New geophysical scans by the ScanPyramids project have identified two air-filled spaces behind the polished eastern facade of the Great Pyramid of Menkaure, providing strong evidence for the possible existence of a second entrance to the ancient structure at Giza.
The Pyramid of Menkaure, standing just over sixty meters tall, is the youngest of the Giza pyramids and the only one to be extensively clad in Aswan granite. The unusual use of this luxurious stone has sparked debate for decades about its construction and design. The partially smoothed eastern facade has until now been considered particularly unique and mysterious. New scans by the ScanPyramids team have now revealed two hidden spaces behind this part of the cladding, providing particularly strong evidence for the possible existence of a previously undiscovered entrance.
New imaging data has revealed two atmospheric cavities inside the Menkaure pyramid, strengthening the hypothesis of a possible second entrance.
A team of researchers from Cairo University and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), working as part of the ScanPyramids project, has identified two hidden air-filled cavities inside the third largest pyramid at Giza. For years, archaeologists have suspected that there was an additional entrance on the eastern side of the Menkaure pyramid, and the new data provides the first scientific support for this idea. Using ground-penetrating radar, ultrasound, and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), the team was able to confirm the existence of two cavities beneath the eastern outer shell, strengthening the long-standing hypothesis.
The unusually polished granite blocks on the eastern face of the pyramid have long puzzled experts. This smoothed area, about four meters high and six meters wide, is very reminiscent of the level of finish in the area of the known entrance on the northern face. As early as 2019, researcher Steen van den Hoeven suggested that this unique stonework may mark the location of a second entrance.
Merging all measurement data was a crucial factor
The research team from Cairo University and TUM re-examined the eastern facade as part of the ScanPyramids mission and discovered two anomalies behind the smoothed surface. Using non-destructive techniques – including ground-penetrating radar (GPR), ultrasound and electrical resistivity tomography – the researchers were able to precisely locate two air-filled cavities. This is the first time that there is scientific confirmation of the existence of structural cavities behind the polished eastern facade.
The two anomalous areas are located at a depth of about 1.4 meters and about 1.13 meters behind the outer shell, and their dimensions are about 1 meter high by 1.5 meters wide, and about 0.9 meters by 0.7 meters, respectively. Such precision in determining the location and dimensions of air-filled spaces was only possible thanks to the combination (Image Fusion) of all the measurement data into a unified imaging layer. The image fusion method used by the researchers was a decisive factor in confirming the discovery.
"The hypothesis of another entry is very reasonable"
“Following the significant confirmation of a hidden passageway in the Pyramid of Khufu in 2023, ScanPyramids has once again succeeded in making an important discovery at Giza,” says Prof. Christian Grosse, a non-destructive testing expert at TUM. “The testing method we developed allows us to draw very precise conclusions about the interior structure of the pyramid, without damaging this valuable historical structure. The hypothesis of the existence of an additional entrance is very plausible, and our results bring us a big step closer to verifying this possibility.”
According to the researchers, the combination of engineering evidence – the unique stone finish on the eastern facade – and precise geophysical measurements reinforces the understanding that the construction and design rules of the Menkaure pyramid are more complex than previously thought. Hidden spaces of this type may be related to another set of passages, load-relief chambers or ceremonial spaces, but at this stage it is still impossible to determine their purpose.
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