You’re standing in the middle of the Gizeh desert, sand swirling around your boots, and honestly, you’re probably a bit lost. If you’re playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, you know that finding the Idol of Ra: investigate the location is one of those mid-game moments that feels like a massive wall. One minute you’re snapping photos of camels, and the next, you’re deep in a Nazi-infested excavation site trying to find a doorway that doesn’t seem to exist. It’s a classic Indy problem.
Most players end up circling the Great Sphinx or the Khafre pyramid for way too long. The game tells you to "investigate the location," but the map marker is sometimes about as helpful as a wet match in a dark tomb.
Basically, the "Idol of Ra" questline is the meat and potatoes of the Gizeh chapter. It’s where the game stops holding your hand and expects you to actually act like an archaeologist. You're looking for a specific underground chamber, but getting there requires more than just a shovel and a whip.
Finding the Path to the Idol of Ra
The search really kicks off after you’ve spent some time with Nawal and secured the lighter from the local market. Don't skip the lighter. Seriously. Without it, you’re basically blind once you hit the lower levels.
To investigate the location, you need to head toward the base of the Khafre pyramid. Look for the Khafre Excavation Site, but don't just walk through the front gate unless you’ve got a death wish or a very good disguise. The Nazis have the place locked down tight. If you’ve already picked up the Digsite Outfit from near the Sphinx, now is the time to put it on. It makes the "investigation" part way less of a shootout and more of a sneaky stroll.
South of the main excavation site, there’s a small, unassuming path that leads to a rock wall. It looks like a dead end. It’s not. If you look closely, the wall is structurally weak—Indy usually makes a comment about it. You’ll need a heavy object or a well-placed swing to break through.
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The Chamber of Resonance Puzzle
Once you’re inside, the game throws the Chamber of Resonance at you. This is where most people get stuck and start googling. You’ll find yourself in a circular room filled with ancient Adamic symbols.
To solve this and progress the Idol of Ra: investigate the location objective, you have to play photographer. You need to find and photograph all the symbols on the walls. Some are easy to spot; others are hidden behind crawlspaces.
- Leneph Tablet: Right there on the left as you enter.
- The Broken Tablet: This one is the "boss" of the puzzle. You can’t take a photo of it until it’s fixed.
- Hat sha-Athon: Keep moving clockwise.
- Vuda: The last one in the main room.
Here’s the trick: there’s a tiny hole at the bottom of the wall near the first tablet. Crawl through it. You’ll find a dark hallway where you have to light some altars to see the Eo-shohd and Lezeem symbols. At the very end of this hallway, you’ll find the missing piece of that broken tablet. Grab it, smash the nearby wall to get back to the main room, and fix the puzzle.
Solving the Secret Phrase
Once you have all the photos, head to the table at the base of the central statue. This isn't just a matching game; it’s a sentence. You have to lay the photos out in a specific order to "speak" the phrase that opens the floor.
Honestly, the logic is a bit weird, but the order you need is:
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- Heed (Photo 2)
- The Lord’s (Photo 1)
- Oath (Photo 4)
- Protect (Photo 6)
- The secret (Photo 3)
- Of the name (Photo 5)
When you get it right, the floor literally drops out from under you. It’s a great "only in Indiana Jones" moment.
Missing Notes and Hidden Secrets
If you’re a completionist trying to hit that 32/32 note count for the Idol of Ra quest, you’re going to be annoyed. There are a few notes that don't appear on the map at all. One of the biggest offenders is the Second Stelae List.
To find it, you actually have to leave the excavation area after the main events and head back to Nawal’s blue tent in the Workers' Area. It’s just sitting there. If you don't go back, you’ll be stuck at 31 notes forever, wondering what you missed.
Another one people miss is the Nephilim Symbol Marking. It’s tucked away right next to that weak wall you had to break to enter the chamber in the first place. If you were rushing to get inside and avoid a Nazi patrol, you probably walked right past it.
Surviving the Ancient Abyss
After you drop through the floor of the Resonance Chamber, things get a bit more "supernatural thriller." You’ll enter the Ancient Abyss. This area is more about platforming and atmosphere than complex puzzles, but it leads directly to the Light Chamber.
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The Light Chamber is the final hurdle before you actually lay hands on the Idol of Ra. It’s a classic light-reflection puzzle. You’ll need to redirect three beams of light to hit specific dials. It’s not incredibly hard, but it’s time-consuming because you have to move between two different rooms to unlock the locks.
Why the Location Investigation Matters
In The Great Circle, Gizeh acts as a bit of a hub. The Idol of Ra: investigate the location quest isn't just a linear path; it’s a way to force you to explore the wider map. While you’re looking for the Idol, you’ll likely stumble upon the "Secret of the Queen Mother" fieldwork or find the various Stelae scattered across the desert.
The game is designed to reward you for getting distracted. If you see a Nazi camp with a radio tower, go raid it. You’ll likely find a note or a piece of gear that makes the later parts of the Idol quest much easier.
Actionable Insights for the Gizeh Chapter
If you're currently stuck or just starting the hunt for the Idol, keep these tips in your back pocket:
- Get the Digsite Disguise early: It’s located in an underground passage south of the Sphinx. It saves you from constant gunfights in the restricted zones.
- Check the walls: If Indy says a wall looks "different" or "weak," hit it with a club or use an explosion. The path to the Idol is literally hidden behind a breakable wall.
- The Lighter is mandatory: Buy it from the village market as soon as you arrive in Gizeh. You cannot finish the Resonance or Light puzzles without it.
- Fix the broken tablet first: Don't waste time trying to guess the phrase in the Resonance Chamber until you've gone through the crawlspace and brought back the stone fragment.
- Return to Nawal: Many collectibles only spawn or become accessible after you’ve triggered specific story beats. Revisit the blue tent frequently.
The search for the Idol of Ra is easily one of the best-designed sequences in the game. It captures that feeling of being an actual detective in a fedora. Just remember to keep your eyes on the environment, not just the quest markers.
To wrap things up, focus on securing the Second Stelae List from Nawal's tent before you leave Gizeh for good. This is the most common reason players fail to achieve 100% completion on this specific mission, as the game doesn't explicitly tell you to return there once the main investigation is over.