Hello Pistol,
I wrote, ‘Have you considered the possibility that the Antechamber was constructed after and not before the King’s Chamber – thus allowing the sarcophagus to be manoeuvred fairly easily through the empty space between the upper end of the Grand Gallery/the Great Step and the King’s Chamber?’
It has just occurred to me that I overlooked the fact that the passage between the Antechamber (AC) and the King’s Chamber (KC) is a part of the KC – its roof is actually the underside of the massive granite block above the KC doorway.
Question: could the Pyramid’s builders have manoeuvred the sarcophagus into the KC via this passage.
According to Petrie, the floor surfaces in this passage are 43.64” +/- 0.1” below the top of the KC doorway, and the height of the sarcophagus is 41.31”.
Therefore, the top of the sarcophagus would be 2.33” below the passage ceiling.
Things are slightly different with the KC floor block at the chamber’s doorway - its surface is 42.74” below the top of the doorway and the gap is therefore only 1.43”.
Add to this the fact that the passage is 2.8” wider than the sarcophagus and we have a situation in which the builders could have manoeuvred it through the passage and into the KC. (reminder: sans Antechamber).
You wrote, ‘So we are left to imagine, in your scenario that the coffer was hoisted up to the level of the grand gallery north floor, carried over the plugging blocks and put through a floorless antichamber that is too narrow for the coffer to fit through...
Not at all, Pistol.
Clearly, I didn’t explain my position at all well.
My personal view is that once the walls and floor of the King’s Chamber were constructed, the sarcophagus was taken up
the outside of the Pyramid and then lowered onto the KC floor.
I do not believe that the sarcophagus was taken up to the KC via the passages.
You wrote, ‘Like Petrie says the only conclusion to be made is that the coffer was placed in the King's Chamber before the roof was put on.’
And as you can see, I agree largely with Petrie.
Regards,
Robin
