>But how did the tomb robbers know that underneath the flooring at the start (north/lower end) of the Grand Gallery there was a passage leading to a chamber (the Queen’s Chamber)?
Either they saw something in the flooring that indicated a space underneath it, or they knew about the hidden passage and chamber (Queen’s Chamber) before they entered the pyramid.
I think the former scenario most unlikely because the finish of the Grand Gallery is or rather was particularly fine.
So I’m left with the tomb robbers having pre-knowledge of the passage and chamber underneath the Grand Gallery.<

You describe the "hidden passage and chamber" underneath the extension to the Grand Gallery floor. But that presupposes that they were trying to hide it. The holes that are presumed to have held up the floor are a strange collection and Smyth comments on their rather crude form. "The holes are worked very rudely, and pick marks are visible inwards..."



So is it really safe to assume that the Queen's Chamber was hidden? If the supports for the floor were of a poorer standard than other work in the Grand Gallery then might not the floor at that point have been as well? Thus giving a clue to the presence of something underneath it. Or if it was only there as a temporary support for blocks does it have to have been stone? Lehner supposes wooden beams across the gap between the holes so if the weight was taken by wood at that point why not a wooden structure that would have far less chance of surviving? Indeed Maragioglio & Rinaldi say "a wooden one is more likely". Without a clear idea of the status of the Queen's Chamber (Abandoned? Held in reserve? Serbad? etc etc) I don't think you can be sure about how it was meant to be sealed or what the floor at this point was made of.

Jon

www.egyptarchive.co.uk



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2007 02:33PM by Jon_B.