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Primary sourceArtifactc. 2560 BCE

Sarcophagus in the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid

Royal workshops · c. 2560 BCE

The granite sarcophagus made for Khufu's burial, still sitting in the King's Chamber at the heart of the Great Pyramid.

The sarcophagus made to hold Khufu's body, still in place at the center of his pyramid tomb.

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Interior of a stone-walled chamber with large dark granite blocks; in the center floor sits a rectangular stone sarcophagus with a lidless open top, and a small light fixture is mounted on the left wall.
Sarcophagus, King's Chamber, Great Pyramid of Khufu, c. 2560 BCE.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows the granite sarcophagus inside the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the tomb built for Khufu. It remains in place inside the pyramid to this day.

Why it matters

The Great Pyramid was built as Khufu's tomb, and this sarcophagus is the actual container made to hold his body. Its survival in situ, even though empty, connects directly to the scale of resources and labor devoted to a pharaoh's burial and afterlife in the Old Kingdom.

Look closer

  • Why do you think the sarcophagus has no lid now?
  • What does the massive stone construction of the chamber tell you about the resources available to Khufu's builders?
  • Why might the sarcophagus have stayed in place while other royal treasures were lost or taken?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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