Even though there are countless subfields within archaeology, many individuals worldwide still find studying Ancient Egypt fascinating.
There have been numerous studies and excavations on it, and now a fresh effort under the direction of archaeologist and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs Zahi Hawass has advanced the subject.
Hawass had previously mentioned a project to investigate the Pyramid of Khufu’s uncharted territory.
Hawass was particularly interested in opening up an area that seemed to be obstructed by a number of doors so that she might see what was within.
Nobody knew exactly where these led in the structure, and they were hard to get to.
Previously speaking with The US Sun, the archaeologist revealed that even after uncovering findings inside the Great Pyramid, he still had unanswered questions.
Hawass said: “I think, until now, the secret doors that I found inside the Great Pyramid are really a discovery that needs many questions and many answers.”
“Inside the Great Pyramid, I found the so-called three doors. There is one on the south entrance of the second chamber that has two copper handles.”
“Twenty-one centimeters behind that one, we found a second one, and in the northern tunnel, we found the third door with two copper handles.”
“On December 5th, I’m leading a team, to see, discover, and answer the questions about these doors.”
The pyramids may seem like rather simple buildings from the outside, but the insides tell a quite different tale.
Hawass has said in the past that historians and archaeologists find the Great Pyramid fascinating because of its intricate interior.
His group studied behind closed doors for a week in December 2023 as part of a continuing project.
Speaking before the initial study, Hawass said: “We are planning to clean the south shaft from outside to learn if it does open to the outside.”
If it does, there’s a chance that the monarch used it as a symbolic entrance to enter the Netherworld.
“If it’s sealed, we have to go back to the Westcar Papyri and read about Khufu’s search for the deity Thoth’s writings to aid him in building his pyramid.”
“Only further research into the shafts can reveal their function, solving one of the many mysteries of the Great Pyramid.”
The first study has been completed on the project, which Hawass refers to as the “Djedi Project” on her Instagram feed.
On the social media platform, Hawass wrote, “We conducted a one-week study in December, and work will continue.”
It appears that we might have to wait to find out what they discovered, but the Great Pyramid was constructed over 4,500 years ago, so what’s a little more time?