The Pyramid of Sahura at Abusir has revealed eight previously unknown storerooms after conservation work and portable LiDAR surveys by an Egyptian–German team. The team confirmed passages reported in 1836 and documented remnants of original walls and floors, despite damage. Researchers plan to enter and restore the chambers, which may contain royal burial objects and could reshape understanding of pyramid development.
LiDAR Uncovers Eight Lost Storerooms in 4,400-Year-Old Pyramid of Sahura
Lost Rooms Found in Ancient Egyptian PyramidNick Brundle Photography - Getty Images
The Pyramid of Sahura — a 4,400-year-old royal tomb at Abusir — has yielded previously unknown internal chambers after recent conservation work and portable LiDAR surveys. An Egyptian–German team confirmed passages described in 1836 and mapped eight storerooms that had been unrecorded or inaccessible for centuries.
What Researchers Found
The team identified multiple storage chambers (magazines) adjoining the antechamber. While parts of the northern and southern magazines — especially their ceilings and original floors — are badly damaged, remnants of original walls and floor surfaces remain visible. The discovery confirms the 1836 explorers' account of passageways filled with "debris and rubbish," which later investigators had questioned.
"Although the northern and southern parts of these magazines, especially the ceiling and the original floor, are badly damaged, remnants of the original walls and parts of the floor can still be seen," the team wrote in a news release from the University of Würzburg.
How They Did It
To document the chambers in detail, researchers used portable 3D laser scanning (LiDAR) to produce high-resolution interior surveys and a comprehensive blueprint of the monument. This non-invasive technology allowed mapping of narrow corridors and complex internal spaces while creating a permanent digital record of the exploration and progress.
Context and Significance
Sahura is part of the Abusir necropolis — a burial complex near the Nile used by pharaohs of Egypt's Fifth Dynasty. The 155-foot-tall structure has been under conservation and restoration since 2019. Although Abusir is less famous than Giza, it contains 13 principal structures and offers rich insight into Old Kingdom funerary architecture.
What Comes Next
The next phase will involve careful entry, documentation and restoration of the storerooms. Archaeologists hope the chambers may still contain objects related to royal burials; any finds could illuminate burial practices and help refine models of pyramid construction and internal organization.
While storerooms may sound humble, these rediscovered spaces could meaningfully expand understanding of how Egyptian pyramids were planned, used and altered over millennia.
