Great Pyramid hidden area found

New Chamber Discovered in Great Pyramid Using Cosmic Rays

In a first since the 19th century, a hidden chamber within one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World is hidden no more.

Scientists have discovered a 153-foot-long void above the Great Pyramid's Grand Gallery, National Geographic reported. The area is also 26 feet high.

So far experts are not sure why it is there or if it holds anything.

Scientists from France and Japan on the ScanPyramids team announced their finding two years after they studied the structure. They used muography that shows changes in density inside rock structures, The BBC reported.

A smaller, similar void had been found on the pyramid’s north face.

The team will not call the voids chambers, of which there are three large chambers already discovered, along with several passageways.

Some believe the void could have been built to relieve pressure and stress above the King's Chamber. Others say that it isn't the case, that it is too large to relieve the weight of the pyramid, The BBC reported.

Now the challenge that faces the experts is how to get a look inside the void without damaging or destroying the ancient pyramid.

One scientist suggested drilling a 3 centimeter hole that they could use to fly a robot through and into the area, but Egyptian officials would have to approve it, The BBC reported.

The Great Pyramid was built during Egypt's Old Kingdom's Fourth Dynasty about 4,500 years ago by pharaoh Khufu, National Geographic reported