The Osiris Shaft is an underground structure on the Giza Plateau, located near the causeway connecting the Sphinx and Khafre’s pyramid. Its location under one of the most visited sites in Egypt means it has gone largely unnoticed by the millions of tourists who pass nearby each year.
The shaft was first identified by archaeologist Selim Hassan in 1933. He was unable to proceed past a certain point due to water, and the site was left largely unexplored for decades. In 1999, a team led by Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass was able to drain the water and conduct a full excavation.
The structure descends through three levels. The first is an empty square room. The second level, about 60 feet down, contains a series of six chambers, including two large granite sarcophagi and a range of artifacts such as pottery, beads, and small figurines known as ushabtis. These items have been dated to around 500 BCE.
The third level is about 100 feet below the surface. It contains a large hall that is partially flooded. In the center is a stone platform surrounded by water, on which sits a granite sarcophagus weighing an estimated 10 to 15 tons. Its lid has been removed, and the interior is empty.
A notable feature of the structure is the absence of inscriptions. Unlike most Egyptian tombs, the walls and sarcophagus are blank. However, when Hawass moved the sarcophagus lid, he found a single hieroglyphic carved into the floor underneath. It read “per,” which translates to “house.”
The broader Giza Plateau was known in ancient times as Rostau, a name linked to the underground passages in the area. The structure has been interpreted as a symbolic reference to the house of Osiris, the god of the dead. Hawass named it the Osiris Shaft on that basis.
Beyond the burial chamber, a narrow corridor runs east for about 65 feet to a small vault. From there, two tunnels branch off. One heads north toward the Great Pyramid; the other heads east toward the Sphinx. Both are approximately 16 by 16 inches, too small for an adult to enter. They have not been explored, and their length or destination remains unknown. During an early investigation, a boy was sent into one of the tunnels with a rope tied to his legs but became stuck and had to be pulled out.
The dating of the shaft is uncertain. The oldest objects found at the site date to roughly 2355–2195 BCE, which overlaps with the period when the pyramids were built. The chambers on the second level, however, were added later, and the sarcophagus at the bottom appears to be from the 26th Dynasty, around 500 BCE. This suggests the site was used and modified over a long period.
The structure was opened to the public for the first time in 2017. Its purpose remains a subject of debate. Some researchers consider it a possible royal burial site; others view it as a ritual space connected to the worship of Osiris. The function of the two small tunnels is unknown.
Several other discoveries near Giza have drawn attention in recent years. In 2022 and 2023, a team using ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography identified an L-shaped structure buried about 6.5 feet below the surface in the western cemetery, an area that contains tombs of royal family members and high-ranking officials. The structure is at least 33 feet long. A second, larger anomaly was detected below it. Researchers believe the two may be connected. Excavation is underway, and the purpose of the structure has not yet been determined.
In 2025, a separate research team led by Corrado Malanga of the University of Pisa and Filippo Biondi of the University of Strathclyde published findings based on satellite radar data suggesting the presence of large vertical shafts and chamber-like structures beneath the pyramid of Khafre. The researchers reported that the structures could extend roughly 6,500 feet across and about 2,000 feet underground. They also suggested that similar features may exist beneath the other two pyramids at Giza. These findings have not been peer-reviewed, and several archaeologists and radar specialists have questioned the reliability of the technology used to produce them.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu has also been the subject of modern scanning efforts. In 2017, a project called ScanPyramids used muon detectors—instruments that track subatomic particles called muons as they pass through stone—to identify a large empty space above the Grand Gallery. The discovery was later confirmed by endoscopic imaging, which revealed a corridor with a chevron-shaped ceiling. Its function is unknown. Theories include a construction gap left to relieve weight or a space that served a structural purpose during building.
Recent research on pyramid construction has focused on practical methods. Evidence from the quarry at Hatnub indicates that workers used ramps with wooden posts to haul heavy stone blocks. The Egyptians also used the Nile and connecting canals to transport granite from distant quarries. The exact sequence of construction for the Giza pyramids is still debated, but there is broad agreement that they were built by organized teams of Egyptian workers.
The association of pyramids with royal burials has been complicated by newer findings. A study of skeletons at Tombos in Sudan, a site that became part of Egypt around 1400 BCE, found evidence that lower-status workers as well as elites were buried in pyramids there. Researchers examined the bone attachment points where tendons and ligaments meet the skeleton and found signs of heavy physical labor in some of the remains. This suggests that pyramid burial was not limited to the upper classes in that region.
The history of pyramid construction spans several regions. The oldest known pyramid in Egypt is a step pyramid built for Pharaoh Djoser during the Third Dynasty. Later rulers refined the design. Pharaoh Sneferu built three pyramids during his reign; after two early attempts with structural problems, he completed the Red Pyramid, generally considered the first true smooth-sided pyramid. His son Khufu built the Great Pyramid at Giza, which was the tallest human-made structure in the world for nearly 4,000 years.
Pyramids were built independently in other parts of the world. The Nubian pyramids in Sudan, built around 700 BCE, number about 200 and are generally narrower than those in Egypt. In the Americas, the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan in Mexico was built around 100 CE and is one of the largest structures of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Step pyramids and ziggurats were also built in Mesopotamia and other regions. The recurrence of the form is generally attributed to the stability and efficiency of the shape when building in stone.
The Great Pyramid was originally covered in polished white limestone casing stones, which reflected light and made the structure appear bright. A capstone known as a pyramidion, possibly covered in gold, sat at the top. After an earthquake in 1303, much of the outer casing was removed and the stones were reused in construction projects. The pyramid remains the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing.
The Saqqara bird, a small wooden artifact found in Saqqara in 1898, has been the subject of speculation. The object dates to around 200 BCE and resembles a bird with squared wings and an upright tail. In the 1960s, an Egyptologist suggested it might be a model of an ancient glider or monoplane. Replicas have been tested with mixed results, and its exact purpose remains unclear.
In the Judean Desert, archaeologists excavating a site known as the Zohar Fortress discovered a pyramid-shaped structure built from hand-cut stones. The structure is dated to the Hellenistic period, around 2,200 years ago. Alongside the structure, researchers found fragments of papyrus, bronze vessels, and furniture, preserved by the dry climate. The purpose of the building is uncertain; theories include a tomb, a monument, or a guard tower along a trade route.
A separate find in the Judean Desert included fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a 6,000-year-old partially mummified skeleton, and a basket made from plant fibers estimated to be over 10,000 years old. A small fragment of wool fabric dyed with a scarlet pigment derived from insects was also identified, dated to around 3,800 years ago, making it the oldest known example of that dyeing technique.
In northern Sinai, a dig at a site called Tell el-Balamun revealed a fortress from the Ptolemaic or Roman period. The site included defensive trenches, paved roads, lime kilns, and military housing. A notable feature was a limestone-paved avenue lined with hundreds of clay planting pits, suggesting a tree-lined entrance leading to the fortress. This indicates that the local water management was sufficient to support vegetation in a desert environment. Beneath the visible remains, archaeologists found the corners of an older structure whose purpose and date have not been identified.
The Osiris Shaft and the surrounding Giza Plateau continue to be active subjects of archaeological investigation. The presence of unopened tunnels, unconfirmed radar anomalies, and structures that predate their better-known contents leave open questions about the site’s history.
