Hello MJ,
Thanks for the revised data and conclusion.
Also you wrote:
>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."
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Thanks also for this observation by Keith Hamilton it does seem to go with my simple experiment. Normally I found the angle ranged from 30 to 35 degrees so 32.5 degrees fits nicely. I remember a while back I read about someone who had this idea that the notches in the GG ramps were used to keep the blocks from sliding down but I can’t remember when or who said it. This data would seem to render that idea null.
I still can’t help but wonder that with the extremely close tolerances of the plugs and the passage if it would be possible to use pry bars to inch the plugs down the passage! Also I would think this would leave tale-tell marks in the passage. This might be a case for that guy that did a lot of experimenting with large blocks his name was something like Wally Wallington or something like that? A full size experiment could be interesting.
RLH