Anthony Wrote:
------------------------------------

> Khufu's pyramid was an anomaly with regards to
> having a passage that descended even part-way to
> the entrance (for more than a few feet, anyway).
> The design convention was to have a small passage
> that sloped down (much like we see leading to


> the Subterranean Chamber,the first contingency burial
> chamber in case of Khufu's early demise.) ...


The fact that we have the Subterranean ('burial')Chamber, the Queen's ('burial')Chamber and the King's Chamber, of which three at least one is the result of the possibility of Khufu's early demise, indicates that, imo, these chambers were not planned in advance, but designed at and built from the very moment that the new situation (the survival of Khufu) occured. For such circumstance, the wonderful characteristic of the Ancient Egyptians, namely having been intuitive builders, was utterly suitable.

The most planning was needed not for the interior design, but for the quarrying, shaping, transport/supply and the placement of the stone-blocks forming the horizontal courses. After all, the very narrow core of the pyramid (the chambers and passages), represent only a tiny fraction of the overall stone mass.


Ronald.