The hidden North Face Corridor of the pyramid was found to contain a gabled ceiling, known as a saddle vault. This design redirects the weight of the pyramid from above, and thus it was widely assumed to be a so-called ‘weight-relieving chamber’ protecting the descending corridor below.
But many details about the North Face Corridor suggest that protecting structures below may not have been its primary purpose. This video compares the design to other saddle-vaults and puts the corridor in context to the other features within the Great Pyramid.