cladking Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It has been suggested by some sources that the
> cladding actually
> fell off in an earthquake.



That's rather silly. It loosened the casing stones, but it didn't cause them all to fall off. It's a pyramid, not a cartoon...lol.


> More was taken off to
> rebuild the near-
> by areas so it could well be a staging area or
> even an attempt to
> find the king's actual burial chamber or a path to
> it.


Actually, it was taken off to rebuild Cairo after the quake that shook it all loose. And, if I remember correctly, this was a century after the inner chambers had been found.



>
> The cladding was reported to have been inscribed
> with enough mark-
> ings to fill 10,000 sheets of papyrus. Today none
> of these mark-
> ings are known despite their continued use as
> parts of building in
> the area.



The provenance is nearly impossible to ascertain, since it was not just Khufu's pyramid that was scavenged. Have you been to Egypt? The number of buildings in the area is enormous.





>
> One has to suspect that the designers were well
> aware of the region's
> propensity toward earthquakes and intentionally
> made the stone so it
> would collapse.


Do you have any cultural evidence for this assertion? It is completely contradictory to the evidence I've seen... that's why I ask.


> The sometimes cited idea that the
> sheathing might
> have caused the tracks seen on all four faces is
> ludicrous in light
> of the fact that each side is already bifurcated
> and removing the
> sheathing would be a dangerous and difficult
> process. It would not
> have been taken to the center and dropped down.



Who said that? You're right... it's ludicrous.



>
> This bifurcation was not readily apparent until
> aerial photography


Not necessarily. How could Petrie have seen and measured it in 1880?



> was available though I believe Petrie was aware of
> it.


Exactly.


>
> It is not only part of the solution to how it was
> made but to why as
> well.


Again, assertions without evidence are relatively worthless. Where's your evidence for the "why"?

In fact, what do you think the "why" is behind the pyramid itself? Or, pyramids in general? Perhaps you can start a new thread on the topic...

Anthony

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him think.