracks muon particles produced when cosmic rays hit atoms in the upper atmosphere. As per previous studies, around 10,000 muons strike each square meter of the earth's surface every minute. Such detectors are mainly used in particle accelerators but, over time, have been used to determine the internal structures of volcanoes and other places.
The methodology was used by researchers to find the previously unidentified space in the Great Pyramid in Giza. The finding is valuable because this is the first new space to be located inside the pyramid since the 19th century. Researchers are sure that there are no resting places in these monuments, implying the absence of valuables in these areas. "There’s zero chance of hidden burial chambers," said Aidan Dodson, an Egyptologist at the University of Bristol, U.K., who studies ancient Egyptian tombs, stated Nature. Experts believe the previously unidentified void might not produce treasure but can give valuable insights into how the monument was built.
The Great Pyramid was built by pharaoh Khufu (also known as Cheops), who ruled from 2509 to 2483 B.C. The structure stands apart from other pyramids because rather than standing in underground burial chambers, this monument contained large rooms inside its confines. The King’s chamber, the smaller Queen’s chamber, and a sloping passageway called the Grand Gallery were all discovered in the ninth century. Despite the extensive exploration done during the 19th century, many aficionados still thought that there could be more hidden spaces in the monuments, with some even thinking that the king’s real burial chamber was still yet to be found. "There are so many theories — nice ones but also crazy ones," said Mehdi Tayoubi, president of the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute in Paris.
To verify these speculations, Tayoubi collaborated with international experts on a project called Scan Pyramids. The whole pursuit was supervised by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. In 2015, physicist Kunihiro Morishima of Nagoya University, Japan, and his colleagues installed multiple detectors inside the Queen's chamber. The objective was to detect the muons passing through the pyramid located above. The monument was built with limestone and granite blocks, and these muon particles are known to be partially absorbed by stones. This implies that whenever these particles interacted with a large hole, the number of these particles would increase.
After months of observation, the experts noted an unexpected 'line.' Different kinds of detectors were placed inside and outside the monument, and they also found a space in the same area. Further examination indicated that there was a 30-metre void just above the Grand Gallery. "It was a big surprise," said Tayoubi. "We’re really excited." The purpose of this void is yet to be determined. Researchers claim that the structure could be horizontal or inclined. Another alternative could be that it was made of two or more smaller spaces, as per experts.
The team has no plans to drill inside the monument to analyze the structure, instead, they are creating a robot that could one day peek into this space, The Guardian stated. "It’s a tribute to humankind," said Tayoubi of the pyramid. "It asks a question about what is our future. If they have been able to do this with the means they had 4,000 or 5,000 years ago and they left this heritage today, what will our own society leave for future generations?"