There are five relieving chambers above the King’s Chamber in the Great Pyramid. They form a stacked sequence of spaces between granite beams and masonry, reducing the direct load pressing on the chamber’s flat roof.
From lowest to highest, they are known as Davison’s Chamber, Wellington’s Chamber, Nelson’s Chamber, Lady Arbuthnot’s Chamber, and Campbell’s Chamber. The names mostly come from modern explorers and visitors, not from ancient Egyptian labels. The uppermost chamber is distinguished by its pointed roof, while the lower spaces have flatter ceilings.
Nathaniel Davison was credited with discovering the lowest chamber in 1763. Howard Vyse opened the four higher chambers in 1837 after finding a crack above Davison’s Chamber and using gunpowder and boring equipment. Red-ochre work-gang graffiti, including names associated with Khufu, survive on blocks in the upper chambers. The King’s Chamber itself is built largely of granite and lies below this protective stack.