Photo: freepik
Using non-invasive technologies such as ground-penetrating radar, ultrasound, and electrical tomography, the ScanPyramids team has announced the discovery of two new “anomalies” in the Pyramid of Menkaure. Researchers employed these techniques to look behind the granite casing on the pyramid’s eastern slope. The voids detected may be part of a long-forgotten passage, according to IFLScience.
Menkaure’s pyramid, the smallest of Giza’s three main pyramids, dates back to the reign of Pharaoh Menkaure between 2490 and 2472 BCE. Despite its good preservation, it has been far less studied than the larger Khufu pyramid. The team noted that early 20th-century archaeologist George Reisner had already uncovered evidence suggesting a more complex construction history than the architecture alone indicates.
Researchers were particularly interested in unfinished granite casing near the base, where only seven rows remain, possibly hinting at another, unknown entrance. They also examined polished granite areas on the eastern side, resembling the blocks framing the main northern entrance.
Based on visual similarities, the team hypothesized a potential second entrance. Most blocks are roughly finished, but these two areas stand out for their precision and polish. Using radar, ultrasound, and electrical tomography, they identified two clear anomalies—A1 and A2—behind the polished blocks.
The scans revealed air-filled voids immediately behind the granite casing, confirmed by numerical simulations. Preliminary measurements suggest A1 is about 1.5 × 1.0 meters at a depth of 1.35 meters, and A2 is roughly 0.9 × 0.7 meters at 1.13 meters deep. A1 is located behind a trapezoidal block with high resistance. While the study published in NDT & E International does not provide definitive answers due to technological depth limits, the findings support the idea of a previously unnoticed entrance.
“After confirming a hidden corridor in the Great Pyramid in 2023, ScanPyramids has made another significant discovery in Giza,” said Christian Grosse, professor of non-destructive testing at the Technical University of Munich. He emphasized that the new methodology allows accurate conclusions without damaging the structure, making the hypothesis of a second entrance highly plausible.
