ScanPyramids

Physicists using muon tomography have identified a void of at least 30 metres inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, without any drilling. Muons from cosmic-ray showers pass through stone and are absorbed unevenly, so a shortfall of muons arriving from one direction revealed extra empty space within the 4,500-year-old monument. The non-invasive technique, developed by the ScanPyramids collaboration, is being discussed as a striking example of particle physics unlocking archaeological secrets.