What's up, umm, err, down with the pyramids? [“a vast underground city”?]

The Egyptian pyramids have been a scientific, historical, and mythological (if you will) puzzle since whenever. What are the for and how were they built? On the first, they are tombs for pharoahs. More or less. The second question has been the subject of endless inquiry and speculation, but as far as I know, we don’t yet have a definitive answer.

And now, the mysteries may have just gotten deeper and deeper. On March 23 The Jerusalem Post published this: Scientists using new radar technology find ‘vast city’ beneath pyramids:

Italian and Scottish researchers claim they found a major discovery beneath the Pyramids of Giza, potentially rewriting the history of ancient Egypt. Using radar technology, the team led by Corrado Malanga from Italy’s University of Pisa and Filippo Biondi from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland announced the findings of what they describe as a vast underground city stretching more than 6,500 feet directly beneath the pyramids.

“This groundbreaking study has redefined the boundaries of satellite data analysis and archaeological exploration,” said the project’s spokesperson, Nicole Ciccolo, according to The Sun. She elaborated that the discovery “could redefine our understanding of the sacred topography of ancient Egypt, providing spatial coordinates for previously unknown and unexplored subterranean structures.”

The researchers used a new radar technology known as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which combines satellite radar data with tiny vibrations from naturally occurring seismic movements. This method creates 3D images of what lies beneath the Earth’s surface without the need for physical excavation. Their study, still awaiting peer review, suggests that the complex is ten times larger than the pyramids themselves.

Whoah!

There is skepticism, as well there should be:

Several experts have expressed skepticism regarding these claims. Independent experts, including Professor Lawrence Conyers, have raised serious concerns about the study. “I could not tell if the technology used actually picked up hidden structures below the pyramid,” Conyers told Daily Mail, calling the claims of a vast city underneath the pyramids “a huge exaggeration.”

He acknowledged that while small structures such as shafts and chambers might exist beneath the pyramids, the idea of a vast underground city is questionable.

Well, OK, sure, why not? But I’m inclined to think that if there’s anything at all down there, anything at all, it’s important. There’s so very much we don’t know. Surely the universe is jam-packed with surprises. Why not have some of them under our noses?

“The megastructure they just found underneath the Giza Pyramids is probably the most important discovery to ever be made in our lifetimes,” one user posted, according to Marca. Others have shared similar sentiments, blending hard science with speculative theories.