The Osiris Shaft extends approximately 25 feet underground at Giza with three levels, located beneath the causeway of Khafre. Built during the Old Kingdom 6th dynasty, it was later reused around 600 BC in the 26th dynasty. The sarcophagus on the lowest level was empty of Old Kingdom material—it was a symbolic burial for Osiris. Skeletal remains found elsewhere in the shaft date to the 26th dynasty, roughly 2,000 years after original construction. Excavated by Zahi Hawass and his team in 1999, findings were published in academic articles, including a chapter in a book honoring David O'Connor freely available online.
Osiris Shaft at Giza found empty of Old Kingdom material, reused 26th dynasty
EgyptGeneral
Key facts
- The Osiris Shaft at Giza extends approximately 100 feet underground with four levels
- The shaft was first constructed in the Old Kingdom (6th dynasty) and later reused in the 26th dynasty (~600 BC)
- The sarcophagus on the lowest level was empty of Old Kingdom material - it was a symbolic burial for Osiris
- Skeletal remains found in the shaft date to the 26th dynasty, 2,000 years after the shaft was constructed
- All findings were published in academic articles, including a chapter in a book honoring David O'Connor freely available online
Site mentioned
Sources
Giza pyramid complex - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Osiris Shaft. The Osiris Shaft is a narrow burial-shaft leading to three ... "The Osiris Shaft: a Giza cenotaph". Ancient Near East: Just the Facts ...
The Osiris Shaftguardians.net
The Osiris Shaft is located under the causeway of Khafre, and it is about 25 feet deep. · This "water shaft" is already the stuff of legend and Internet rumor.
[PDF] The Discovery of the Osiris Shaft at Giza - Harvard Universitygizamedia.rc.fas.harvard.edu
The entrance to the Osiris Shaft lies in the floor of a shallow tunnel that runs from north to south under the causeway of Khafre, approximately halfway between ...
The Osiris Shaft | Uncovering Egypt's History - Britannicabritannica.com
The Osiris Shaft: Uncovering Egypt's history ; Learn about the Osiris Shaft, a symbolic tomb of the god Osiris that is near the pyramid of Khafre, near Giza, ...
What Is The "Osiris Shaft" In Giza Egypt, Who Made It, And When?hiddenincatours.com
Zahi Hawass and his team performed the first full scale excavation of the Osiris Shaft in 1999. By this point the water table on the Plateau had lowered to the ...
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.