A few Egyptologists believe that Khufu may have outwitted the looters with another tactic, however. In addition to the security system, the pyramid also contains four small shafts: two that originate at the King's Chamber and two more that originate at the Queen's Chamber. Robot exploration of the shafts has revealed what may be three doorways with copper handles.
Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, Egypt's former antiquities minister, told Live Science in 2013 that he thinks the shafts lead ultimately to Khufu's real burial chamber. The sarcophagus in the King's Chamber is simply a decoy, Hawass said, meant to fool looters into thinking that they had found Khufu's burial.
"I really believe that Cheops' [another name for Khufu] chamber is not discovered yet, and all three chambers were just to deceive the thieves, and the treasures of Khufu [are] still hidden inside the Great Pyramid," Hawass told Live Science in 2013. A project is currently underway to scan the Great Pyramid using a variety of technologies. Researchers in that project said they hope that if a hidden burial chamber exists, the scans will reveal it.
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When Dr Zahi Hawass said: "The sarcophagus in the King's Chamber is simply a decoy, Hawass said, meant to fool looters into thinking that they had found Khufu's burial." This came from my book "The Flawed Emerald" (C)1995 / "Eye of the Pharaoh." (c)1990. Was my book in the credits?? No. as is usual with Dr Hawass. (Page 14:) "A false coffin was placed in the King's Chamber to delude thieves, while the actual tomb was placed secretly inside a crypt, hidden within solid stone..."
Mike Costa, author.
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