MJ -


You wrote: "Petrie wasn’t able to measure the full length of the Descending Passage because of the debris at its lower end so he adopted Howard Vyse’s roof measure as 4140” J & M Edgar later determined that the floor is 8+” longer. 1184” is more likely for this dimension."

As it happens, I've just been spending some time with Volumes 1 & 2 of the Edgar Brothers' work (thank you Dave L for the reference, by the way), and I'd like to just clarify this issue regarding the depth of the Subterranean Horizontal Passage.

As you say, the Edgars determined that the original length of the Descending Passage was 4148 British inches (V. 1, p. 216). However, as they make clear on pages 92 and 170-175, the floor of the Subterranean Horizontal Passage has its beginning at a point somewhat above the endpoint of the Descending Passage. I cannot find in their work a measurement for this difference, but in their photo on p. 170 (and in the drawing made from this photo on p. 92) it looks to me to be about 7 inches, or so.

Therefore, if one uses Petrie's determination for the "mean" angle of slope of the Descending Passage (26° 31' 23") along with the Edgars' 4,148" measure for the original length of the Descending Passage, one can compute the depth of the endpoint of the Descending Passage below the pyramid's base. As you've correctly stated, this will compute to be 1,184 inches.

However, now one must subtract out 7 or so inches to get the elevation of the Subterranean Horizontal Passage (since it sits above the Descending Passage endpoint), thus bringing the depth of this Horizontal Passage closer to being 1,177 inches below the pyramid's base.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my belief is that this passage is actually closer to being 1,174 inches below the base, but only a new survey will be able to verify this claim.

Best,


Lee