What lies beneath the pyramids?

Beneath the pyramids of Egypt lies a lost underworld of catacombs, hewn chambers, and cave tunnels. They are alluded to in ancient texts and Arab legends, but have been left unexplored until today. They have now been rediscovered and investigated for the first time by science and history writer Andrew Collins.



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The pharaoh's final resting place was usually within a burial chamber underneath the pyramid. Although the Great Pyramid has subterranean chambers, they were never completed, and Khufu's sarcophagus rests in the King's Chamber, where Napoleon is said to have sojourned, deep inside the Great Pyramid.

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Beneath its enormous construction, the great King Djoser was buried in a chamber tomb. Djoser was king of Egypt's Third Dynasty, known for pioneering the construction of stone buildings, monuments and temples. Unusually, 11 of King Djoser's daughters were buried inside this Egyptian pyramid's chamber alongside him.

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There are even reportedly access tunnels to some large and natural caves directly under the Sphinx. There have long been fables of hidden chambers, and a Hall of Records lies beneath the Sphinx.

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[Scholars put his reign at 1401–1391 B.C.] According to the stela, Thutmosis IV was strolling here one day, all alone. Around midday, he got very hot and decided to rest in the shadow of the Great Sphinx.

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In a 2023 study in Nature, an international team of researchers from Egypt, France and Japan revealed more details about a hidden, 30-foot corridor. The corridor is about six feet wide and sits above the main entrance by the pyramid's north face.

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Mummies found in Egyptian pyramids The first pyramid built was the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Human remains have been discovered inside, and Jean-Philippe Lauer (1902-2001) found a rib, a humerus, the left foot, and part of the stomach of a mummy in the stone sarcophagus of Djoser.

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As part of the international research team “ScanPyramids” the Munich scientists have proven the existence of an empty chamber which was until now only posited based on measurement data. The hollow space is located above the original entrance to the pyramid, which is not accessible to the public.

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Archaeologists have discovered a mummy wrapped in gold—here's what it tells us about ancient Egyptian beliefs. In January 2023, a group of archaeologists excavating tombs in the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, near Cairo, discovered the mummified remains of a man named Hekashepes, who lived circa 2300BC.

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Many people have said that the pyramids would last 1 million years or even until the world ended, but I'd say around 10,000 to 100,000 years based on current observations.

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To build such a pyramid today (using modern technology and equipment such as cranes and helicopters), it would take 1,500 to 2,000 workers around five years, and cost around $5 billion.

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Considering the pyramids were built more than four thousand years ago, the exact technique of construction remains a mystery and modern-day equipment was not available at the time. It is believed that ancient Egyptians ferried the huge stone blocks on the Nile river.

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By analyzing high-resolution satellite imagery covering all of Egypt, researchers have reportedly discovered up to 17 lost pyramids, nearly 3000 ancient settlements, and 1000 tombs. The effort was led by archaeologist Sarah Parcak of the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

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There was a single sphinx in Greek mythology, a unique demon of destruction and bad luck. Apollodorus describes the sphinx as having a woman's face, the body and tail of a lion and the wings of a bird.

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In 1378 CE, Egyptian peasants made offerings to the Great Sphinx in the hope of controlling the flood cycle, which would result in a successful harvest. Outraged by this blatant show of devotion, Sa'im al-Dahr destroyed the nose and was later executed for vandalism. Whether this is absolute fact is still debatable.

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