For thousands of years, a smooth patch of polished granite on the eastern face of the Menkaure Pyramid has confused researchers. Unlike the rough stone around it, this rectangle was finished with great care. In 2019, Dutch researcher Stijn van den Hoven suggested it was hiding something beneath.
Now scientists have confirmed his theory. The ScanPyramids project has detected two air-filled voids directly behind the polished granite. This is the first strong evidence of a second entrance to the tomb of Pharaoh Menkaure. The research was done by Cairo University and the Technical University of Munich, with help from Portland State University and other organizations.
The team used three scanning techniques normally used on bridges and buildings: ground-penetrating radar, ultrasonic testing, and electrical resistivity tomography. They combined the results to find the hidden spaces without damaging the pyramid.
The larger void measures about one meter high by 1.5 meters wide and sits 1.4 meters behind the granite surface. The smaller void is nearby and slightly smaller in size. Both are empty spaces where stone should be.
Menkaure is the smallest of the three main pyramids at Giza. Unlike the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Khafre, which have multiple known entrances, Menkaure has only one doorway on its northern face. If a second entrance exists, this would be unique among the pyramids.
The research team is careful about their claims. These voids might be passageways, or they could be construction gaps left by ancient builders. The ScanPyramids project previously found a hidden corridor in the Great Pyramid, so this discovery is taken seriously by scientists.