Chamber discovered deep within Great Pyramid of Giza could be missing piece of the puzzle

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They're renowned for their incredible artworks and buildings, but experts are also keen to learn about the significant gaps they neglected.

There's a huge, locked area that remains a mystery, even though it's not got a single object in it, still grabs the attention of archaeologists.

The purpose of the room, which goes back to the time the famous pyramid was finished about 4,500 years ago, has been a mystery since it was discovered in 2017.

Back in the day, a team called ScanPyroids scanned the Pyramid using muon tomography technology, which sort of works by using cosmic rays to zip through hundreds of metres of rock and take a gander at what's on the inside.

By applying this technology, the researchers uncovered the unusual chamber that had never been viewed before.

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This marks the discovery of the major inner structure within the Great Pyramid of Giza for the first time in nearly a couple of centuries.

They nicknamed the area the "big void", and it now represents a gap in our knowledge of the symbolically significant Egyptian site.

There are now several theories about the pyramid's intended use, with some people thinking it was a hidden burial site for the pharaoh Khufu, who commissioned the pyramid to be built.

When the pyramids were first discovered and excavated back in the 19th century, archaeologists unearthed several chambers, including one containing a coffin that was believed to hold Pharaoh Khufu himself.

However, on opening the coffin, it was found to be completely empty.

It was, therefore, assumed that most of the king's remains had been taken. However, certain experts had been suggesting for years – even before the "big void" was found – that somewhere inside the pyramid, there might be a secret, fourth chamber containing the pharaoh Khufu's remains.

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The pair claimed that instead of being meticulously planned, the pyramid came together gradually as the building process progressed.

One of the pair, architect Gilles Dormion, had the idea that the pyramid's builders had to change their original plans after they discovered that certain chambers weren't strong enough to hold the weight of the burial coffin.

Dormion pointed to the cracks in the giant granite columns surrounding the king's chamber, which were previously suspected to be damage from quakes years after construction. However, he proposed an alternative – that the cracks could have actually happened during the building process itself.

Despite the fact that the experts haven't been able to officially confirm whether the "big void" is actually a secret tomb for Khufu, they may soon figure it out.

Imagining the pyramid using more advanced muon detection methods.

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This, they said, "will capture muons from almost every angle and will, for the first time, produce a detailed snapshot of such a large object."

Two years on, their work is still awaiting completion. So, the whereabouts of Khufu's remains and the significance of that hidden chamber remain a "big void" in our understanding of the Great Pyramid.

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