Architectural Constraints and Interface Anomalies in the Osiris Shaft Complex (Giza Plateau): A Non-Invasive Documentary Assessment

This paper presents a non-invasive archaeological–architectural assessment of selected structural interfaces within the Osiris Shaft complex on the Giza Plateau. The study is based on the systematic analysis of visual documentation acquired during site access and focuses on observable architectural constraints, wall–floor junction behavior, surface treatments, and localized moisture signatures that appear inconsistent with uniform construction and/or later homogeneous repair episodes. The analyzed areas are located at depths exceeding approximately 20 meters below the current ground level, within a confined subterranean environment characterized by limited air circulation and long-term microclimatic stability. Within such contexts, localized and persistent surface humidity patterns are generally less compatible with superficial environmental fluctuation alone, and therefore warrant careful analytical consideration when observed in association with architectural discontinuities. No excavation, sampling, or physical intervention was conducted. Observations are explicitly restricted to visible features and are treated as a preliminary analytical dataset. The objective is not to advance speculative reconstructions, but to formalize repeatable observations, define architectural and environmental constraints, and critically evaluate competing, non-exclusive explanations, including differential settlement, mortar shrinkage, salt-driven decay, and localized infiltration processes. The analysis identifies a set of coherent interface anomalies and spatial inconsistencies which, when assessed within their architectural and environmental context, justify targeted and authorized non-invasive verification (e.g., high-resolution photogrammetry, infrared thermography, microclimatic monitoring, and ground-penetrating radar). The paper thus establishes an evidence-led methodological framework for future controlled investigation while maintaining strict adherence to archaeological non-intrusiveness and interpretative falsifiability. This record presents Version 2 of the manuscript. The updated version includes:– full integration of in-text citations;– removal of non-standard footnotes;– complete revision and standardization of references;– improved methodological clarity and alignment with academic publication standards. No changes have been made to the core dataset or observational basis of the study. Revisions concern formal, methodological, and bibliographic structure to ensure compliance with peer-reviewed journal requirements. This version supersedes the previous release and should be considered the reference version for citation and evaluation.