What did scientists discover?
Inside this pyramid, the largest and oldest in Egypt (with its 139 meters high and 230 meters wide), scientists have discovered a very large cavity, comparable to that of a plane 200 places.
Nicknamed the big void, this cavity is at least 30 meters long and has characteristics similar to those of the large gallery, the largest room in the pyramid known to date. It is located about fifty meters from the queen's chamber, in the very heart of the monument.
How did the researchers proceed?
Paradox of this discovery: the researchers did not see the cavity with their own eyes. The researchers used so-called "non-invasive" methods that made it possible to deduce the location and size of the cavity without piercing the slightest bit of rock, "looking through the stones".
To do this, they used a technique used in particle physics. They helped themselves with muons, cosmic particles that slow down, then stop in contact with matter. When they want to probe an object, the researchers measure the amount of particles recovered behind this object. If they notice a surplus in one place, it's because the muons have gone through less material, so vacuum.
What is hidden in the cave discovered in the heart of the great pyramid of Cheops?
According to the archaeogastronomist Giulio Magli, it could contain an iron throne ...
The teacher-researcher supports this idea by relying on what is known about the funerary rites in the religion of ancient Egypt, especially through the texts of the pyramids. "In these texts, it is said that the pharaoh, before reaching the stars of the north, will have to pass the" doors of heaven "and sit on his iron throne. After his death, the pharaoh must therefore go to the "Imperishable", that is to say, the stars that never go down and symbolize, of course, eternity. These are the so-called "circumpolar stars", those that seem to revolve around the polar star, which, let us remember, appears motionless in the sky.
What could this iron throne look like?
Finally, with regard to the appearance of the "iron throne", the archaeo- astronomer also has his small idea. The object would be very different from that of the Game Of Thrones series. To get a glimpse of it, we have to look at that of Cheops' mother, Hétep-Hérès Ire. Reconstituted by Harvard researchers, it consists of cedar wood covered with gold and faience. If that of Cheops exists, he could be dressed with iron. An iron of extraterrestrial origin, extracted from meteorites, these stones falling from the sky.
How to access this cavity?
The future will tell. One of the most serious leads is a "minimally invasive robotic exploration". The object would be a tiny airship with cameras - currently in development - that would be introduced by a very narrow passage.
Hopefully the researchers will get permission to deploy this robot in this mysterious space of the Great Pyramid.