MJ Thomas Wrote:
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>

>
> Then there is the following by RLH to consider: “I
> did some simple experiments to see at what angle a
> block would slid by gravity. I tried with and
> without a lubricant in all attempts it required an
> angle of over 30 degrees, so that does raise the
> question could two men force the plug stones to
> the bottom? I feel confident that gravity did not
> do it.”
> In support of RLH’s conclusion we have Keith
> Hamilton’s: “the subsidiary pyramid of the Bent
> Pyramid is often quoted as containing the
> prototype for the GG … despite the greater angle
> of 32.5 degrees and greater clearance - for
> example a height clearance of 1.2". Only one or
> two plugs appear to have moved, with two plugs
> remaining unmoved in the upper passage.
> However, it should be noted that Keith goes on to
> write: “… it is of course unlikely that the
> builders were aware of this failing, so we cannot
> take this as a sign that they would not have
> attempted the same sliding design in the GP."
>
> In conclusion, though the granite blocks could
> have been stored in the Grand Gallery and slid
> down the Ascending Passage after Khufu’s burial,
> it is doubtful that the system would have worked.
> Therefore, in all probability the granite blocks
> were built in place, and Khufu’s funeral entourage
> did not reach the Pyramid’s upper chambers via the
> Ascending Passage.



Here's where more pragmatics come into play, though.

There were workers in the Grand Gallery (who later escaped through the well shaft). Perhaps, rather than the blocks thundering down and potentially smashing through the bottom, the angle was selected because one or two men behind the block could have pushed it along, giving it the extra nudges it needed to overcome the remaining friction caused by the slightly lower slope of the passage.

In fact, short pry bars could have been put under the trailing edge of the blocks, once again utilizing the "rounded" nature of the blocks that we see today. We have such pry-spots visible on blocks remaining in the pyramid today. I think you can just make one out at the bottom of the casing stone in this pic: [www.bibliotecapleyades.net]

In this picture of the cover stones for Khufu's boat pit, you can see the carved "handles" used to lower the blocks into place: [www.egyptarchive.co.uk]



If they could get these huge granite blocks all the way up to the level of the Grand Gallery, then it's certainly not beyond the technological capacity of the OK pyramid builders to move a large block of granite down hill.


Anthony

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him think.