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Hidden spaces inside the Great Pyramid detected by cosmic-ray muons
The claim: Muon imaging has revealed large previously unknown voids inside Khufu's pyramid.
Why this label: The ScanPyramids project used three independent muon-detection methods and published in Nature (2017, the 'Big Void') and Nature Communications (2023, the North Face Corridor). An endoscope camera later viewed the corridor directly. What the Big Void is for remains unknown.
Background
Muons are particles produced by cosmic rays that pass through rock but are partly absorbed; mapping where more of them arrive shows hidden cavities. The Big Void is at least 30 m long above the Grand Gallery. The North Face Corridor, about 9 m long, sits behind the chevrons on the north face. These are measurements; ideas about what the spaces are, from construction ramps to further chambers, are interpretation.
What has been measured
Dates, measurements and documented findings, kept separate from interpretation.
Evidence and arguments against, or limits
- Muon imaging gives the size and position of voids, not their purpose or contents. Claims that they prove an older or non-Egyptian builder go beyond the data. [1]
Open questions & what would change the label
Higher-resolution muon images and, if permitted, minimally invasive camera access to the Big Void would show its shape and function.
Sites
Related claims
Sources
- Morishima, K. et al. (2017). Discovery of a big void in Khufu's Pyramid by observation of cosmic-ray muons. Nature 552. doi:10.1038/nature24647 data
- Procureur, S. et al. (2023). Precise characterization of a corridor-shaped structure in Khufu's Pyramid by observation of cosmic-ray muons. Nature Communications 14. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-36351-0 data
More in this section: Egypt: Sphinx & Giza dating.
Sources checked against Crossref and publisher pages on 2026-10-22. Labels describe the claim, not the people who hold it. Methodology.