Hello Jammer,
Thanks for the response.
You write, ‘I believe they went through a design-build stage where they THOUGHT they could engineer traps-blocking stones-false passages and curses to protect the Pharaoh's corpse.’
When experience over time proved they could NOT do this successfully, they went on to "If we can't hide the corpse in the tomb, we'll hide the whole darn tomb" logic.
This makes good sense to me.
However, I suggest that the switch from pyramid to underground tomb was also influenced by economics.
A subterranean tomb (such as those we see in the Valley of the Kings) would have cost considerably less than a pyramid to create.
You write, “I accept your question "why hide it in plain site" but that begets my question; "What DID they do with the Pharaoh's corpse after death, then?"
You’d never believe the number of times I’ve wished I knew the answer to this question.
Despite the fact that there are, so I believe, a number of kings and pharaohs whose tombs have yet to be discovered, I am bothered by the conspicuous absence of the remains of all the kings from the 4th and early 5th Dyn. (leaving aside the bones and cloth found in the Bent).
As I see it, there are three possibilities.
1) They were interred in their respective pyramids and were removed by tomb robbers.
2) They were buried in an area of Ancient Egypt that has yet to be investigated; a sort of early version of the Valley of the Kings, if you like.
3) They were interred in their respective pyramids but in burial chambers that have yet to be found.
Though I consider possibility number 1 to be a perfectly reasonable hypothesis, I am far from convinced that it will one day prove to be a fact.
I think possibility number 2 most unlikely.
With all the archaeology that’s been going on in Egypt for the last 100 years or so you could reasonably expect something to have cropped up.
Possibility 3 is currently my hot favourite.
In fact, I am convinced (as much as one can be with these sort of things) that Khufu was in fact buried in a chamber that has yet to be found (it’s all to do with my almost-but-not-quite-complete hypothesis on how Khufu’s pyramid was designed).
You write, ‘They apparently believed the preservation of the corpse was critical to the owner's success in the afterlife. This belief is so basic to their afterlife beliefs it underlies the very reason to embalm and mummify at all.’
I’m okay with that.
You continue, ‘There is some documentation the Pharaoh's set up temples to pray to/for them, envisioning the pyramid complex fully staffed with priests and guards eternally.
It was the failure of this constant site occupation that made the pyramids vulnerable to robbery in the first place, so it is reasonably possible to think that IF the Pharaoh's original plans had been carried through in full the sites may have succeeded in their purpose after all.
As I say, Possibility 3 is currently my hot favourite, so once again I am in agreement.
You write, ‘As an example, you could probably go to your local cemetery for a bit of skull-duggery and depending upon solitary remoteness get away with it.
Then try it with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded 24 hours a day.’
Hmmm. Good point.
Which brings me back to the time factor.
There had to be a cut-off point where a pyramid ceased to be protected and tomb robbers waltzed onto the stage to carry out their dastardly deeds.
I think it would help matters along here if it could be determined when Khufu’s pyramid was first broken into (I’m assuming that the tunnel in the north face and up around the granite plugs in the Ascending Passage was indeed the handiwork of Al Mamun in AD 820 or thereabouts).
Regards,
MJ