Secrets of the Dead (2000–…): Season 17, Episode 1 - Scanning the Pyramids - full transcript
Scientists perform a non-invasive internal scan of the Great Pyramid of Giza using radiation no one can see and most have never heard of. They find there's something big and as yet undiscovered inside.
Narrator: The Great Pyramid
at Giza.
No royal mummy or funerary
artifacts have ever been found
inside this tomb
built for Pharaoh Khufu.
A papyrus text
dating from 1700 B.C.
tells of his fascination
with magic
and his desire
to build secret chambers
inside the pyramid,
but these hidden chambers
have never been found.
Over the centuries,
explorers had used
the technology of their day
to search for
what might be inside.
19th-century treasure-seekers
used dynamite
that left brutal scars.
Modern Egyptologists
have used custom-made robots
and miniaturized cameras.
Now a new team will attempt
to create a detailed scan
of the 45-story pyramid.
After centuries of searching,
can new rooms be found?
And can this be done without
disturbing a single stone?
Hany Helal and Mehdi Tayoubi
have taken up the challenge,
directing
the Scanned Pyramids Project.
Translator:
There are lots of theories
about the ancient pyramids.
Aren't there any techniques
that don't specifically come
from Egyptology
that might let us see through
the pyramids
without touching them
to see if there are
any unknown structures
inside these great pyramids?
Narrator: They plan the most
technologically advanced survey
of the great pyramid
using muography, a cutting-edge
imaging technique.
Translator for Helal:
Our first challenge
was assembling the team.
They'd all need
to work together,
but with their
different cultures,
working methods, and approaches.
Narrator:
To do this, the pair assembles
a multi-disciplinary team
that includes
thermal infrared engineers,
experts in modeling,
and 3D simulations...
and particle physicists.
Can physics unlock the secrets
within this ancient pyramid?
"Scanning the Pyramids."
Narrator: 45 centuries ago,
Egyptian workers,
who knew neither the wheel
nor iron, built the
Great Pyramid of Giza,
a mountain of
2.3 million stone blocks.
This pyramid would be
the eternal resting place
for Pharaoh Khufu,
ruler of the Fourth Dynasty
for several decades.
Given its size, one would expect
to find awe-inspiring gold
and funeral goods on a scale
to match those inside
Tutankhamen’s.
King Tut only reigned
for a few years and left
no monument to posterity.
He is famous today
simply because his tomb
is the only one
ever discovered
in its original state,
with its fabulous treasures
still intact.
No treasure or statue of Khufu
has ever been found.
This tiny ivory figurine
is all we know of the ruler
who left the most
monumental pyramid of all.
While looters raided the pyramid
throughout history,
the tomb was only officially
opened in the 9th century,
by a Muslim caliph interested
in science and mystery.
Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist
based in Egypt for 30 years,
has studied the accounts left
by Arab historians from the era.
This is the entrance
to the great pyramid,
but it wasn't always the case.
In the 9th centuryA.D.,
the Khalifa Ma'mun decided
he wanted to enter the pyramids,
and in those days they looked
completely different.
They were, in fact, covered
with shiny white limestone.
He had heard rumors that inside
there were astonishing things,
there were maps of the world,
there were all kinds
of treasures,
not really gold and silver
so much
but actually magical things.
Narrator: Al-Ma'mun's men
used an ancient technique:
heating the stones with a fire
and then throwing vinegar
on them so they would crack.
After several months
of hard labor,
Ma-Mun's team found a corridor
descending under the pyramid
that led to a room.
But there was no treasure.
They continued their exploration
and found another corridor
leading to another room.
It, too, was empty.
They named this second room
the Queen's Chamber,
apparently assuming
that King Khufu had reserved
this room for his wife.
By the light of their torches,
they then explored
the Grand Gallery,
25 feet high
and nearly 165 feet long.
Ikram: When Ma'mun and his team
came in,
they were holding
their torches aloft,
and with
bats flying every which way
trying to hit them and avoid
the torches and being burnt.
It must have been
an extraordinary experience
coming into this amazing
structure for the first time.
This is truly one of the most
extraordinary and amazing pieces
of architecture
in the ancient world.
Narrator: At the end
of this mysterious gallery
lay more astonishing proof of
the Egyptian builders' genius...
the so-called King's Chamber,
with its flat ceiling made
entirely of precisely fit
granite blocks.
Al-Ma'mun, however,
had hoped to find much more.
Ikram: And at the end
of the room,
they found the sarcophagus
of the King.
Neither the room
nor the sarcophagus
had anything in it.
All were empty.
Some people had expected Ma'mun
to find all kinds of jewels
and gold.
But nothing like that
seemed to have been here,
so I suppose that both
Al-Ma'mun and his people
were rather disappointed.
Narrator:
No other comparable rooms
have been found
in the centuries since.
Despite the lack of success,
countless explorers
have continued the search.
What has fueled this desire
to know the inner secrets
of the Great Pyramid?
Perhaps the answer lies in the
Museum of Egyptology in Berlin,
where a papyrus text
from 1700 B.C.
is carefully preserved.
The Westcar Papyrus
is filled with legends and tales
from the era of King Khufu.
According to the papyrus,
Khufu was inspired
by the sacred architecture
of the god of knowledge
and wisdom, Thot,
and had secret chambers
built into his pyramid
to house magic books containing
all the knowledge of the day.
Now a new generation
is trying to understand
the Great Pyramid.
Mehdi Tayoubi is a specialist
in innovation strategy.
He has led numerous projects
combining art, science, and
technology at Dassault Systèmes.
In 2013, he met Hany Helal,
former Minister of Higher
Education and Research
and now a professor
at the Faculty of Engineering
at Cairo University.
Together, they spent
two years preparing
the ScanPyramids Project
and gathering the best
scientists and engineers.
Once the team is assembled,
they set out to scan
the pyramids.
This new project is under
the aegis of the Egyptian
Ministry of Antiquities,
the Faculty of Engineers
of Cairo,
and HIP...
The Heritage Innovation
and Preservation Institute...
Founded by Tayoubi and Helal.
Translator for Helal: We are
a team of neutral scientists.
There are several theories about
how the pyramids were built.
We are not taking sides.
Our mission is to find proof,
real evidence.
All our results will be
submitted to and analyzed by
a group of Egyptologists
from the Ministry
of Antiquities.
Narrator: They will use physics
and sub-atomic particles
to see inside
this giant structure.
These particles are created
when radiation
in the form of cosmic rays
from distant supernovae
hits the earth's atmosphere.
The cosmic rays then produce
several different sub-atomic
particles, including muons.
About 10,000 muons per square
yard hit the earth every minute
and move through matter
in straight lines.
Muons are less likely
to be absorbed
when passing through
low-density matter.
To create an image
with muography,
nuclear emulsion films
record muons as they cross.
More muon trajectories recorded
in a particular direction
means there is likely
more open space above the film.
The process is akin
to taking an X-ray
but on a much larger scale.
Nuclear film is placed
inside the pyramid
to record how many muons arrive
from different locations.
But before the team attempts
to scan the Great Pyramid,
the Egyptian government has
asked them to test the technique
on the well-documented
Bent Pyramid at Dashur,
20 miles from Cairo.
Translator for Morishima:
I'm really excited
about using this method to take
on such a mysterious monument.
Narrator:
Dr. Kunihiro Morishima
and his team from
the University of Nagoya
have been chosen to
start the muography tests
inside the Bent Pyramid.
They set up their muon-detecting
films in the lower room
and hope these plates
will record the muons
passing through the stones,
creating an image
of the room above.
After 40 days of collecting
muon particles,
Dr. Morishima and his team
recover the films.
He immediately takes them
to the Grand Egyptian Museum
where a new laboratory
has been placed at his disposal.
The films will continue
to record muons until processed,
so it is imperative
they get to the lab quickly.
Translator:
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
Narrator: They are developed
like photographic film
with chemicals, fixers,
rinsing, and drying.
To guarantee the quality
of the results,
the procedure must be
carried out very precisely.
And now, they can measure
the number of muons recorded.
Translator for Morishima:
It's better than
I was expecting.
The muon moves
in a straight line.
As we change depths,
we can see it going up.
It moves like this.
Narrator: Millions of muon
trajectories were recorded.
Oh...
Translator for Morishima:
It's perfect!
Narrator: And the data
must now be analyzed in detail.
This work can only be performed
one place in the world.
In Japan, Nagoya's team
scans each film individually
with a machine that is both
a scanner and a microscope
and only exists in their lab.
What is
the total resolution
of, uh...
The sensor is
0.45 micron.
So it is kind of
megapixel picture
you get?
Yes.
Narrator: With the data,
the machine can reconstruct
the trajectories of the muons.
Using algorithms
and immense computing power,
any evidence of particles that
are not muons is filtered out.
So that's why you have
36 computers?
Yes.
Each computer
two sensors? OK.
Narrator: Even with
all of this computing power,
it takes more than 4 weeks
to scan the films
from the Bent Pyramid...
4 weeks during which
Dr. Morishima and his students
work around the clock
and watch as
the first muographic image
of the pyramid emerges.
Will the image show
the upper chamber?
The fate of the entire
ScanPyramids Project
depends on it.
Translator for Morishima:
There's the pyramid.
You can see the edges.
Narrator: The 4 faces of
the pyramid are recognizable,
and the peak is distinguished
in yellow
because fewer muons
crossed the monument
where it is thickest.
What really interests
Dr. Morishima's team
is invisible
to the untrained eye.
Translator for Morishima:
Here's a spot where
a lot of muons penetrated.
So that must be it.
We see the same thing over here,
even if we have less data.
Narrator:
Could these red pixels
represent the upper chamber
that the scan was meant to find?
And could the scan have detected
previously unknown cavities?
To answer these questions,
Dr. Morishima
must compare his results
with what is already known.
For this purpose,
Mehdi Tayoubi's French team
has created a detailed
3-D reconstruction
of the Bent Pyramid
and developed specially tailored
simulation software.
The simulation confirms
the Nagoya team has indeed
detected the upper chamber
using muography.
Translator for Morishima:
I didn't think it would work
this well.
Narrator:
If an unknown chamber exists,
it would have been visible
in the muographic image.
But nothing showed up
on Morishima's films,
and the team concludes they
haven't found any new cavities.
The entire ScanPyramids team
travels to Cairo
to present the first results
to the Egyptian authorities.
Translator for Helal:
Over the 40 days
the emulsion films
were exposed to muons
in the Bent Pyramid,
they recorded 10 million muons.
I tell you this to give you
an idea of the volume of data
that needs to be processed.
Narrator: Hany Helal
must convince the members
of the committee
that muography in no way harms
the pyramid's integrity
and also produces
credible results.
The team explains how muography
successfully detected the upper
chamber in the Bent Pyramid.
The committee gives
the green light for
the project to continue.
But it makes
one additional decision:
ScanPyramids must present
its next findings
to a team led by the well-known
Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass.
After the successful test
at the Bent Pyramid,
the team prepares to tackle
the pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu.
But before
the muography work begins,
infrared
thermography specialists
look for differences
in temperature on the surface
that could indicate
a potential void inside.
Jean-Claude Barré
and Clemente Ibarra Castanedo,
specialists
in infrared thermography,
spend several days
surveying the pyramid.
Translator for Barré:
At two different spots
in each pyramid,
there's an almost identical
temperature difference,
as if there were a difference
in density in both spots.
There's a density
difference here,
between there, there, and there.
Narrator: If the monument shows
abnormal thermal activity
in certain areas...
If some zones
are warmer or cooler
than the surrounding blocks...
It could signal
a void inside the pyramid.
The system records an image
every 60 seconds
as the sun changes position
over the pyramid.
Blue and green colors indicate
cooler temperatures,
reds and yellows warmer ones.
In just a few days, Barré
finds several irregularities,
but the most significant one
is located here,
around the chevron-shaped stones
on the pyramid's north face.
The differences in temperature
suggest the existence
of a previously unknown cavity.
Translator for Barré:
It's all quite extraordinary.
Horizontal to the chevrons
and on the right,
there's cold air coming out.
I don't know why,
but the temperature varies
by 6, 8, or 10 degrees Celsius,
whereas the overall temperature
is currently stable
at 24 degrees.
So something's there.
Narrator: Castanedo takes
another set of readings
on the north face of the pyramid
to confirm
the first measurements.
To ensure accuracy,
additional instruments record
the slightest variations
in wind speed
and surrounding temperatures.
The work is carried out
in 24-hour cycles.
Despite blustery overnight winds
and extreme daytime temperatures
that wreak havoc
on the sensitive cameras,
Castanedo manages to complete
3 full observation cycles.
The results
of this extended analysis
confirm a thermal anomaly
around the chevrons.
Tayoubi:
You have to imagine
that when the pyramid
was finished 4,500 years ago,
it was perfectly smooth.
The chevrons were hidden,
so they quite probably had some
internal structural purpose.
Narrator:
Inside the pyramids,
ancient Egyptians
used stone rafters
to keep ceilings from collapsing
under the weight of thousands
of tons of stone above them.
In theory, these rafters
indicate the likely presence
of a room beneath.
Translator for Tayoubi:
Inevitably we asked ourselves
a lot of
architectural questions:
Why are there so many chevrons
to protect a descending corridor
that slopes down?
It seems like a lot of work
for such a small passageway.
It's an area that raises
lots of questions.
So then, when Jean-Claude Barré
found thermal anomalies
and Laval confirmed them,
we knew we needed
to explore further.
And there's
the descending corridor
which isn't open to tourists,
so we can set up our plates
and no one can touch them.
So let's do it, let's observe!
Narrator:
Dr. Morishima's team
places 151 muon detector plates
inside the pyramid.
With the results of
the infrared thermography tests
serving as a guide,
the films are positioned
in the area behind the rafters,
where the large temperature
variations suggest a cavity.
If a new cavity is located here,
it will be found.
As planned from the outset
of the project,
the ScanPyramids team
also installs films
in an area closed to the public
in the heart of the pyramid:
the Queen's Chamber.
Dr. Morishima has improved
the sensitivity of his films
so that they are now more
resistant to heat and moisture
and can record muons
for more than 70 days.
Positioning the plates
in the center of the pyramid
maximizes the field of detection
and encompasses a large part
of Khufu's tomb,
including areas where voids,
like the King's Chamber
and the Grand Gallery,
are known to be.
But the set-up in the Queen's
Chamber isn't finished.
The ScanPyramids team
has asked Dr. Morishima
to place additional films
in another small tunnel
dug by looters.
Narrator: The scientists
hope that by combining
the muography
from the Queen's Chamber
with results from this tunnel,
they can determine both
the location and the size
of any unknown chambers.
Translator for Morishima:
If we position the films
in just one spot,
our vision is limited.
It makes it harder
to calculate the depth
of the detected void
and also its height.
If we install the plates
in two different spots,
we can see from
two different angles,
and we can estimate the height
of what we find.
Narrator:
Meanwhile, in France,
the team is preparing
the next phase of operations
with Dr. Sébastien Procureur,
a specialist in subatomic
particles like muons.
Translator for Procureur:
There are two types
of thin traces:
the ones that zigzag a little
are electrons;
the traces that are practically
straight are the muons.
Narrator:
Procureur and his colleagues
are just completing
the construction
of 3 muon telescopes
specifically designed
for the project.
These ultra-sensitive detectors
must be assembled
in a dust-free room.
Each telescope is equipped
with 4 sensors.
An argon-based gas mixture
flows inside the sensors
and allows them to detect muons.
In the interest of safety,
the team decides
to install the telescopes
outside the pyramid
on the chance the dangerous
argon gas leaks out.
The telescopes
are shipped to Cairo
and then delivered
to the pyramid.
Translator for Procureur:
For now the telescope is pointed
at the center of the pyramid,
but in terms of height,
we want to point it
at the notch,
which is about two-thirds
up the northeast edge,
so we need to tilt it above
the horizon about 45-50 degrees.
Then, visually, we're good.
Narrator: The telescopes
are first pointed
at a mysterious notch
in the pyramid's exterior
that has never
been fully explained.
While the scientists hope
to find new rooms,
they also want to answer one of
the biggest mysteries of all:
How exactly
did the ancient Egyptians
build this amazing monument?
New theories are proposed
all the time,
particularly related
to the type of ramp used
to raise the stones up so high.
In the 2000s, the architect
Jean-Pierre Houdin
developed the idea
of an internal ramp
that allowed stones
to be brought to the summit,
480 feet above ground.
According to him,
the notch would be linked
to the internal ramp.
To get a closer look
at this notch,
the project receives special
permission to climb the pyramid.
The ascent can be dangerous
as the limestone blocks
could crumble under foot.
Translator for Marini:
I guess the safety equipment
wasn't such a bad idea.
Seen from this height,
the magnitude of the work done
by the builders of the pyramids
seems even more impressive.
The group is intrigued
by a space behind the notch.
It's small.
Yeah, very small.
Narrator: Was this room designed
during the construction
of the pyramid
or created centuries later?
What could it
have been used for?
An endoscope allows them to
peer behind these large blocks.
Translator for Procureur:
What's interesting
about this room
is that, between the big blocks,
we see orifices
with much smaller stones.
We get the impression that
some passages extend rather far.
So it's interesting to try
to see as far as possible
what's hidden back there,
if there are more big stones
or other structures.
Narrator:
Using the endoscope
gives them a sense
of the pyramid's inner masonry,
but muography is needed
to find out more.
The telescopes must first detect
this small room
in order to prove
their effectiveness.
It's their calibration test.
If there are other cavities
in this area,
their instruments
should find them as well.
The telescopes are left in place
for several months
and must remain
in a fixed position
the entire time.
In total, the team installs 3
telescopes on different sides
of the northeast ridge.
The terrain and extreme heat,
which can reach up
to 113 degrees,
cause several unexpected
technical problems.
Translator for Procureur:
If the plastic expands,
it'll move a bit,
then the instruments
and detectors
won't be
in exactly the same spot
and they won't end up pointing
in the same direction over time,
so we need reinforcement
to make it more stable.
Narrator: After 3 days,
the technical issues
are sorted out.
The telescopic muography
shows the first traces of muons
recorded as they appear
in real time.
Translator for Procureur:
Each dot on the image is
actually the path of a muon.
We've reconstructed about
100,000 muons in 8 hours,
and the telescopes
weren't even at full power.
The fact that we can see the
pyramid after 7 or 8 hours
is pretty promising.
Obviously, it's too early
to look for things
because we still have
very little data...
But in a few weeks,
we'll have hundreds of times
more than what we've got here,
and then it will
really get interesting.
We're going to see things.
Narrator:
Then the Minister of Antiquities
and Dr. Hawass
drop in for a surprise visit.
Hawass now heads
the Committee of Egyptologists,
which is in charge of evaluating
the project's results,
and he is skeptical
of the technology.
How can I trust that
this type of things
can be accurate?
You can say, OK,
here there is a cavity
because
we have more muons,
less absorption,
and here we don't have
any cavity
because we have more absorption.
When you have a report
of the result of the work here,
you should present it
to the minister,
and the minister
will give it to the committee...
The scientific community,
to be evaluated.
And after that we can think,
based on his decision,
what can we say about
any result inside the...
We do not want to make balloons.
From a scientific point of view,
we are 99% sure that
this technique is valid,
this technique
will show us everything.
We hope that this technique
could be accurate.
Actually, I don't believe
in all this type of techniques
personally.
I hope that I will be wrong
and they will show me
something accurate
because all the science
that has been done with pyramids
for the last 100 years,
it's a result of the air.
Because we know inside the Great
Pyramid there is cavities,
there is...
I really believe
that Khufu's burial chamber
is still hidden inside.
I do hope that I'm wrong
and this technique will
bring something accurate.
Thank you.
Narrator: Under pressure from
the Committee of Egyptologists,
the team redoubles its efforts.
Inside the Queen's Chamber,
they place a detector brought in
by a third muography group
from Japan's high-energy lab
K.E.K.
To make room for the K.E.K. team
to set up its instrument,
Dr. Morishima has retrieved
the set of films
placed 70 days earlier.
With two teams,
the data captured
inside the pyramid doubles,
strengthening the accuracy
of the analysis.
Oh...
Takasaki:
We have 6 people
working for this device
and the analysis.
They are well-trained, and their
expertise world top-class,
to be honest.
Narrator: K.E.K.
has 20 years' experience
using a type of muographic
instrument called a scintillator
that emits flashes of light
when a muon penetrates
a special plastic.
For the pyramid,
a much more compact
and mobile scintillator
was built to fit inside
the Queen's Chamber.
K.E.K.'s machine
also records muons
in the upper part
of the pyramid.
Will the two Japanese teams
see the same thing?
Once the scintillator
is installed,
Dr. Morishima also places
new emulsion films
in the Queen's Chamber.
The more data gathered, the more
reliable their findings will be.
There are now 3 types of
muon detectors in place:
The scintillator and emulsion
films inside the pyramid...
and the telescopes
pointed at the edge
of the northeast ridge
outside the pyramid.
In photography,
it takes only one millisecond
for billions of photons
to form an image.
But in muography,
it takes several months
to obtain an image,
especially with a structure as
large and dense as the pyramid.
The only thing to do now
is wait...
wait for the muons to reveal
the innermost secrets
of the pyramid.
For months, Egyptian students,
trained in muography,
monitor the equipment...
Transmitting data,
regulating the argon gas,
and sorting out
internet connection issues.
They are the guardians of
these cosmic particle detectors.
Once the data collection ends,
a marathon of analysis begins.
In France, they process
the information from
the exterior telescopes.
Translator for Procureur:
This is the image we got
with the first telescope.
Over 3 million muons
were reconstructed.
We now have
a relatively clear view
of the notch
that's two-thirds up
along the northeast edge.
Narrator: The telescopes
appear to have detected
the cavity behind the notch,
so they know
the technique works.
And they begin to see an anomaly
above the cavity.
Translator for Procureur:
So maybe there's another
kind of notch hidden here?
Maybe.
So, if there's
another notch here,
we should see even more muons
accumulating right along
the edge.
That's it.
Narrator: After 3 months
of collecting data
and almost as much time
analyzing it,
Sébastien Procureur confirms
the telescopes
have detected another cavity
about 365 feet along the edge,
some 90-feet above
the notch they visited.
This new cavity is similar
in size to the one below.
Translator for Procureur:
This mission is really a first...
The first time we've detected
very tiny voids
at such great distances.
Narrator: Do these
similarly sized cavities
support the internal ramp
theory?
Are there more cavities
along other edges?
Further investigation is needed
to answer these questions.
Meanwhile
at the University of Nagoya,
the films placed
in the descending corridor
behind the stone rafters
are scanned and analyzed
before those placed
in the Queen's Chamber.
Translator for Morishima:
I've aligned them
for the first time.
There seems to be something
on the vertical axis.
What could it be?
If that shape remains even after
we compare it to the simulation,
it means there could
very well be something there.
Narrator: Does this finding
match the infrared
thermography results?
The Nagoya team is cautious.
Translator for Morishima:
What do you think?
Man: There does indeed
seem to be something there
towards the middle.
Narrator:
Dr. Morishima doesn't want
to jump to any conclusions.
He travels to Paris
to discuss his findings
with the other members
of the ScanPyramids Project.
They zero in
on a small surplus of muons
that seems to suggest
a startling discovery.
Morishima's results are compared
with Benoit Marini's
computer simulations
and two other simulators
used in particle physics.
They spend 3 full days analyzing
and comparing all of the data
and their simulations.
The team does not want
to claim success
until they've checked
everything several times.
In the end,
they reach the same conclusion:
Ready?
Yes.
Robot:
We have found big space.
Yes!
Ha ha!
Narrator: They have indeed
detected a cavity
behind the rafters.
The rate of certainty:
99999%.
Tayoubi: To the first
discovery of ScanPyramids,
made by Nagoya University
and Dr. Morishima team.
And HIP.
Ah, yes, and HIP, and everyone.
But congratulations.
Narrator: This may be
the first discovery
inside the Great Pyramid
in centuries,
and it was accomplished
using the latest
non-invasive technologies.
But it raises new questions:
What is the exact shape
of the cavity?
Is it a room?
A corridor?
If it is a corridor, how far
into the pyramid does it lead?
Muography may be a boon
to Egyptologists,
allowing them to peer
inside a pyramid without
moving a single stone,
but this is
only the first of several
potential discoveries made.
Dr. Morishima has more
great news to announce.
The films from
the Queen's Chamber
have detected
yet another enormous void
higher up in the pyramid.
Translator for Marini:
That's the anomaly,
and we see it
almost all the way to 0.
In terms of length,
that means...
Marini:
We need to check...
Narrator: Any further
exploration with muon films
requires permission
from the Egyptian authorities.
To obtain that permission,
the team must present
their findings
to the Ministry of Antiquities
and Dr. Zahi Hawass.
Helal and Tayoubi
choose to present
their first two discoveries:
the cavity behind the rafters...
and the new cavity found
on the northeast ridge,
but they keep the huge anomaly
detected to themselves
for further study.
This time, the meeting
with the Egyptologists
is held behind closed doors,
no cameras allowed.
Please, can just you go outside?
That's enough.
We are going
to begin the
conference now.
Please.
Narrator:
In the end,
the committee authorizes
ScanPyramids
to continue their work
on the Khufu pyramid,
but barely.
The committee calls the two
discoveries "mere anomalies."
Dr. Hawass and the Committee
of Egyptologists
remain unconvinced.
Translator for Tayoubi:
The question Zahi Hawass
and the other Egyptologists
asked us
was whether the detected voids
might be due to a sub-density...
For example, stones
that are smaller than others.
In fact, they didn't actually
believe that there are voids.
So we had what I call
the big stone versus
little stone episode.
And it took some time before
we could actually convince them
that muography confirms
the presence of voids
and the volume of those voids.
Narrator: Nevertheless,
armed with their new permit
and a detailed plan,
the team heads back
into the field.
Dr. Morishima places new films
next to the granite blocks
and in the Al-Ma'mun passageway
to determine the exact location
of the start of the corridor
detected behind the chevrons.
He also places new films in
another tunnel dug by looters,
located just before
the King's Chamber,
a key spot that could
make it possible
to learn more
about the enormous anomaly
detected in the upper part
of the pyramid.
This void is gigantic.
If scientists confirm
that it is indeed a cavity,
then it could be comparable
in size to the Grand Gallery.
No one suspected a space of
this size could be located here.
With Dr. Morishima's results
in mind,
the team redirects
the 3 exterior telescopes
toward the center
of the north face
where the enormous cavity
was detected.
The hope is that
by observing the north face
from different angles,
including the exterior,
all 3 muography teams can
confirm the cavity's presence.
As they begin this new stage
in the project,
they don't know
how much time and hard work
will be needed to collect
the maximum amount of data.
Each team works independently
so they don't influence
each other.
Now, it's the K.E.K. team's turn
to find the intriguing
irregularity.
Translator for man:
I don't know yet
whether it's
an unknown structure...
but I get the impression
there's something unusual!
Narrator: Once the analysis
is far enough along,
all the teams gather in Paris
to compare their results.
Translator for professor:
When we highlight the anomaly,
we see this elongated shape
appear.
That means by looking upwards
from these two spots
we found a huge cavity
stretching in the same direction
as the Grand Gallery.
This is the proof
that we've found a large cavity
above the Grand Gallery.
Translator for Sato:
When we moved the scintillator
to the second location,
we were able to find
this new structure
that confirms Nagoya's findings.
Translator for Tayoubi:
So we need to take out "anomaly"
and write "cavity" now.
Narrator: Even the telescopes
outside the pyramid
detect and confirm the existence
of this immense void.
The findings of all 3 teams
point to the same spot.
All 3 groups have found
a gigantic void
roughly 14,000 cubic feet
located between
170 and 230 feet up.
The void is comparable to the
volume of a 200-seat airplane
and is at least 100 feet long.
Translator for Tayoubi:
We know we've got
a large void here,
equivalent in volume
to the Grand Gallery.
We know this volume may be
accessible from the north face,
and maybe we're going to find
other cavities.
So basically, we found a new
circuit within the pyramid.
We've made discoveries
in the pyramid,
and we're going to stop talking
about "big stones
and little stones."
We're finally going to update
the map of this pyramid
with major discoveries.
Narrator: The discovery
of this great cavity
is a genuine success
for the entire team.
The young scientists from Nagoya
particularly relish this victory
in Paris.
For two years,
they worked around the clock,
developing more than
1,000 muon films
and making some 20 trips
to Cairo.
Translator for Morishima: Since
no one's been in these chambers
for 4,500 years,
I hope we find
old papyrus scrolls
or even maybe Khufu's mummy.
In any case,
what would be amazing
is to find something
no one ever even imagined.
Narrator: Before announcing
these discoveries
to the entire world,
Mehdi Tayoubi
and the team share them
with Egyptologist
Peter der Manuelian
of Harvard University.
Manuelian is an Egyptologist
passionate about new technology,
just as Tayoubi's high-tech team
is passionate
about ancient Egypt.
They choose to present their
results in augmented reality.
Marini:
And you have a menu, yes.
Oh!
OK.
I'm seeing a massive area.
Can you explain this one?
It's just between
55 meters from the ground
to 70 meters.
We need to refine those data.
We don't know if this cavity
is horizontal or oblique,
but what I can tell you
is that this cavity
is between 400 and 500
cubic meter.
Wow!
So you're talking
Grand Gallery size.
This is a second cavity
that is
potentially as large
as the Grand Gallery.
Yes.
Incredible.
So now we need to know
what the shape of this thing is,
and hopefully that
would lead to what
the purpose of it is.
Exactly.
So what we did with Pierre,
what we did also with Benoit
is that we have simulated
some architectural hypothesis.
Narrator: At this point,
there are several
potential hypotheses:
One room, or many rooms;
horizontal, or sloping
like a second Grand Gallery.
The second big discovery
is this corridor,
just here,
behind the north face.
Narrator: The ScanPyramids team
has determined
the corridor behind the rafters
is located 55 to 75 feet
above ground
and that it is either horizontal
or possibly slopes upward.
Our dream would be that
those two discoveries are
connected one to each other.
So now it's a game
of relationships:
what's the relationship
between these two
discoveries.
Nice job!
Merci. Ha ha!
So what is this giant new room?
Is it architectural,
is it ceremonial,
is it religious?
What kind of purpose
did it serve?
Was it a storeroom
for burial equipment?
Narrator: Will the team
find furniture
like that found
in the tomb of Khufu's mother?
Is the room still intact
like King Tut's tomb
when it was discovered?
Is there some truth
to the legend
described
in the Westcar papyrus?
Could it contain papyrus scrolls
belonging to Pharaoh Khufu
that would provide new insight
into the Fourth dynasty?
Translator for Tayoubi: Today
we know that there's a corridor
behind the north face
of the pyramid.
We know it starts 2 meters
from the facade.
So maybe it's time to develop
some exploratory methods,
and, in fact, we have
actually started to come up
with some new ideas.
Narrator:
Jean-Baptiste Mouret,
one of the world's
top researchers in robotics,
has joined the ScanPyramids team
for future exploration
inside the pyramid.
He is developing
tiny robotic cameras
able to fit through holes
barely 1 inch in diameter.
These cameras will photograph
the area of the cavity
behind the chevrons that is
inaccessible to the scientists.
To prepare for the next phase
of the mission,
the team has also developed
a virtual reality experience
to explore the Seventh Wonder
of the World
and the new discoveries.
Translator for Helal:
What's great about this mission
isn't just discovering
and learning
what's inside the pyramid,
but also the fact
that it advances technology
and science at the same time.
Narrator: ScanPyramids'
discoveries are remarkable:
The second cavity
on the northeast ridge
that may be part of an internal
ramp system during construction;
a new corridor behind
the chevron stones
on the north face;
and perhaps most dramatically,
the enormous cavity first
detected by Morishima's films
and confirmed
by both the scintillator
and the exterior telescopes.
Any object or scroll
found inside these rooms...
Untouched for 45 centuries...
Would be
an exceptional discovery,
but the detection
of these new cavities
is already a major breakthrough.
This is the first time
since the Middle Ages
that spaces of this size
have been found
inside this enigmatic monument.
Today, we seem closer than ever
to solving the mystery of Khufu.
at Giza.
No royal mummy or funerary
artifacts have ever been found
inside this tomb
built for Pharaoh Khufu.
A papyrus text
dating from 1700 B.C.
tells of his fascination
with magic
and his desire
to build secret chambers
inside the pyramid,
but these hidden chambers
have never been found.
Over the centuries,
explorers had used
the technology of their day
to search for
what might be inside.
19th-century treasure-seekers
used dynamite
that left brutal scars.
Modern Egyptologists
have used custom-made robots
and miniaturized cameras.
Now a new team will attempt
to create a detailed scan
of the 45-story pyramid.
After centuries of searching,
can new rooms be found?
And can this be done without
disturbing a single stone?
Hany Helal and Mehdi Tayoubi
have taken up the challenge,
directing
the Scanned Pyramids Project.
Translator:
There are lots of theories
about the ancient pyramids.
Aren't there any techniques
that don't specifically come
from Egyptology
that might let us see through
the pyramids
without touching them
to see if there are
any unknown structures
inside these great pyramids?
Narrator: They plan the most
technologically advanced survey
of the great pyramid
using muography, a cutting-edge
imaging technique.
Translator for Helal:
Our first challenge
was assembling the team.
They'd all need
to work together,
but with their
different cultures,
working methods, and approaches.
Narrator:
To do this, the pair assembles
a multi-disciplinary team
that includes
thermal infrared engineers,
experts in modeling,
and 3D simulations...
and particle physicists.
Can physics unlock the secrets
within this ancient pyramid?
"Scanning the Pyramids."
Narrator: 45 centuries ago,
Egyptian workers,
who knew neither the wheel
nor iron, built the
Great Pyramid of Giza,
a mountain of
2.3 million stone blocks.
This pyramid would be
the eternal resting place
for Pharaoh Khufu,
ruler of the Fourth Dynasty
for several decades.
Given its size, one would expect
to find awe-inspiring gold
and funeral goods on a scale
to match those inside
Tutankhamen’s.
King Tut only reigned
for a few years and left
no monument to posterity.
He is famous today
simply because his tomb
is the only one
ever discovered
in its original state,
with its fabulous treasures
still intact.
No treasure or statue of Khufu
has ever been found.
This tiny ivory figurine
is all we know of the ruler
who left the most
monumental pyramid of all.
While looters raided the pyramid
throughout history,
the tomb was only officially
opened in the 9th century,
by a Muslim caliph interested
in science and mystery.
Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist
based in Egypt for 30 years,
has studied the accounts left
by Arab historians from the era.
This is the entrance
to the great pyramid,
but it wasn't always the case.
In the 9th centuryA.D.,
the Khalifa Ma'mun decided
he wanted to enter the pyramids,
and in those days they looked
completely different.
They were, in fact, covered
with shiny white limestone.
He had heard rumors that inside
there were astonishing things,
there were maps of the world,
there were all kinds
of treasures,
not really gold and silver
so much
but actually magical things.
Narrator: Al-Ma'mun's men
used an ancient technique:
heating the stones with a fire
and then throwing vinegar
on them so they would crack.
After several months
of hard labor,
Ma-Mun's team found a corridor
descending under the pyramid
that led to a room.
But there was no treasure.
They continued their exploration
and found another corridor
leading to another room.
It, too, was empty.
They named this second room
the Queen's Chamber,
apparently assuming
that King Khufu had reserved
this room for his wife.
By the light of their torches,
they then explored
the Grand Gallery,
25 feet high
and nearly 165 feet long.
Ikram: When Ma'mun and his team
came in,
they were holding
their torches aloft,
and with
bats flying every which way
trying to hit them and avoid
the torches and being burnt.
It must have been
an extraordinary experience
coming into this amazing
structure for the first time.
This is truly one of the most
extraordinary and amazing pieces
of architecture
in the ancient world.
Narrator: At the end
of this mysterious gallery
lay more astonishing proof of
the Egyptian builders' genius...
the so-called King's Chamber,
with its flat ceiling made
entirely of precisely fit
granite blocks.
Al-Ma'mun, however,
had hoped to find much more.
Ikram: And at the end
of the room,
they found the sarcophagus
of the King.
Neither the room
nor the sarcophagus
had anything in it.
All were empty.
Some people had expected Ma'mun
to find all kinds of jewels
and gold.
But nothing like that
seemed to have been here,
so I suppose that both
Al-Ma'mun and his people
were rather disappointed.
Narrator:
No other comparable rooms
have been found
in the centuries since.
Despite the lack of success,
countless explorers
have continued the search.
What has fueled this desire
to know the inner secrets
of the Great Pyramid?
Perhaps the answer lies in the
Museum of Egyptology in Berlin,
where a papyrus text
from 1700 B.C.
is carefully preserved.
The Westcar Papyrus
is filled with legends and tales
from the era of King Khufu.
According to the papyrus,
Khufu was inspired
by the sacred architecture
of the god of knowledge
and wisdom, Thot,
and had secret chambers
built into his pyramid
to house magic books containing
all the knowledge of the day.
Now a new generation
is trying to understand
the Great Pyramid.
Mehdi Tayoubi is a specialist
in innovation strategy.
He has led numerous projects
combining art, science, and
technology at Dassault Systèmes.
In 2013, he met Hany Helal,
former Minister of Higher
Education and Research
and now a professor
at the Faculty of Engineering
at Cairo University.
Together, they spent
two years preparing
the ScanPyramids Project
and gathering the best
scientists and engineers.
Once the team is assembled,
they set out to scan
the pyramids.
This new project is under
the aegis of the Egyptian
Ministry of Antiquities,
the Faculty of Engineers
of Cairo,
and HIP...
The Heritage Innovation
and Preservation Institute...
Founded by Tayoubi and Helal.
Translator for Helal: We are
a team of neutral scientists.
There are several theories about
how the pyramids were built.
We are not taking sides.
Our mission is to find proof,
real evidence.
All our results will be
submitted to and analyzed by
a group of Egyptologists
from the Ministry
of Antiquities.
Narrator: They will use physics
and sub-atomic particles
to see inside
this giant structure.
These particles are created
when radiation
in the form of cosmic rays
from distant supernovae
hits the earth's atmosphere.
The cosmic rays then produce
several different sub-atomic
particles, including muons.
About 10,000 muons per square
yard hit the earth every minute
and move through matter
in straight lines.
Muons are less likely
to be absorbed
when passing through
low-density matter.
To create an image
with muography,
nuclear emulsion films
record muons as they cross.
More muon trajectories recorded
in a particular direction
means there is likely
more open space above the film.
The process is akin
to taking an X-ray
but on a much larger scale.
Nuclear film is placed
inside the pyramid
to record how many muons arrive
from different locations.
But before the team attempts
to scan the Great Pyramid,
the Egyptian government has
asked them to test the technique
on the well-documented
Bent Pyramid at Dashur,
20 miles from Cairo.
Translator for Morishima:
I'm really excited
about using this method to take
on such a mysterious monument.
Narrator:
Dr. Kunihiro Morishima
and his team from
the University of Nagoya
have been chosen to
start the muography tests
inside the Bent Pyramid.
They set up their muon-detecting
films in the lower room
and hope these plates
will record the muons
passing through the stones,
creating an image
of the room above.
After 40 days of collecting
muon particles,
Dr. Morishima and his team
recover the films.
He immediately takes them
to the Grand Egyptian Museum
where a new laboratory
has been placed at his disposal.
The films will continue
to record muons until processed,
so it is imperative
they get to the lab quickly.
Translator:
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
Narrator: They are developed
like photographic film
with chemicals, fixers,
rinsing, and drying.
To guarantee the quality
of the results,
the procedure must be
carried out very precisely.
And now, they can measure
the number of muons recorded.
Translator for Morishima:
It's better than
I was expecting.
The muon moves
in a straight line.
As we change depths,
we can see it going up.
It moves like this.
Narrator: Millions of muon
trajectories were recorded.
Oh...
Translator for Morishima:
It's perfect!
Narrator: And the data
must now be analyzed in detail.
This work can only be performed
one place in the world.
In Japan, Nagoya's team
scans each film individually
with a machine that is both
a scanner and a microscope
and only exists in their lab.
What is
the total resolution
of, uh...
The sensor is
0.45 micron.
So it is kind of
megapixel picture
you get?
Yes.
Narrator: With the data,
the machine can reconstruct
the trajectories of the muons.
Using algorithms
and immense computing power,
any evidence of particles that
are not muons is filtered out.
So that's why you have
36 computers?
Yes.
Each computer
two sensors? OK.
Narrator: Even with
all of this computing power,
it takes more than 4 weeks
to scan the films
from the Bent Pyramid...
4 weeks during which
Dr. Morishima and his students
work around the clock
and watch as
the first muographic image
of the pyramid emerges.
Will the image show
the upper chamber?
The fate of the entire
ScanPyramids Project
depends on it.
Translator for Morishima:
There's the pyramid.
You can see the edges.
Narrator: The 4 faces of
the pyramid are recognizable,
and the peak is distinguished
in yellow
because fewer muons
crossed the monument
where it is thickest.
What really interests
Dr. Morishima's team
is invisible
to the untrained eye.
Translator for Morishima:
Here's a spot where
a lot of muons penetrated.
So that must be it.
We see the same thing over here,
even if we have less data.
Narrator:
Could these red pixels
represent the upper chamber
that the scan was meant to find?
And could the scan have detected
previously unknown cavities?
To answer these questions,
Dr. Morishima
must compare his results
with what is already known.
For this purpose,
Mehdi Tayoubi's French team
has created a detailed
3-D reconstruction
of the Bent Pyramid
and developed specially tailored
simulation software.
The simulation confirms
the Nagoya team has indeed
detected the upper chamber
using muography.
Translator for Morishima:
I didn't think it would work
this well.
Narrator:
If an unknown chamber exists,
it would have been visible
in the muographic image.
But nothing showed up
on Morishima's films,
and the team concludes they
haven't found any new cavities.
The entire ScanPyramids team
travels to Cairo
to present the first results
to the Egyptian authorities.
Translator for Helal:
Over the 40 days
the emulsion films
were exposed to muons
in the Bent Pyramid,
they recorded 10 million muons.
I tell you this to give you
an idea of the volume of data
that needs to be processed.
Narrator: Hany Helal
must convince the members
of the committee
that muography in no way harms
the pyramid's integrity
and also produces
credible results.
The team explains how muography
successfully detected the upper
chamber in the Bent Pyramid.
The committee gives
the green light for
the project to continue.
But it makes
one additional decision:
ScanPyramids must present
its next findings
to a team led by the well-known
Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass.
After the successful test
at the Bent Pyramid,
the team prepares to tackle
the pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu.
But before
the muography work begins,
infrared
thermography specialists
look for differences
in temperature on the surface
that could indicate
a potential void inside.
Jean-Claude Barré
and Clemente Ibarra Castanedo,
specialists
in infrared thermography,
spend several days
surveying the pyramid.
Translator for Barré:
At two different spots
in each pyramid,
there's an almost identical
temperature difference,
as if there were a difference
in density in both spots.
There's a density
difference here,
between there, there, and there.
Narrator: If the monument shows
abnormal thermal activity
in certain areas...
If some zones
are warmer or cooler
than the surrounding blocks...
It could signal
a void inside the pyramid.
The system records an image
every 60 seconds
as the sun changes position
over the pyramid.
Blue and green colors indicate
cooler temperatures,
reds and yellows warmer ones.
In just a few days, Barré
finds several irregularities,
but the most significant one
is located here,
around the chevron-shaped stones
on the pyramid's north face.
The differences in temperature
suggest the existence
of a previously unknown cavity.
Translator for Barré:
It's all quite extraordinary.
Horizontal to the chevrons
and on the right,
there's cold air coming out.
I don't know why,
but the temperature varies
by 6, 8, or 10 degrees Celsius,
whereas the overall temperature
is currently stable
at 24 degrees.
So something's there.
Narrator: Castanedo takes
another set of readings
on the north face of the pyramid
to confirm
the first measurements.
To ensure accuracy,
additional instruments record
the slightest variations
in wind speed
and surrounding temperatures.
The work is carried out
in 24-hour cycles.
Despite blustery overnight winds
and extreme daytime temperatures
that wreak havoc
on the sensitive cameras,
Castanedo manages to complete
3 full observation cycles.
The results
of this extended analysis
confirm a thermal anomaly
around the chevrons.
Tayoubi:
You have to imagine
that when the pyramid
was finished 4,500 years ago,
it was perfectly smooth.
The chevrons were hidden,
so they quite probably had some
internal structural purpose.
Narrator:
Inside the pyramids,
ancient Egyptians
used stone rafters
to keep ceilings from collapsing
under the weight of thousands
of tons of stone above them.
In theory, these rafters
indicate the likely presence
of a room beneath.
Translator for Tayoubi:
Inevitably we asked ourselves
a lot of
architectural questions:
Why are there so many chevrons
to protect a descending corridor
that slopes down?
It seems like a lot of work
for such a small passageway.
It's an area that raises
lots of questions.
So then, when Jean-Claude Barré
found thermal anomalies
and Laval confirmed them,
we knew we needed
to explore further.
And there's
the descending corridor
which isn't open to tourists,
so we can set up our plates
and no one can touch them.
So let's do it, let's observe!
Narrator:
Dr. Morishima's team
places 151 muon detector plates
inside the pyramid.
With the results of
the infrared thermography tests
serving as a guide,
the films are positioned
in the area behind the rafters,
where the large temperature
variations suggest a cavity.
If a new cavity is located here,
it will be found.
As planned from the outset
of the project,
the ScanPyramids team
also installs films
in an area closed to the public
in the heart of the pyramid:
the Queen's Chamber.
Dr. Morishima has improved
the sensitivity of his films
so that they are now more
resistant to heat and moisture
and can record muons
for more than 70 days.
Positioning the plates
in the center of the pyramid
maximizes the field of detection
and encompasses a large part
of Khufu's tomb,
including areas where voids,
like the King's Chamber
and the Grand Gallery,
are known to be.
But the set-up in the Queen's
Chamber isn't finished.
The ScanPyramids team
has asked Dr. Morishima
to place additional films
in another small tunnel
dug by looters.
Narrator: The scientists
hope that by combining
the muography
from the Queen's Chamber
with results from this tunnel,
they can determine both
the location and the size
of any unknown chambers.
Translator for Morishima:
If we position the films
in just one spot,
our vision is limited.
It makes it harder
to calculate the depth
of the detected void
and also its height.
If we install the plates
in two different spots,
we can see from
two different angles,
and we can estimate the height
of what we find.
Narrator:
Meanwhile, in France,
the team is preparing
the next phase of operations
with Dr. Sébastien Procureur,
a specialist in subatomic
particles like muons.
Translator for Procureur:
There are two types
of thin traces:
the ones that zigzag a little
are electrons;
the traces that are practically
straight are the muons.
Narrator:
Procureur and his colleagues
are just completing
the construction
of 3 muon telescopes
specifically designed
for the project.
These ultra-sensitive detectors
must be assembled
in a dust-free room.
Each telescope is equipped
with 4 sensors.
An argon-based gas mixture
flows inside the sensors
and allows them to detect muons.
In the interest of safety,
the team decides
to install the telescopes
outside the pyramid
on the chance the dangerous
argon gas leaks out.
The telescopes
are shipped to Cairo
and then delivered
to the pyramid.
Translator for Procureur:
For now the telescope is pointed
at the center of the pyramid,
but in terms of height,
we want to point it
at the notch,
which is about two-thirds
up the northeast edge,
so we need to tilt it above
the horizon about 45-50 degrees.
Then, visually, we're good.
Narrator: The telescopes
are first pointed
at a mysterious notch
in the pyramid's exterior
that has never
been fully explained.
While the scientists hope
to find new rooms,
they also want to answer one of
the biggest mysteries of all:
How exactly
did the ancient Egyptians
build this amazing monument?
New theories are proposed
all the time,
particularly related
to the type of ramp used
to raise the stones up so high.
In the 2000s, the architect
Jean-Pierre Houdin
developed the idea
of an internal ramp
that allowed stones
to be brought to the summit,
480 feet above ground.
According to him,
the notch would be linked
to the internal ramp.
To get a closer look
at this notch,
the project receives special
permission to climb the pyramid.
The ascent can be dangerous
as the limestone blocks
could crumble under foot.
Translator for Marini:
I guess the safety equipment
wasn't such a bad idea.
Seen from this height,
the magnitude of the work done
by the builders of the pyramids
seems even more impressive.
The group is intrigued
by a space behind the notch.
It's small.
Yeah, very small.
Narrator: Was this room designed
during the construction
of the pyramid
or created centuries later?
What could it
have been used for?
An endoscope allows them to
peer behind these large blocks.
Translator for Procureur:
What's interesting
about this room
is that, between the big blocks,
we see orifices
with much smaller stones.
We get the impression that
some passages extend rather far.
So it's interesting to try
to see as far as possible
what's hidden back there,
if there are more big stones
or other structures.
Narrator:
Using the endoscope
gives them a sense
of the pyramid's inner masonry,
but muography is needed
to find out more.
The telescopes must first detect
this small room
in order to prove
their effectiveness.
It's their calibration test.
If there are other cavities
in this area,
their instruments
should find them as well.
The telescopes are left in place
for several months
and must remain
in a fixed position
the entire time.
In total, the team installs 3
telescopes on different sides
of the northeast ridge.
The terrain and extreme heat,
which can reach up
to 113 degrees,
cause several unexpected
technical problems.
Translator for Procureur:
If the plastic expands,
it'll move a bit,
then the instruments
and detectors
won't be
in exactly the same spot
and they won't end up pointing
in the same direction over time,
so we need reinforcement
to make it more stable.
Narrator: After 3 days,
the technical issues
are sorted out.
The telescopic muography
shows the first traces of muons
recorded as they appear
in real time.
Translator for Procureur:
Each dot on the image is
actually the path of a muon.
We've reconstructed about
100,000 muons in 8 hours,
and the telescopes
weren't even at full power.
The fact that we can see the
pyramid after 7 or 8 hours
is pretty promising.
Obviously, it's too early
to look for things
because we still have
very little data...
But in a few weeks,
we'll have hundreds of times
more than what we've got here,
and then it will
really get interesting.
We're going to see things.
Narrator:
Then the Minister of Antiquities
and Dr. Hawass
drop in for a surprise visit.
Hawass now heads
the Committee of Egyptologists,
which is in charge of evaluating
the project's results,
and he is skeptical
of the technology.
How can I trust that
this type of things
can be accurate?
You can say, OK,
here there is a cavity
because
we have more muons,
less absorption,
and here we don't have
any cavity
because we have more absorption.
When you have a report
of the result of the work here,
you should present it
to the minister,
and the minister
will give it to the committee...
The scientific community,
to be evaluated.
And after that we can think,
based on his decision,
what can we say about
any result inside the...
We do not want to make balloons.
From a scientific point of view,
we are 99% sure that
this technique is valid,
this technique
will show us everything.
We hope that this technique
could be accurate.
Actually, I don't believe
in all this type of techniques
personally.
I hope that I will be wrong
and they will show me
something accurate
because all the science
that has been done with pyramids
for the last 100 years,
it's a result of the air.
Because we know inside the Great
Pyramid there is cavities,
there is...
I really believe
that Khufu's burial chamber
is still hidden inside.
I do hope that I'm wrong
and this technique will
bring something accurate.
Thank you.
Narrator: Under pressure from
the Committee of Egyptologists,
the team redoubles its efforts.
Inside the Queen's Chamber,
they place a detector brought in
by a third muography group
from Japan's high-energy lab
K.E.K.
To make room for the K.E.K. team
to set up its instrument,
Dr. Morishima has retrieved
the set of films
placed 70 days earlier.
With two teams,
the data captured
inside the pyramid doubles,
strengthening the accuracy
of the analysis.
Oh...
Takasaki:
We have 6 people
working for this device
and the analysis.
They are well-trained, and their
expertise world top-class,
to be honest.
Narrator: K.E.K.
has 20 years' experience
using a type of muographic
instrument called a scintillator
that emits flashes of light
when a muon penetrates
a special plastic.
For the pyramid,
a much more compact
and mobile scintillator
was built to fit inside
the Queen's Chamber.
K.E.K.'s machine
also records muons
in the upper part
of the pyramid.
Will the two Japanese teams
see the same thing?
Once the scintillator
is installed,
Dr. Morishima also places
new emulsion films
in the Queen's Chamber.
The more data gathered, the more
reliable their findings will be.
There are now 3 types of
muon detectors in place:
The scintillator and emulsion
films inside the pyramid...
and the telescopes
pointed at the edge
of the northeast ridge
outside the pyramid.
In photography,
it takes only one millisecond
for billions of photons
to form an image.
But in muography,
it takes several months
to obtain an image,
especially with a structure as
large and dense as the pyramid.
The only thing to do now
is wait...
wait for the muons to reveal
the innermost secrets
of the pyramid.
For months, Egyptian students,
trained in muography,
monitor the equipment...
Transmitting data,
regulating the argon gas,
and sorting out
internet connection issues.
They are the guardians of
these cosmic particle detectors.
Once the data collection ends,
a marathon of analysis begins.
In France, they process
the information from
the exterior telescopes.
Translator for Procureur:
This is the image we got
with the first telescope.
Over 3 million muons
were reconstructed.
We now have
a relatively clear view
of the notch
that's two-thirds up
along the northeast edge.
Narrator: The telescopes
appear to have detected
the cavity behind the notch,
so they know
the technique works.
And they begin to see an anomaly
above the cavity.
Translator for Procureur:
So maybe there's another
kind of notch hidden here?
Maybe.
So, if there's
another notch here,
we should see even more muons
accumulating right along
the edge.
That's it.
Narrator: After 3 months
of collecting data
and almost as much time
analyzing it,
Sébastien Procureur confirms
the telescopes
have detected another cavity
about 365 feet along the edge,
some 90-feet above
the notch they visited.
This new cavity is similar
in size to the one below.
Translator for Procureur:
This mission is really a first...
The first time we've detected
very tiny voids
at such great distances.
Narrator: Do these
similarly sized cavities
support the internal ramp
theory?
Are there more cavities
along other edges?
Further investigation is needed
to answer these questions.
Meanwhile
at the University of Nagoya,
the films placed
in the descending corridor
behind the stone rafters
are scanned and analyzed
before those placed
in the Queen's Chamber.
Translator for Morishima:
I've aligned them
for the first time.
There seems to be something
on the vertical axis.
What could it be?
If that shape remains even after
we compare it to the simulation,
it means there could
very well be something there.
Narrator: Does this finding
match the infrared
thermography results?
The Nagoya team is cautious.
Translator for Morishima:
What do you think?
Man: There does indeed
seem to be something there
towards the middle.
Narrator:
Dr. Morishima doesn't want
to jump to any conclusions.
He travels to Paris
to discuss his findings
with the other members
of the ScanPyramids Project.
They zero in
on a small surplus of muons
that seems to suggest
a startling discovery.
Morishima's results are compared
with Benoit Marini's
computer simulations
and two other simulators
used in particle physics.
They spend 3 full days analyzing
and comparing all of the data
and their simulations.
The team does not want
to claim success
until they've checked
everything several times.
In the end,
they reach the same conclusion:
Ready?
Yes.
Robot:
We have found big space.
Yes!
Ha ha!
Narrator: They have indeed
detected a cavity
behind the rafters.
The rate of certainty:
99999%.
Tayoubi: To the first
discovery of ScanPyramids,
made by Nagoya University
and Dr. Morishima team.
And HIP.
Ah, yes, and HIP, and everyone.
But congratulations.
Narrator: This may be
the first discovery
inside the Great Pyramid
in centuries,
and it was accomplished
using the latest
non-invasive technologies.
But it raises new questions:
What is the exact shape
of the cavity?
Is it a room?
A corridor?
If it is a corridor, how far
into the pyramid does it lead?
Muography may be a boon
to Egyptologists,
allowing them to peer
inside a pyramid without
moving a single stone,
but this is
only the first of several
potential discoveries made.
Dr. Morishima has more
great news to announce.
The films from
the Queen's Chamber
have detected
yet another enormous void
higher up in the pyramid.
Translator for Marini:
That's the anomaly,
and we see it
almost all the way to 0.
In terms of length,
that means...
Marini:
We need to check...
Narrator: Any further
exploration with muon films
requires permission
from the Egyptian authorities.
To obtain that permission,
the team must present
their findings
to the Ministry of Antiquities
and Dr. Zahi Hawass.
Helal and Tayoubi
choose to present
their first two discoveries:
the cavity behind the rafters...
and the new cavity found
on the northeast ridge,
but they keep the huge anomaly
detected to themselves
for further study.
This time, the meeting
with the Egyptologists
is held behind closed doors,
no cameras allowed.
Please, can just you go outside?
That's enough.
We are going
to begin the
conference now.
Please.
Narrator:
In the end,
the committee authorizes
ScanPyramids
to continue their work
on the Khufu pyramid,
but barely.
The committee calls the two
discoveries "mere anomalies."
Dr. Hawass and the Committee
of Egyptologists
remain unconvinced.
Translator for Tayoubi:
The question Zahi Hawass
and the other Egyptologists
asked us
was whether the detected voids
might be due to a sub-density...
For example, stones
that are smaller than others.
In fact, they didn't actually
believe that there are voids.
So we had what I call
the big stone versus
little stone episode.
And it took some time before
we could actually convince them
that muography confirms
the presence of voids
and the volume of those voids.
Narrator: Nevertheless,
armed with their new permit
and a detailed plan,
the team heads back
into the field.
Dr. Morishima places new films
next to the granite blocks
and in the Al-Ma'mun passageway
to determine the exact location
of the start of the corridor
detected behind the chevrons.
He also places new films in
another tunnel dug by looters,
located just before
the King's Chamber,
a key spot that could
make it possible
to learn more
about the enormous anomaly
detected in the upper part
of the pyramid.
This void is gigantic.
If scientists confirm
that it is indeed a cavity,
then it could be comparable
in size to the Grand Gallery.
No one suspected a space of
this size could be located here.
With Dr. Morishima's results
in mind,
the team redirects
the 3 exterior telescopes
toward the center
of the north face
where the enormous cavity
was detected.
The hope is that
by observing the north face
from different angles,
including the exterior,
all 3 muography teams can
confirm the cavity's presence.
As they begin this new stage
in the project,
they don't know
how much time and hard work
will be needed to collect
the maximum amount of data.
Each team works independently
so they don't influence
each other.
Now, it's the K.E.K. team's turn
to find the intriguing
irregularity.
Translator for man:
I don't know yet
whether it's
an unknown structure...
but I get the impression
there's something unusual!
Narrator: Once the analysis
is far enough along,
all the teams gather in Paris
to compare their results.
Translator for professor:
When we highlight the anomaly,
we see this elongated shape
appear.
That means by looking upwards
from these two spots
we found a huge cavity
stretching in the same direction
as the Grand Gallery.
This is the proof
that we've found a large cavity
above the Grand Gallery.
Translator for Sato:
When we moved the scintillator
to the second location,
we were able to find
this new structure
that confirms Nagoya's findings.
Translator for Tayoubi:
So we need to take out "anomaly"
and write "cavity" now.
Narrator: Even the telescopes
outside the pyramid
detect and confirm the existence
of this immense void.
The findings of all 3 teams
point to the same spot.
All 3 groups have found
a gigantic void
roughly 14,000 cubic feet
located between
170 and 230 feet up.
The void is comparable to the
volume of a 200-seat airplane
and is at least 100 feet long.
Translator for Tayoubi:
We know we've got
a large void here,
equivalent in volume
to the Grand Gallery.
We know this volume may be
accessible from the north face,
and maybe we're going to find
other cavities.
So basically, we found a new
circuit within the pyramid.
We've made discoveries
in the pyramid,
and we're going to stop talking
about "big stones
and little stones."
We're finally going to update
the map of this pyramid
with major discoveries.
Narrator: The discovery
of this great cavity
is a genuine success
for the entire team.
The young scientists from Nagoya
particularly relish this victory
in Paris.
For two years,
they worked around the clock,
developing more than
1,000 muon films
and making some 20 trips
to Cairo.
Translator for Morishima: Since
no one's been in these chambers
for 4,500 years,
I hope we find
old papyrus scrolls
or even maybe Khufu's mummy.
In any case,
what would be amazing
is to find something
no one ever even imagined.
Narrator: Before announcing
these discoveries
to the entire world,
Mehdi Tayoubi
and the team share them
with Egyptologist
Peter der Manuelian
of Harvard University.
Manuelian is an Egyptologist
passionate about new technology,
just as Tayoubi's high-tech team
is passionate
about ancient Egypt.
They choose to present their
results in augmented reality.
Marini:
And you have a menu, yes.
Oh!
OK.
I'm seeing a massive area.
Can you explain this one?
It's just between
55 meters from the ground
to 70 meters.
We need to refine those data.
We don't know if this cavity
is horizontal or oblique,
but what I can tell you
is that this cavity
is between 400 and 500
cubic meter.
Wow!
So you're talking
Grand Gallery size.
This is a second cavity
that is
potentially as large
as the Grand Gallery.
Yes.
Incredible.
So now we need to know
what the shape of this thing is,
and hopefully that
would lead to what
the purpose of it is.
Exactly.
So what we did with Pierre,
what we did also with Benoit
is that we have simulated
some architectural hypothesis.
Narrator: At this point,
there are several
potential hypotheses:
One room, or many rooms;
horizontal, or sloping
like a second Grand Gallery.
The second big discovery
is this corridor,
just here,
behind the north face.
Narrator: The ScanPyramids team
has determined
the corridor behind the rafters
is located 55 to 75 feet
above ground
and that it is either horizontal
or possibly slopes upward.
Our dream would be that
those two discoveries are
connected one to each other.
So now it's a game
of relationships:
what's the relationship
between these two
discoveries.
Nice job!
Merci. Ha ha!
So what is this giant new room?
Is it architectural,
is it ceremonial,
is it religious?
What kind of purpose
did it serve?
Was it a storeroom
for burial equipment?
Narrator: Will the team
find furniture
like that found
in the tomb of Khufu's mother?
Is the room still intact
like King Tut's tomb
when it was discovered?
Is there some truth
to the legend
described
in the Westcar papyrus?
Could it contain papyrus scrolls
belonging to Pharaoh Khufu
that would provide new insight
into the Fourth dynasty?
Translator for Tayoubi: Today
we know that there's a corridor
behind the north face
of the pyramid.
We know it starts 2 meters
from the facade.
So maybe it's time to develop
some exploratory methods,
and, in fact, we have
actually started to come up
with some new ideas.
Narrator:
Jean-Baptiste Mouret,
one of the world's
top researchers in robotics,
has joined the ScanPyramids team
for future exploration
inside the pyramid.
He is developing
tiny robotic cameras
able to fit through holes
barely 1 inch in diameter.
These cameras will photograph
the area of the cavity
behind the chevrons that is
inaccessible to the scientists.
To prepare for the next phase
of the mission,
the team has also developed
a virtual reality experience
to explore the Seventh Wonder
of the World
and the new discoveries.
Translator for Helal:
What's great about this mission
isn't just discovering
and learning
what's inside the pyramid,
but also the fact
that it advances technology
and science at the same time.
Narrator: ScanPyramids'
discoveries are remarkable:
The second cavity
on the northeast ridge
that may be part of an internal
ramp system during construction;
a new corridor behind
the chevron stones
on the north face;
and perhaps most dramatically,
the enormous cavity first
detected by Morishima's films
and confirmed
by both the scintillator
and the exterior telescopes.
Any object or scroll
found inside these rooms...
Untouched for 45 centuries...
Would be
an exceptional discovery,
but the detection
of these new cavities
is already a major breakthrough.
This is the first time
since the Middle Ages
that spaces of this size
have been found
inside this enigmatic monument.
Today, we seem closer than ever
to solving the mystery of Khufu.