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Hi Jon, Last time I was there this museum was closed, what struck me about it is its size and location at the bases of the necropolis access road. In fact I first thought it was a security building because of the way it is situated, couldn't figure out the choice unless they were expecting a lot of foot traffic, everyone drives by and parks far from it. Best, B.A. Hokomby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Clive, I should have written it as 23 deg. 58 min. 503 sec. (JNOW) for 2600 BCE earth declination. Light, or better shadow begot by the stationary sun in our universe travels a great distance, by the time it arrives here its radiation is relatively straight within one square mile of surface. A 1/2 degree shift of an object (declination) will effect the projection of its shadow, and this efby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Clive, It is more accurately stated as the "Azimuth of Shadow Cast at Tropic of Cancer". >Earth’s axis has a set 23.43 degrees tilt from the horizontal plane of the Sun…every single day of the year. Wherever you are on the planet, we are influenced with a plus 23.43 “effective” degrees shift in climate conditions…then return…followed by a minus 23.43 degrees shift.< Thiby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
I understand your point RLH, but consider that the pyramids casing in the area of the entrance was roughly 70" thick, so a 47" long granite block set in and above the passage wall is easily hidden from view when the door is open or closed. The entrance door could not be as thick as the casing (70"), which in turn requires that the passage extended beyond the core masonry and endedby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Hi Jon, If, for the sake of argument, we assume that the 'entrance' was still intact by the time Mahmoun arrives the decsending passage may have already been filled, I forget the 12th century scholar from Sicily who wrote for Roger but if I recall the descending passage was cleared by the time he visited. I would presume that when the systematic attack to the pyramids facing and eveby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Graham, There's a question though that at the center location of the entrance the facing stones were roughly 70 inches thick, given the size of the entrance and passage this requires in all cases that the 'door-stone' thickness could not have matched the thickness of the facing stones, and thus the entrance would require very special cuts. And, this all predicated on the basisby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Jon, I have been mulling this around in my head for some time, perhaps you or others here could enlighten me with your thoughts; 1. Petrie's block, the one that you have re-created for us above, was found in the descending passage, below the intersection of the ascending passage. 2. If it once belonged to the portcullis system of the antechamber, there is only one possible way it coby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Hi Jon, Great post! So Petrie's block is missing, and your re-construct shows what it must have looked like, one hole, hard to imagine it was removed with no accountability. Block 2 you have measured, not just its thickness but also the center marks of each hole, and as you say the holes align perfectly with the antechamber grooved back wall (sothern) and the blocks thickness agreesby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Jon, when you refer to the northern shaft hole, you wrote "blocking stone", I have always been under the impression that the shaft was closed by an un-cut 'membrane' of the wall stone. Best, B.A. Hokomby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
ha ha B.A. Hokomby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Jon, The change in stone size and quality is interesting, are the smaller core stones furthest away orderly or are they random in their construct? Best Regards, B.A. Hokomby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Jammer, There is an argument that can be made that the upper well shaft (of fine limestone construction) just below the north end of the western ramp in G1 housed a granite counter-weight. The granite block residing in the grotto representing the larger portion of the counter-weight and the top portion found outside the pyramid (with drilled holes). These two parts once formed a single cut pby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Poundr17, AFAIK they do not correspond to course levels found in the chamber, I have never studied that as a possibility however each ceiling stone in the relieving chambers is a different height (thickness?) and the number of them varies on each level, on the north and south ends of these stones are cross members which then accomodate the next level of ceiling stone. If I am right you are inby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Hi Ritva B.A. Hokom P.S. Anything in those P texts about monkeys, apes or rats?by Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Clive, you wrote; "Who is buried in them is not relevant...it's not an issue worth discussing since nobody knows." This is perhaps the reason Greg finds your assumptions a bit odd. Of course we know who was buried in the mastabas, we know how they were divided and we know why. The eastern field is royal family (court) and covers as many as five generations into the 6th dby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
MJ- That's a good point, vertical pressure on the north and south walls (ie. the ends of the roofing stones, combine that with moving the gable up and away from the gallery and perhaps we see the architect solving a problem not anticipated. Best Regards, B.A. Hokomby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Ronald, Good point. Regards, B.A. Hokomby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
MJ- you wrote: "Unfortunately, what purpose the QC served or was intended to serve remains a mystery - not just to me but (AFAIK) to everybody else." I'd say that's very unfortunate for the answer you gave, since your answer requires knowing what you claim as a simple answer. The only physical evidence inside the pyramid that links it to Khufu are workman marks, tby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
MJ- Well, you must explain why then one chamber, the first one built, does not have a coffer, is not made of granite and has a niche. My understanding is that aswan granite was no less available at the pyramids construction point of the 24th course, but then why would they first design the kings chamber and later the queens? it does not add up in my opinion. Lets say the idea for the Kiby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
G.R.- Lets not forget some of these blocks in the so called 'relieving chambers' (the top one if I remember correctly) were originally intended for the chambers ceiling, revealing they were cut and not used but re-employed up there above the chamber ceiling. B.A. Hokomby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Poundr17, You said "The Queen's Chamber has the same form as the King's." Just to set the record straight, it is the other way around ~ in fact the King's chamber has the same form as the Queen's, because it was built after the queen's. What I really like about this fact is the subtle inference made in the Westcar about Khufu wanting to create the same for hby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Hi Robert, I agree, in part. In the most likely senario the Kings chamber was constructed on the ground outside of the pyramid first, allowing for its accurate joints and courses to be determined, that type of work would surely take some time and would not be conducive to building it in the pyramid, once completed it was reassembled inside the pyramid and the walls et al smoothed once in finby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Hi Robert, It is my impression that Akhet is a derivative of Akeru ~ Aker, this is sometimes referred to by the symbol used for Aker with a sun disc. The fourth dynasty however as you state used the 'crested ibis' for Akhet. Taking all versions into consideration it seems as though the duat exists not just in the east but the west as well at the points of descension and ascension fby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Pounder, Very good points, and yes it would be an interesting study to see what, if any, the royal cubit derivation of the symmetrical stacked stones in the horizontal passage have compared to the kings chamber's royal cubit. Unfortunately Dormion does not elaborate on the subject. The structural (masonry) characteristics I have pointed out are most vibrant when you consider that thby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Graham, Thank you for your kind words. You make a good point. Some believe the 'trial' passages were part of an abandoned satellite pyramid, but I am with you on its purpose to be used as a test platform, in such a case then the extended part may represent the existence of the descending. Using the perfection of the descending as evidence (all the way to the subterranean chamberby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Robert, Its difficult to imagine such a passage for the subterranean chamber originating so far away but as we have many examples for the "tunneling" abilities of the ancients it's not entirely out of the question. My imaginative ideas lean towards a 12th dynasty excavation of the descending passage perhaps in the hopes of finding the holy grail or to create a tomb below the pyby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Robert, You pose: "However, perhaps there is an alternative interpretation for site location concerning previous site use attributed to the ancestors. If kings were consciously choosing their pyramids sites,46 then why not honour their past to strengthen and legitimize their present constructions?" I think you have hit the nail directly on the head! Many features withinby Pistol - Ancient Egypt
Graham, One way to view "The great skill employed to the passageway" is that it was constructed long after the pyramid was built. The off axis alignment of the passageway however could be attributed to a much earlier structure built atop the outcrop of rock, the sacred location being adopted into the pyramid and preserved. Best Regards, B.A. Hokomby Pistol - Ancient Egypt