Anthony wrote,
> First, the shaft was clearly not constructed until AFTER the passage was completed down to the Subterranean (1st) Chamber. We know this because they "missed" in their attempt to dig down the precise distance. Had it been an original inclusion, the two would have been dug simultaneously and they wouldn't have overshot their target. Clearly, it was a later addition... and as RLH pointed out, a later addition for air circulation would not have been put all the way up to the Grand Gallery.
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Hey wait a minute! I never said anything about the well shaft part above ground level or the Grand Gallery.
Just for the record it’s my opinion that the well shaft was there before the pyramid was built.
Also it could have been there before the descending passage was dug.
Maybe a natural fissure or an enlarged natural fissure or an experimental shaft dug to see if it was ok to put the Sub-chamber that far under ground without flooding.
But I can see that well shaft would work nice as a temporary ventilation shaft while work was carried out in the Sub-chamber.
I (do not) think the well shaft was a pre-planed escape route else they would have angled it north to connect with the descending passage and reduced the distance by over one half.
Maybe I’m wrong but the part in the actual pyramid does not look like it was a planed escape route either. To me if it was planed it would be more organized with precise cuts and also steps. My opinion it was created after the GG was built.
RLH