A team of Italian and Scottish archaeologists claimed to have discovered a "lost city" beneath the Giza pyramids, a revelation that could challenge the established history of these ancient monuments. Led by Professor Corrado Malanga, the team suggested that "an entire hidden world of many structures" exists beneath the iconic pyramids of Egypt.
Mei, a researcher who visited the site two weeks ago, pointed to physical evidence he believes supports the team's version of events, according to reports by Daily Mail and The Sun. "Some blocks near the Great Pyramid's entrance show clear signs of water erosion. Only certain stones are affected, suggesting part of the pyramid was submerged in ancient times," Mei said. He also noted that thick salt encrusting had been found inside the Great Pyramid, which he interpreted as further proof that it was once submerged in a huge oceanic flood.
According to the researchers' theory, the Giza complex of pyramids, widely thought to be around 4,500 years old, was actually built 38,000 years ago. They claimed that the people who built the pyramids were destroyed around 12,000 years ago by a "divine flood" triggered by an asteroid impact. "The enigma of the Giza pyramids stands as a powerful and perplexing testament to this possibility," Mei asserted.
Using radar technology, the team reportedly detected complex networks more than a kilometer below ground for the first time. The claimed underground city is said to include huge vertical columns with spiral stairs, a water system, and connecting corridors. The shafts and chambers identified by the researchers below ground are said to be a similar age to the pyramids themselves.
If proven true, the discovery would challenge the accepted understanding of the origins of the Giza pyramids. However, many voices in the scientific community contested the revelation, with some calling it "fake news." Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt's former Minister of Antiquities, disagreed with the researchers' claims about water erosion. He asserted that the signs of "water erosion" are simply a result of natural weathering.
"The claim of using radar inside the pyramid is false, and the techniques employed are neither scientifically approved nor validated," Dr. Hawass said. He insisted that the salt crusts come from within the limestones themselves, rather than from a flood. Dr. Hawass told The National that the findings were "completely wrong" and not rooted in science.
Many in the scientific community are skeptical and have countered the claims made by Mei and his team. The study was not peer-reviewed, and experts questioned the validity of the methods used. However, Dr. Hawass maintains that these observations can be explained by natural processes and do not indicate a catastrophic flood.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.