Hidden rooms found in Egyptian pyramid may contain pharaoh’s riches, archaeologists say

Researchers uncover passage and find that it links up to eight storerooms

Archaeologists have uncovered a number of previously undocumented storage rooms within Egyptian pharaoh Sahura’s pyramid that may hold treasures from ancient royals.

As part of a conservation and restoration project, Egyptologists, led by Mohamed Ismail Khaled from Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) in Germany, have been cleaning the interior rooms and stabilising the pyramid from inside, preventing it from further collapse.

In the process, they have uncovered the pyramid’s burial chambers, which had previously been inaccessible.

The new yet-to-be peer-reviewed findings shed fresh light on the architecture of the pyramid of Sahura, who was the second king of the Fifth Dynasty (2400 BC) and the first to be buried at the ancient Egyptian archaeological pyramid complex Abusir.

“Abusir is the name of an elaborate burial area in Egypt, dotted with 19 pyramids and other temples, stretching on the western side of the Nile from the south of the Giza Plateau to the northern rim of Saqqara,” researchers explained in the 2022 study.

During their restoration work, archaeologists found the original dimensions, and could uncover the floor plan of the antechamber, which had deteriorated over time.

Over two centuries, temperature changes, windy conditions, high humidity, and earthquakes have led to some parts of the pyramid collapsing.

The pyramid itself is considered one of Egypt’s little-known but heavily damaged treasures.

As part of efforts since 2019, Egyptologists have replaced destroyed walls with new ones, and continued to excavate traces of a low passageway – suspected to exist first in 1836 – but found to be full of debris and rubbish.

Researchers uncovered the passage and have found that it links up to eight storerooms so far which may contain ancient Egyptian funerary furniture.

“Although the northern and southern parts of these magazines, especially the ceiling and the original floor, are badly damaged, remnants of the original walls and parts of the floor can still be seen,” archaeologists noted in a statement.

They further understood the interior of these store rooms with careful documentation of their floor plans and dimensions.

Archaeologists were careful to balance between preservation and presentation during excavation to ensure that the structural integrity of the rooms were intact, making them accessible for future study and potentially the public.

Researchers also used 3D laser scanning to conduct detailed surveys inside the pyramid, allowing a comprehensive mapping of both the external areas and the narrow corridors as well as the chamber’s’ insides.

Using the frequent scans, they could create a permanent record of the exploration efforts.

“The discovery and restoration of the storerooms is expected to revolutionize the view of historical development of pyramid structures and challenge existing paradigms in the field,” scientists noted.