Researchers intrigued by mysterious 'anomaly' found near pyramids of Giza

Archaeological mysteries are always intriguing, often revealing extraordinary discoveries. The Pyramids of Giza, among Egypt's most iconic landmarks, continue to unveil historical treasures from ancient times. Recently, a team of archaeologists discovered a mysterious "anomaly" near the pyramids, sparking curiosity and excitement. Their detailed findings were published in The Archaeological Prospection.

The discovery occurred in the western section of the pyramids, a region commonly recognized as the graveyard area, according to ScienceAlert. Researchers highlighted that the Western Cemetery, spanning roughly 560 meters east to west and 370 meters north to south, is filled with mastabas of various sizes. However, they pointed out a central area with no visible structures, prompting them to question what lies beneath. "No underground investigations have previously been carried out," they noted.

Using shallow geophysical exploration methods like "Ground-penetrating radar (GPR), electrical resistivity surveys, and magnetic surveys," the researchers investigated the entire Western Cemetery. There, they came across an "L-shaped" structure buried and concealed deep in the ground. It was further mentioned that the structure below the L-shaped space showed high electrical resistance when tracked with the equipment. 

“Below this structure, ERT reveals a highly electrically resistive anomaly. Electrically resistive material in a dune can be a mixture of sand and gravel, including sparse spacing or air voids within it. Neither GPR nor ERT could identify the properties of the anomaly,” the study read. The suspense of the contents of the structure have researchers titling the structure an “anomaly.” “We believe we found an anomaly: a combination of a shallow structure connected to a deeper structure. The shallow structure, which is L-shaped was clearly imaged by GPR. It seems to have been filled with sand, which means it was backfilled after it was constructed. It may have been an entrance to the deeper structure,” they explained. 

Though researchers are intrigued by its presence, they’re unsure what it may be just yet. The dimensions for the same span are 10 by 15 meters wide and 0.5 to 2 meters deep. There is also the possibility of a similar-sized structure below the recent finding. The area around which the structure was found contains remains of royals and officials and was used as a graveyard by the Egyptians. The graves were rectangular structures with stones called “mastabas.” The study defined these as, “A mastaba is a type of tomb, which has a flat roof and rectangular structure on the ground surface, constructed out of limestone or mud bricks. It has a vertical shaft connected to a subsurface chamber.” 

The anomaly was found in one of the Egyptian prince’s tombs. “The survey area is south of mastaba G4000, which is known as the tomb of Prince Hemiunu,” the study read. The area wasn’t explored much by archaeologists since it was a burial ground which explains the finding coming to light only after 4000 years of remaining undisturbed. The researchers aim to figure out what the “anomaly” is without having to dig through the burial grounds and use just their advanced technology. In conclusion, the study revealed, “We believe that the continuity of the shallow structure and the deep large structure is important. From the survey results, we cannot determine the material causing the anomaly, but it may be a large subsurface archaeological structure.”

Editor's note: This article was originally published on July 12, 2024. It has since been updated.