A team of researchers is using cosmic particles inside Egypt’s Bent Pyramid to figure out how it was built — and they’re already getting some answers.

The Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute said plates were planted inside the pyramid a month ago, and they have collected some data on radiographic particles that could shed light on the construction of the 4,600-year-old pyramid, according to a Associated Press report.

The particles can pass through empty spaces and are stopped by hard surfaces, allowing scientists to analyze the structure of the pyramid from within.

The Bent Pyramid is an interesting structure. It was built by Pharaoh Sneferu and is about 40 kilometers south of Cairo. It was one of the earlier pyramids of Egypt, and Sneferu’s second. As its name implies it has a bent apperance, due to the fact that it starts with a 54-degree inclination but changes to a shallower 43-degree angle toward the top. Archaeologists think this was a transitional period toward the pyramids we know today.

These new techniques allow scientists to examine other periods, helping them better understand how they are built and potentially changing current theories.