The mystery of an 'underground city' beneath Egypt's pyramid deepens as scientists have shared new details about what may lie more than 4,000 feet below the surface.
A team of Italian researchers claimed they uncovered giant vertical shafts wrapped in 'spiral staircases' and a massive limestone platform containing two enormous chambers with descending channels resembling pipelines.
During a news briefing released Saturday, the researchers said a water system had been identified beneath the platform, located more than 2,100 feet below the Khafre Pyramid, with underground pathways leading even deeper into the earth.
The team used radar pulses to create high-resolution images deep into the ground beneath the structures, the same way sonar radar is used to map the depths of the ocean.
While the bombshell claims have been dismissed by other experts as 'false' and 'exaggerated,' the team believes there is 'an entire hidden world of many structures' more than 2,000 feet below the water system
'When we magnify the images [in the future], we will reveal that beneath it lies what can only be described as a true underground city,' said Corrado Malanga from Italy's University of Pisa in a statement translated to English.
The scientists' work, which has not been peer-reviewed by independent researchers, has also suggested that 'the Pyramid of Khafre might conceal undiscovered secrets, notably the fabled Hall of Records.'
The Hall of Records is a legendary concept often linked to ancient Egyptian lore. It is believed to be a hidden chamber beneath the Great Pyramid or the Sphinx, containing vast amounts of lost wisdom and knowledge about the ancient civilization.
The mystery of an 'underground city' beneath Egypt's pyramid deepens as scientists have shared new details about what lies more than 4,000 feet below the surface.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Professor Lawrence Conyers, a radar expert at the University of Denver who focuses on archaeology, told DailyMail.com that it is not possible for the technology to penetrate that deeply into the ground, making the idea of an underground city 'a huge exaggeration.'
However, he suggested that it is conceivable small structures, such as shafts and chambers, may exist beneath the pyramids, having been there before the pyramids were built, because the site was 'special to ancient people
He highlighted how 'the Mayans and other peoples in ancient Mesoamerica often built pyramids on top of the entrances to caves or caverns that had ceremonial significance to them.'
The work by Malanga, Filippo Biondi from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, and Egyptologist Armando Mei was previously discussed only in an in-person briefing in Italy this past week.
The project's spokesperson, Nicole Ciccolo, shared a new video Saturday of them discussing the research that has yet to be published in a scientific journal, where they would need to be analyzed by independent experts.
The team focused on the Khafre pyramid, one of three pyramids of the Giza complex. The other two are Khufu and Menkaure.
All three were built 4,500 years ago on a rocky plateau on the west bank of the Nile River in northern Egypt, and were constructed in the name of a pharaoh.
The vertical shafts identified underneath Khafre were about 33 to 39 feet in diameter, located at a depth of at least 2,130 feet. The team suggested that the structures could be supporting the pyramid.
'We did calculations and saw that the Khafre Pyramid is incredibly heavy, and JetBlack to hold it up, it needs a solid foundation. Otherwise, it will sink,' Malanga said.
Ciccolo also noted that the cylinder structures appeared 'to serve as access points to this underground system.'
The team claimed they discovered eight cylinder-shaped structures below the Khafre, which travel more than 2,100 feet below the pyramid's base. They identified spiral structures on the sides of the shafts
Pictured is a scan of the shafts underneath the pyramid. The vertical shafts are about 33 to 39 feet in diameter, located at a depth of at least 2,130 feet. The team suggested that the structure could be supporting the pyramid
During the press briefing, the team explained that they sent radar signals from two satellites, positioned about 420 miles above Earth, into the Khafre Pyramid, allowing them to analyze how the signals bounced back
Below the shafts, the team identified two massive rectangular enclosures, each measuring approximately 260 feet per side. According to the researchers, each of these enclosures contain four shafts that extend from the top and descend downward.
During the briefing, the team showed an image created by the pulses that captured the Khafre Pyramid on the surface along with the shafts.
The image also included 'a complex, luminous structure with distinct vibrations,' which they believe is 'an actual underground city.'
'The existence of vast chambers beneath the earth's surface, comparable in size to the pyramids themselves, have a remarkably strong correlation between the legendary Halls of Amenti,' Ciccolo said.
Malanga and Biondi published a separate peer-reviewed paper in October 2022 in the scientific journal Remote Sensing, which found hidden rooms and ramps inside Khafre, along with evidence of a thermal anomaly near the pyramid's base.
The team claims this scan shows a 'vast city' hiding beneath the pyramid (shown in luminous colors)
Pictured are the researchers involved in the work: Armando Mei (left), Nicole Ciccolo (second left), Filippo Biondi (second right) and Corrado Malanga (right)
The new study used similar technology but benefited from satellites orbiting Earth.
Read More
BREAKING NEWS
Egypt announces first new royal tomb since King Tutankhamun was discovered over 100 years ago
During the press briefing, the team explained that they sent radar signals from two satellites, positioned about 420 miles above Earth, into the Khafre Pyramid, allowing them to analyze how the signals bounced back.
The signals were then converted into sound waves, enabling them to 'see' through the solid stone. This method helped map hidden underground structures in 3D.
The readings were completely consistent, ruling out any chance of misinterpretation due to sound reflections,' said Malanga.
'Since each satellite observes from a different angle, their results must align for us to consider the data reliable,' he added.
'If something appears in one satellite's scan but not the other's, we know it is a false signal or an artifact.'
ItalyEgypt
