Cosmic rays reveal measurements of a concealed corridor in the Great Pyramid of Giza
arstechnica.comSubmitted by marketrent t3_11id0c0 in science
Submitted by marketrent t3_11id0c0 in science
Findings in title quoted from linked^1 and hyperlinked^2 content:
From the linked summary^1 by Jennifer Ouellette:
>In 2016, scientists using muon imaging picked up signals indicating a hidden corridor behind the famous chevron blocks on the north face of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
>The following year, the same team detected a mysterious void in another area of the pyramid, believing it could be a hidden chamber.
>Two independent teams of researchers, using two different muon imaging methods, have now successfully mapped out the corridor for the first time, according to a new paper published in the journal Nature Communications.
>As we’ve reported previously, there is a long history of using muons to image archaeological structures, a process made easier because cosmic rays provide a steady supply of these particles.
>
>For this latest work, one team used muon radiography to map the shape and location of the secret corridor, placing detectors at various points around the pyramid.
>Specifically, they used nuclear emulsion films (supplied by colleagues at Nagoya University in Japan), which can detect particles without an electric power supply.
>A second team deployed three gaseous detectors, or muon telescopes, outside the pyramid, supplied by the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy (CEA) at Durham University in the UK.
>The results of the two independent analyses confirmed the presence of a corridor-like void.
>The corridor is about 9 meters long (29.5 feet), with a transverse section of 2×2 meters (6.5×6.5 feet), and most likely slopes upward, although where it leads remains a mystery.
From the research article:^2
>In this paper, we report on the first precise analysis of the void found with cosmic-ray muon radiography behind the North Face Chevron and named the ScanPyramids North Face Corridor (NFC).
^1 Scientists have mapped a secret hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza, Jennifer Ouellette for Condé Nast’s Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2023, https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/03/scientists-have-mapped-a-secret-hidden-corridor-in-great-pyramid-of-giza/
^2 Procureur, S., Morishima, K., Kuno, M. et al. Precise characterization of a corridor-shaped structure in Khufu’s Pyramid by observation of cosmic-ray muons. Nature Communications 14, 1144 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36351-0
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Does the mummy’s curse count if you do an endoscopy versus opening a portal big enough to pass through?
Jokes aside, this is really outstanding work.
I'm trying to understand the article but i'm struggling. They're saying there's a corridor near h on the first image, but i'm guessing the image doesn't illustrate the corridor?
Do any of the images show a cross section or detail of the corridor being mentioned?
The first image has a red shaded area, that looks interesting, what do we know about it?
On the images showing A and B, is the dotted red the point of discussion?
It makes sense right? If they have the ability to create massive voids within the structure, why wouldn't the ancient engineers do that as much as possible to save weight and building materials.
Moreover, if Jean Pierre Houdin is correct, and the great hall is part of a lifting apparatus, it could be possible this same structure is repeated higher up to help lift blocks to the upper levels.
Yes. (h) is basically not shown. I think location (i) is showing the results of the two studies, with the ellipsis probably being a good indicator of how accurate they can see (as in +/- 1 m as opposed to seeing objects or stone joints). (h) is basically ‘over here somewhere’ but they wanted to emphasize the higher chambers. Edit: (h) has its own map in the black and white image. Pretty small, but easy to get to.
This makes my nipples tingle.
you're welcome
Ok so correct me if i'm wrong.
The A/B image is the bit behind the chevron, which seems like its about 8m in depth and there's nothing in there because they put a camera through a crack?
And there is a suspected 30m corridor above the grand gallery?
I think there was an undecorated chamber/corridor, but no major artifacts so far. So there was a void, but it was just an empty area. I thought I saw a picture… not sure I trust The Sun, but that’s the picture I saw. Looks confirmed here.
And yes to your second question.
Ahhhh yeah I remember seeing the gif yesterday, it does line up with the dimensions on the image. Thanks for clearing that up.
Not really a corridor and more like a tiny crawlspace that no one can crawl in...
it's too bad they didn't include a legend with the picture. Why have all the markings without a legend to indicate what each are?
I'm sorry, COSMIC rays?
a) Subterranean chamber
b) Queen's Chamber
c) Grand Gallery
d) King's Chamber
e) Descending passage
f) Ascending passage
g) Robber's tunnel
h) Original entrance (Above which the corridor was found)
i) Big Void (yet to be explored)
>Video from an endoscope showed the inside of the corridor, which is 9m (30ft) long and 2.1m (7ft) wide.
You can easily stand up
But cranky old Zahi Hawass said there was no hidden space and they would never find anything! Gosh.
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It's basically like an X-ray machine - the cosmic rays come from space (they're produced by stars, supernovae etc) on one side of the pyramid and you have a detector on the other side.
The rays (to be precise, muons instead of X-rays) almost always pass through everything. But occasionally they interact with matter and that's enough to work out where the matter is, how much of it there is etc.
Here are some pictures from the people who brought us the Large Hadron Collider.
You can see them with the naked eye if you consume enough peyote
Dam, I read the whole article and here you edited all the filler out.
Rookie mistake. Always check the comments first.
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>pewpewbrrrrrrt
>Dam, I read the whole article and here you edited all the filler out.
‘Tis an excerpt, to encourage reading the linked work by Jennifer Ouellette.
It's consistent enough to be measured.
I’m sorry, READING articles?
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Great news everyone!! Now we can finally get our hands on the Necronomicon!!
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This isn't a massive void, and this isn't about saving weight and building materials...In fact it makes things more complex, and requires giant chevron stones. And also since this feature is at the edge of the outer shell of the pyramid, there isn't much weight above this structure anyway. And the descending corridor below already has effective lintel stones protecting it anyway. So there isn't much weight above, and it doesn't seem to be designed to protect anything below as far as weight goes.
As far as repeated structures go, I personally agree that the corbelled grand gallery does play a role in moving/lifting the giant granite blocks for the "King's Chamber", but that section is higher up than this newly imaged "front door passage". And there are no giant granite stones involved with this level anyway (that we know of).
He just wants to keep the apple of eden to himself
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This guy pyramids
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The pyramids was part of a “global” Tesla system designed to bring clean electricity to everyone. Proof I have none.
The muons they use aren't actually cosmic. But they are made when cosmic rays hit the upper atmosphere. Those muons then fall on the Earth in a constant shower.
Real life experience or trying to be funny? :D
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Im guessing those CHEVRONS are pretty LOCKED inplace and ENGAGED in holding those areas up, amirite?
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How many would you say they would need? I wonder if they counted them out loud as they went, to make sure everyone heard which chevron they were on.
7 total i would think, maybe 8 if it was a very long tunnel they were trying to keep open
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I was hoping for nine of them so we could fulfill a Destiny and get a couple more seasons
Yes cosmic rays themselves can be pretty dangerous.
Good lord, we’re bombarding a pyramid with cosmic rays?? Have comic books taught us nothing?
Embarkation room vibes
Wrong, it’s where the power button is!
I hear you like triangles.
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Forgive my ignorance, but if hidden corridors were discovered as far back as 2016, why aren't they fully explored as yet? I would have thought every nook and cranny of all pyramids would have been fully gone over a long time ago.
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Zahi Hawass is the biggest cockblocker of all time
If it is the same one I saw a post about the other day, they made their way inside and it was entirely empty. It was simply for structural purposes.
It’s probably behind several dozen feet of granite blocks. Getting there would require (carefully) drilling through them to get there.
The coverage I read (National Geographic) described these voids as structural only and without any speculation that they might be hidden chambers.
If that’s the case, it comes as no surprise that they haven’t been explored. No one wants to make a Pyramid tumble down to check out what is basically a structural feature.
So… why have they not explored this void yet? Especially after over six years now
Whoops, we're not putting an entry here. Just cover it up and keep going.
Klaatu…verata…nikcough cough
This is invaluable, thank you
Is it possible there’s lingering resentment or even distrust over
Are these people so underfunded that they couldn’t use a geoimaging machine to get a 3D map of the whole thing? Why is this just being discovered now when this tech has been around for decades?
Speaking of measurements. It was standard for tomb corridors to be low in height to make it tough for tomb robbers
This new corridor is much taller suggesting it was only used for construction
They use endoscopic cameras, not pull out the bottom blocks like a game of Jenga
The article discussed at length that no one understood how the voids would improve structural engineering. I would hazard that they want to think about that more before doing anything.
I’d also imagine that they’d need approval from the Egyptian government and I would also hazard those approvals might not be forthcoming without an abundance of evidence that any sort of exploration would have zero affect on the structure’s integrity:
>Moreover, if Jean Pierre Houdin is correct
The floor at the back of the corridor is sloped the wrong way for it to match the ramp that is supposedly above this corridor
I'm still mad they did us dirty like that
In 2023 they knew exactly where it was, hence endoscopic exploration was conducted.
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Wow! So in a way, the 'Aliens' meme is true! (Alien Particles)
You may be discouraging the scrollers brother. Excerpts are Redditors gift to earth as they’re concerned.
For the endoscopic you just have the take the mummy to a fancy dinner, for opening a big portal you need a more serious commitment...
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