BIGGEST Mysteries About Pyramids Around The World!

Hi, it's Katrina! From missing pieces to hidden tombs, here are the top 7 mysteries of pyramids that you didn't know. 7. The Eight-Sided Pyramid How many sides does the Great Pyramid of Giza have? Most people answer four. After all, that's definitely what it looks like in all the pictures. But it's kind of a trick question, because each of the four sides are actually split down the middle by an indentation, giving it eight sides in total. It's actually the only eight-sided pyramid in the world. The eight sides were first noted in the 1700s by Egyptologist Sir William Petrie. However, this information wouldn't become more widespread until a British Air Force pilot noticed the true shape of the pyramid from the air while flying by. This is because the indentation dividing the four primary sides is so subtle that it can only be noticed from the ground at certain times of day. Some speculate the indentations could have been accidental, or as a result of wind erosion, but the indentations on each side appear to have been constructed in the exact same way and to the same extent. It must have been done on purpose. Others say it was purely for visual purposes, or possibly to help maintain the integrity of the pyramid and prevent stones from sliding or drifting. In any case, this type of construction is not seen in any other pyramid. So although there are tons of theories, we may never know why the Great Pyramid is the only one with eight sides. 6. Giza's Void Once again, the Great Pyramid deserves a place on this list, but this time for something new and completely different. Scientists have found a void hidden in the pyramid. The research program known as SCAN Pyramids was established as a joint effort between Cairo University and the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute in 2015. Using an imaging technique known as myography, scientists were able to find what they call a void or open room hidden in the pyramid above the pyramid's grand gallery. The scientists used several different devices that actually detect particles generated by the collision of cosmic rays with the Earth's atmosphere. The stones of the pyramid then absorb the particles hitting them. Scans from three different devices showed there was a large open room, or possibly several hidden rooms in a sequence. Considering this is the first new structure discovered in the pyramid since the 1800s, it could hold unimaginable treasures. However, this void has left many scientists skeptical. Some believe it may have been built as an internal ramp to construct the top of the pyramid, or even for structural purposes. For now, scientists don't want to risk damaging the monument while investigating the room. And without any clear entrances into the room, it may be a while before we know what's really hidden there. 5. The Pyramid of Hellinikon The word pyramid probably doesn't bring to mind images of ancient Greece, but would you believe that the Greeks were pyramid builders too? In fact, the Pyramid of Hellinikon in Argolid, Greece, was likely built around the same time as the Great Pyramid of Giza, although some suspect it to actually be older than the oldest pyramids in Egypt, but the exact age has been difficult to determine. The pyramid was made with large blocks of grey limestone arranged in a trapezoid. Unlike the pyramids of Egypt, it does not have a pointed top, and at just 7 meters wide by 9 meters long, it was not nearly as big as the pyramids in Egypt. However, the sides of the structure, or at least what remains of them, do slope upward at a 60 degree angle. Inside the pyramid sits a narrow corridor leading to a large square room. It was originally believed that it was built to be a tomb like the pyramids of Egypt. However, little research has been done on the Pyramid of Hellinikon to determine this. Others argue that the pyramid was erected to be used as a small stronghold to control travel over the nearby roads in the region. Without further excavation of the site, though, we might never figure out what the Pyramid of Hellinikon was truly meant for. 4. The Black Pyramid of Giza When someone mentions the pyramids of Egypt, it's likely that you imagine the three most iconic ones located at the Giza Plateau. However, records claim that there was a fourth pyramid that seems to have mysteriously vanished from time. This fourth pyramid was noted by the captain and explorer Friedrich Norden while on an expedition of Egypt for King Christian VI of Denmark. Norden took extensive notes of everything he encountered while on his journey, describing the fourth pyramid of Giza as being much like the other three, but made of blacker stones and topped with a massive yellow stone that appeared to serve as a pedestal. Many scholars claim that there never was a fourth pyramid and that Norden must have mistaken one of the smaller surrounding pyramids as being the fourth. But the surrounding pyramids were made of sandstone and not dark, granite-like stones that Norden wrote about. Plus, in his notes, he accounted for most of the surrounding pyramids and described the fourth pyramid's appearance and location in great detail. Another theory is that the pyramid was destroyed in the late 18th century and that the stones were taken and used to help build the city of Cairo. Unfortunately, there isn't much evidence to support this theory. For now, the fate of the fourth pyramid of Giza remains a mystery. Perhaps its ruins are buried just waiting to be uncovered. What do you guys think? 3. The Great White Pyramid of Xi'an Roughly 40 miles from the city of Xi'an lies an area of wilderness populated by dozens of small pyramids. However, since the early 1900s, some have claimed that there is a massive, white, jewel-capped pyramid in the area. The first sighting of this pyramid was over a century ago by a trader and travel agent named Fred Meyer Schroeder. He noticed the Great White Pyramid in the distance while walking with a monk who served as his guide. In his diary entries, Schroeder estimated that the pyramid was 1,000 feet tall and roughly 1,500 feet in length on each side. The next recorded sighting of the pyramid wouldn't be until 33 years later in 1945. The U.S. Air Force pilot James Gossman spotted the pyramid while flying overhead on his way to Assam, India. He too noted the pyramid's massive size, but his sighting would be more known for reportedly seeing that the pyramid was capped with a large piece of precious, gem-like material. The details of both of these sightings would be supported by an additional sighting in 1947 by a director of Trans World Airlines, Maurice Sheehan. His story was featured in the New York Times, although the photograph of the pyramid included with the article seemed to contradict his statement. The pyramid in the picture was not pure white, nor was it jewel-capped, and it didn't look that massive either. Meanwhile, Chinese archaeologists had denied that such a pyramid existed, and that the known pyramids in the area were not pyramids at all, but burial mounds made of mud and clay. The largest of these pyramid mounds is roughly 150 feet. Is it possible that there is a massive 1,000-foot pyramid hidden somewhere in the Chinese wilderness? Or were the previous reports just mistaken? For now, the search is on. 2. Giza's Missing Capstone Traditionally, Egyptian pyramids were constructed in such a way that once they were near completion, they were topped with a capstone to give them their perfectly pointed top. However, this is not the case with the Pyramid of Giza. From the ground, the pyramid certainly looks complete, but those who have scaled it can tell you that it actually has a flat area on top spanning about 30 feet in length. This is because the capstone is missing, and no one really knows how or why. Some believe that there never was a capstone in the first place, but why is it only the Great Pyramid and not any others? The most widely held theory is that the capstone was made of solid gold, or gold-plated, and was stolen by looters, but the capstone would have to have been massive considering how much open space there is on the top of the pyramid. 30 feet? So could looters really steal it without leaving a trace? One theory is that the pyramid was topped not with a capstone, but with a sphere. This was originally proposed by a Spanish architect named Miguel Pérez Sánchez, who studied many mathematical relationships between the dimensions of the Great Pyramid. He believed that the Pyramid of Giza actually had a golden sphere placed on top, meant to represent the eye of Horus. However, there is not much evidence to support this. Meanwhile, there are a few people out there who believe the pyramid was some sort of ancient machine or generator, and that the capstone was removed because it was the key piece that made it all operate. Regardless of the reason, we don't know why the capstone is missing, or even what it might have been. 1. Another Burial in King Tut's Tomb? In the summer of 2015, archaeologist Nicholas Reeves suggested that there were two chambers hidden in King Tut's tomb. After examining high-resolution scans of the tomb's walls, Reeves believed he found two doorways that had been plastered over and painted. It is behind this wall that he hopes to find the tomb of Queen Nefertiti, who is commonly believed to have been King Tut's stepmother. Reeves contends that the tomb was originally meant for Nefertiti herself. However, King Tut died at a very young age, and no tomb had been prepared for him yet, so Nefertiti's tomb was closed off, and Tut was buried in a separate chamber. While some believe that Nefertiti's body has already been discovered, Reeves, among other archaeologists, was not convinced. Later that year, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities arranged for a team to perform thermal scans of the inner walls of the tomb to investigate Reeves' claims. These scans revealed that one area of the tomb's northern wall had a significantly different temperature from the rest of the tomb. This thermal anomaly could indicate that there is an open area behind that section of the wall. However, follow-up radar scans of the wall proved fairly inconclusive, and if anything, they contradicted Reeves' research. It's currently believed that there may be an opening hidden in the northern wall, but not a tomb. What is really hidden in King Tut's tomb? Has Nefertiti been found, or is the real Nefertiti still out there? For now, Nicholas Reeves maintains that his theory is correct and is still studying the tomb for its secrets. Thanks for watching! What did you find the most mysterious? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to subscribe and see you soon!