Researchers Discover ‘Massive Void’ Within Great Pyramid of Giza

A team of researchers has found a massive and previously undiscovered cavity within the Great Pyramid of Giza, according to a new report.

The researchers recently revealed their findings in the journal Nature. While the inaccessible cavity could be a hidden chamber, the team is using the word “void” because they’re not exactly sure what the cavity is — despite the fact that they’re reasonably certain that it’s a “deliberate architectural feature.”

“We don’t know if it’s a chamber, a tunnel, a big gallery or things like that,” Mehdi Tayoubi, a lead researcher on the project, told the New York Times. “We have chosen the word ‘void’ and nothing else because we don’t know what this void is.”

According to the researcher’s article in Nature, the “void” is located above the Grand Gallery — a sloping passageway between the King’s Chamber and the Queen’s Chamber. The “void” is about 70 feet above ground level and is at least 100 feet long. Despite not being sure what the cavity was used for, researchers say there is a “zero chance” of it being another hidden burial chamber.

The team used a noninvasive procedure to find the void, using equipment that detects subatomic particles called muons — which are able to pass through the pyramid. Since they’re partially absorbed by the surrounding stone structure, areas with larger than normal concentrations of muons suggest a large space.

After months of monitoring the detection equipment, Tayoubi said the team had “an unexpected line.” To back up the equipment’s findings, more muon detectors were placed both inside and outside of the pyramid — and all of them reported the same cavity above the Grand Gallery.

As for getting to the void, researchers still have a long way to go. It’s currently in a difficult place to access, and there’s currently “no discussion” about actually entering the space.