In the thread Khufu's last resting place...? Morph, who started the thread, posts:

“There is no evidence at all to suggest the upper chambers were penetrated before the time of Al Mamun, no graffiti within the pyramid from the classical period, no debris within the well-shaft/grotto to suggest that had been accessed prior to this time, and it is obvious there was no evidence upon the exterior of the pyramid at the time of Al Mamun that it had been entered, or could be through a door or such like, or he would not have undertaken the task of being the first to do so.”


If the Arab stories are to be believed, Al Mamun was not aware of the Well Shaft.

Now, either the opening to the Shaft (near the bottom of the Descending Passage) was cleverly hidden from view or it was thoroughly blocked with debris and nobody wanted to try and dig their way up through it (understandably so).

As can be seen from these photographs (with thanks to Jon B for making them available to us):

[www.egyptarchive.co.uk]
[www.egyptarchive.co.uk]
[www.egyptarchive.co.uk]

the opening to the Well Shaft is rather large and, IMO, would have been very difficult to conceal successfully at the wall of the Descending Passage.
I think Al Mamun was aware of the large cavity in the west wall of the Descending Passage but did not realise for a single moment that he was looking at the start of a narrow shaft that wended its way, and rather tortuously at that, right up into the body of the Pyramid and its upper passages and chambers.

I suggest that the evidence is that the Well Shaft was not hidden from view by means carried out from the Descending Passage but deliberately blocked by large amounts of debris being cast down the Shaft… and all before Al Mamun (or whoever it was) tunnelled past the granite blocks sealing the Ascending Passage.

The implication of this is obvious, and even more so when the problem with the granite blocks sealing the Ascending Passage is taken into consideration.

Any comments, anybody?

MJ




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2007 07:56AM by MJ Thomas.