MJ Thomas Wrote:
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> Hello Ronald,
>
> You write, 'You ask this logical question, because
> Khafre's and Menkaure's burial chambers are at or
> close to ground level. But also Khufu obviously
> started to build one, isn't it (SC)?'
>
> No, I ask it because at or close to ground level
> is the most obvious place to build a 'contingency'
> burial chamber.
>
> If, as has been suggested, the Subterranean
> Chamber was to be Khufu's burial chamber should he
> die before the Queen's Chamber was built, could
> somebody, anybody, explain to me why the
> Subterranean Chamber is nowhere near finished
> (e.g. only in a small area around the Shaft is the
> floor levelled).
> And what about the sarcophagus that is conspicuous
> by its absence?
> Anthony asserts that a limestone sarcophagus would
> have been an absolute no-no, so one would not have
> been carved out of the bedrock.
> Which prompts the question: how did the builders
> intend to get a granite sarcophagus into this
> Chamber?
> If you look at the photos of the Subterranean
> Chamber taken by the Edgar brothers (necessary in
> order to see how the Chamber looked before the
> Egyptian authorities levelled the floor and put
> railings around the Shaft, etc.) you will see just
> how totally unprepared and unsuited for a king's
> burial place this Chamber was.
>
> Surely if the Subterranean Chamber was intended to
> act as Khufu’s burial chamber should the need
> arise, then it would have been better prepared
> than it was.
> This Chamber could have been made fit for a king’s
> final resting place long, long before work started
> on the Queen’s Chamber, but it wasn’t.
> Why not?
>
> Now consider how considerably easier and more
> practical it would have been to have built a
> properly finished 'contingency' burial chamber at
> or near ground level...
>
> Then, of course, you need to consider what purpose
> other than acting as a 'contingency' burial
> chamber was the Subterranean Chamber intended to
> serve.
Imo,the work in the SC was halted in an early stage, not only due to the survival of Khufu but also due to the ambition by which this pharaoh is characterized. Let's not forget that this SC may have had a very symbolic function (too).
In the case of Khafre, most scholars believe this pharaoh reigned 24 to 26 years. They base themselves upon the date of the Will of Prince Nekure. This date was carved on the walls of Nekure's mastaba. Khufu reigned for about 23 years. This time-span is demonstrated by the Turin Papyrus. So, we have two pharaoh's who apparantly reigned about equally long. Nevertheless, Khafre did not built his chambers above ground-level and he built only two of them. Khufu built three of them, of which two above ground-level + long passages + a really impressive Grand Gallery + long shafts + 'relieving chambers'.
Why this difference ? By the way, look at the similarities between Khafre's and Menkaure's (who died early).
Imo, the GP obviously is the result of a very personnal view on resurrection and the Afterlife by a very ambitious pharaoh.
Ronald.