Ancient Egypt: Incredible Electromagnetic Discovery in Great Pyramid of Giza's Hidden Chambers

The Great Pyramid of Giza is steeped in history and mythology, and as such fascinates researchers from various fields who all want to unravel its many secrets.

Now, an international team of physicists has found that, under the right conditions, the Great Pyramid can concentrate electromagnetic energy in its internal chambers and under its base.

The results, which are published in the Journal of Applied Physics, could help scientists to create new nanoparticles—particles between 1 and 100 nanometers in size—that could be used, for example, to develop highly efficient solar cells or tiny sensors.

The team from ITMO University in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and the Laser Zentrum in Hannover, Germany, applied theoretical physics methods to investigate how the Great Pyramid responded to electromagnetic radiation—which includes radio waves, microwaves and infrared, visible light, ultraviolet light, X-rays and gamma rays.

Specifically, they wanted to see how radio waves with a proportional wavelength—or resonant length—to the pyramid would interact with the structure.

"We wanted to find out what peculiarities of electromagnetic energy distributions can be obtained in the pyramid and environment under the condition of its strong interaction with electromagnetic waves," Andrey Evlyukhin, an author of the study from ITMO, told Newsweek.

"It was very interesting to apply the theoretical methods and approaches used in optics for investigation of light scattering by nanoparticles, to study the electromagnetic properties of the Great Pyramid—one of the most intriguing objects in history," he said.

"We expected that the investigation of the pyramid's properties could provide us with new and important information which will be useful in nano-optics for the design of nanoparticles with required optical properties."

The scientists calculated that wavelengths between 200 and 600 meters (656 to 1,968 feet) would induce resonance in the pyramid—a situation when the structure scatters and absorbs much more energy from electromagnetic waves than in ordinary conditions, according to Evlyukhin.

Then, using computer modeling, they worked out how the radio wave energy would be scattered or absorbed in this "resonant" state. They found that the structure appeared to focus electromagnetic energy in its internal chambers and under its base.

Due to the lack of information about the physical properties of the pyramid, the researchers had to use some assumptions when making calculations. For example, they assumed that there are no unknown cavities inside, and that the building material has the properties of ordinary limestone and is evenly distributed throughout the pyramid.

The unusual electromagnetic properties of the pyramid are almost certainly just a coincidence of its structure, as it is highly unlikely that the Ancient Egyptians knew anything about this.

The scientists say their findings could have a variety of implications.

The "results can be apply to design nanoparticles capable of reproducing similar focusing effects in the optical range," Evlyukhin said. "Such nanoparticles can be used as a building blocks for construction of different optical devices for management of light energy at nanoscale."

At around 479 feet, the pyramid was the tallest building in the world right up until the 19th Century and is still one of the largest man-made structures.

It was completed around 2560 BC during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu, with the construction probably taking 20 years. Even today, the question of how exactly the pyramid was built puzzles experts. The monument is part of the larger Giza pyramid complex, which contains two smaller pyramids, as well as several other temples and tombs.

This article has been updated to include additional comments from Andrey Evlyukhin.