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Claims of Underground Structures Beneath Giza Pyramids Debunked
Online assertions regarding the discovery of “large underground structures” beneath Egypt’s renowned Giza pyramids are baseless, according to experts. These claims originated from a YouTube video featuring three Italian researchers lacking expertise in Egyptology or archaeology.
A Malay-language Facebook post, dated March 23, 2025, stated: “What they found was something amazing, five large structures near the base of the pyramid, connected by geometric paths.” The post further elaborated, “Each contains 5 horizontal levels and a sloping roof. Below this are 8 vertical cylindrical wells, hollow and surrounded by a spiral descent dropping 648 meters into the earth.”
Source of the Allegations
The rumors circulated on social media following a press briefing on YouTube, held on March 22 and 23 by Corrado Malanga, Armando Mei, and Filippo Biondi.
- The trio asserted that “synthetic aperture radar” unveiled “a colossal underground complex” beneath the Pyramid of Khafre, the second of the ancient Giza pyramids.
- This assertion gained traction on Facebook in various languages, including German, Arabic, and Turkish. The Daily Mail also reported the claims.
Experts Dismiss the Claims
Experts have refuted these claims, asserting the research lacks credibility.
Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier, an Egyptology expert at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, noted: “The pyramids are monumental stone structures, built on a flat plateau. They were then excavated or converted to include burial and funerary chambers, but there is no evidence of underground networks as deep as those mentioned.”
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Researchers Stand by Findings
Despite the criticism, Biondi stated the researchers maintain their findings.
“The term impossible does not apply when objective evidence emerges,” he explained in an April 22 email. “Our satellite data indicate the presence of large artificial structures beneath the Giza Plateau, structures that appear to belong to an unknown civilization referenced in ancient myths worldwide.”
‘Nothing but Fabrications’ According to Archaeologists
Archaeological investigation uses methodologies like magnetometry, which examines soils up to three to five meters deep, depending on their composition.
Olette-Pelletier explained that the claims are not based on “any scientifically valid data.”
Zahi Hawass, a renowned archaeologist and former Egyptian minister of antiquities, also discredited the allegations in a March 26 statement.
“The rumors suggesting the presence of columns beneath the Pyramid of Khafre are nothing but fabrications propagated by individuals with no expertise in ancient Egyptian civilization or the history of the pyramids,” he declared.
Hawass further explained that no researchers have employed radar devices inside the ancient structure.
“There is no scientific evidence to support these assertions, and no archaeological missions are currently working inside the Pyramid of Khafre.”
Lawrence Conyers from the University of Denver commented on the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology: “Radar waves gradually attenuate in the ground. It is impossible to reach such a depth with this technique,” the radar specialist clarified.
NASA uses the SAR technology to map the Earth’s surface, but it is not designed to detect structures located several hundred meters underground.
NASA confirms that SAR “allows detailed images of the Earth’s relief to be obtained” but “is not designed to probe extreme depths.”
Lack of Archaeological Expertise
The three Italian researchers responsible for these findings lack a professional history in Egyptology or archaeology, and their investigation was not published in any reputable scientific journals.
- Malanga specializes in organic chemistry and ufology – the study of UFOs.
- Biondi now runs Harmonicsar, a private radar imaging company
- Mei is the author of several books defending pseudo-archaeological theories.
AFP has previously fact-checked misinformation about the pyramids in the past.