Researchers studying the mysteries of the Great Pyramid of Giza may be on the verge of a breakthrough as they seek to determine whether the 4,500-year-old monument conceals a certain hidden chamber, the Daily Express reports.
According to the newspaper, although there has been "no development" since the ScanPyramids project yielded the discovery of the "Big Void" - a previously unknown 30-metre cavity located above the Grand Gallery - this situation "could be set to change" as Japanese researchers seek to employ muon radiography to determine "what lies within".
"The previously discovered cavity is way too large from an archaeological perspective", lead researcher Sakuji Yoshimura said. "We are very keen to verify the findings."
The team from the Kyushu University reportedly announced their plans back in November but this year's coronavirus pandemic and the travel restrictions implemented by a number of countries to curb its spread have apparently resulted in that undertaking being put on hold.
As the newspaper explains, an associate professor of radiation metrology at Kyushu University named Tadahiro Kin and "other researchers" have revealed that they intend to use the method known as muon radiography, which is similar to X-ray imaging and which would allow the team to "measure the thickness of stone blocks used to construct the pyramid".
The data obtained via a "newly developed muon detector", which will be set to operate in the Queen's Chamber for a month, is going to be combined with findings from drone survey to determine "what lies inside".