For centuries, the pyramids of egypt They are symbols of mystery, architectural perfection and unsolved enigmas. Each stone of this monument seems to keep secrets of a civilization that, despite scientific and technological advances, still achieve baffle researchers.
Now, a new find in the pyramid of Micerinothe smallest of the three structures of Guiza, revive the questions about its true composition and possible hidden passages.
A joint team of Cairo University and the Munich University of Technology (TUM) identified two air-filled anomalies inside the Menkaura pyramidalso known as Mycerinus, a name that comes from the pharaoh of the IV dynasty who ordered its construction.
The discovery is part of the international project ScanPyramidsan initiative that uses cutting edge technology to explore the interior of Egyptian monuments without damaging them.
Confirmation of a hypothesis
The Pyramid of Mycerinusof some 65 meters high and open to the public for decades, it seemed to keep no secrets. It was believed that its only entrance was to the north, until archaeologists noticed an area of polished granite (thin) similar to the frame of a main entrance.
In 2019, the researcher Stijn van den Hoven proposed for the first time that this area could hide another access road, but until now there was no evidence to support it.
Researchers identified two air-filled cavities in the Menkaure pyramid. Photo.ScanPyramids projectThe researchers who participated in the project used three non-invasive techniques: georadar, ultrasound and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)tools that allow us to observe the hidden depths of solid structures with great precision.
The results confirmed the existence of of the cavities under the east façade, which faces the Nile River, which reinforces van den Hoven’s theory.
What are the discovered cavities like?
Recent measurements made it possible to locate the cavities accurately. One is located 1.4 meters deep behind the facade and measure 1 meter high by 1.5 wide; the other, smaller, is located 1,13 metros with dimensions of 0.9 by 0.7 meters.
Both are located just behind a large rectangular area of the façade, which measures 4 meters high by 6 meters widelocated near the base of the monument.
The function of this entry has not yet been revealed. Photo: ScanPyramids projectThe teacher Christian Grossea specialist in non-destructive testing at the TUM, explained that the methodology used allows the interior of the pyramid to be studied without compromising its integrity. “The hypothesis of another entrance is very plausible, and our results bring us considerably closer to its confirmation,” he said.
This discovery adds to last year’s discovery, when the same project validated the existence of a hidden corridor in the Pyramid of Cheops.
Although the discovery generated great enthusiasm in the scientific community, for the moment, the experts did not reveal what other curiosities they found inside the passages nor did they confirm whether this «secret door» will be part of the routes accessible to the public in the future.
While researchers process the new data, the pyramid of Mycerinus—erected more than 4,000 years— is once again the protagonist. Each new cavity discovered, each stone examined, seems to remind us that Egypt still keeps many secrets beneath its golden sand.
