Fresh claims about hidden structures beneath one of Egypt’s most iconic monuments have reignited debate among archaeologists and researchers worldwide. An Italy-based research group says satellite radar imagery reveals large underground features extending deep below the Pyramid of Khafre on the Giza Plateau.
The findings, first reported in March 2025, rely on remote sensing rather than excavation and have not yet been verified through on-site investigation.
Radar Imaging Suggests Shafts and Chambers
The research team used Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data collected by orbiting satellites to analyze subsurface density variations beneath the pyramid. By processing reflected radar signals through mathematical modelling, they produced composite images that appear to show structural anomalies beneath the monument.
According to their interpretation, eight cylindrical shafts descend hundreds of metres into the limestone bedrock below the Pyramid of Khafre. At greater depths, the radar patterns suggest the presence of two large cubic chambers. The team also proposes the existence of five vertical voids within the pyramid itself.
However, researchers emphasize that these conclusions are based on image interpretation rather than direct physical surveys such as drilling or ground-penetrating radar.
Academic reaction has been measured. Egyptologists and geologists note that the Giza Plateau is composed largely of limestone bedrock, which naturally contains fissures, cavities and cave systems. Several natural voids beneath the pyramids have already been documented in earlier geological studies.
Because limestone terrain often features underground hollows formed over millennia, some experts suggest the radar signatures may reflect natural geological formations rather than engineered structures. Without excavation or on-site validation, distinguishing between artificial shafts and natural cavities remains challenging.
The debate has nevertheless gained traction online, where alternative history commentators have drawn connections between the proposed underground features and references to the Duat the netherworld described in ancient Egyptian funerary texts. Others have speculated about links to prehistoric Anatolian sites such as Taş Tepeler, though no archaeological evidence currently supports such associations.
For now, the satellite radar study has expanded discussion about what may lie beneath Khafre’s pyramid but has not resolved longstanding questions surrounding the geology and construction of the Giza complex.
Until physical investigation confirms the claims, the proposed underground shafts and chambers remain part of an ongoing scientific and public debate one that underscores both the promise and the limitations of remote sensing technology in archaeology.