Discovery of once-hidden corridor inside Great Pyramid of Giza could reveal more findings
The discovery of a once-hidden, sealed-off corridor inside of one of Egypt's Pyramids of Giza was revealed to the public on Thursday, a development that could spark future findings inside one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World.
The corridor, which measures nearly 30 feet long and over 6 feet wide, is located in the 4,500-year-old Pyramid of Khufu's north side, near its main entrance, Egyptian authorities said.
The Pyramid of Khufu, also called the Great Pyramid of Giza, is named for its builder, a 4th Dynasty pharaoh. The pyramid, which is located about 11 miles from Cairo's center, is the largest of three pyramids in the Giza complex. It was completed around 2560 BCE, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.
The 30-foot long chamber was discovered by the Scan Pyramids project, an international program that began in 2015 and uses scans to look at unexplored sections of ancient structures like the Pyramid of Khufu.
According to research published on Thursday, the cavity was first observed by the Scan Pyramids team in 2016, among other discoveries, through "cosmic-ray muon radiography that is a non-destructive technique ideal for the investigation of large-scale structures."
In the years following, the team's work focused on determining precise measurements of the corridor and its other characteristics. On Thursday, Egypt's Minister for Tourism Ahmed Eissa and the country's former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass, announced their discovery at the base of the 456-foot pyramid.
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Christian Grosse, Professor of Non-destructive Testing at the Technical University of Munich and a leading member of the project, hopes these techniques will lead to further findings within the pyramid.
"There are two large limestones at the end chamber, and now the question is what’s behind these stones and below the chamber,’’ Grosse told The Associated Press.
Construction of pyramid still a mystery
Experts are divided over how the Pyramid of Khufu and other pyramids were constructed, so discoveries like this once-hidden chamber can be significant in understanding the architecture of the ancient structure.
"The construction process of the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world is one of the most important archaeological mysteries," the researchers wrote on Thursday. "Any discovery of previously unknown internal structures could contribute to the knowledge on the construction of this Pyramid."
The exact function of the corridor, which is not accessible from the outside, is still unknown. But according to NBC News, officials said the corridor was likely added to help relieve the structure's weight.
"This discovery, in my opinion, is the most important discovery of the 21st century," Hawass told NBC News. "The discovery today tells us there is something important to be discovered soon under that tunnel, which could be the real burial chamber of Khufu."
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Contributing: The Associated Press.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New discovery in Great Pyramid of Giza: A 30-foot hidden corridor
