The Giza Power Plant Page 4
The explanation for the five overlaying chambers above the King's Chamber was purely a guess at the time of their discovery. It is logical and easy to ask, "What is this for?" But it is sometimes difficult to answer, "I don't know." So when Howard-Vyse discovered the five chambers above the King's Chamber, he speculated that they were included in the design to provide a buffer between the flat ceiling in the King's Chamber and the thousands of tons of masonry above. This guess was accepted on blind faith by others and has been repeated so often it has become ingrained. This explanation for the overlying chambers has not been questioned by Egyptologists—or any other researcher, for that matter. It may be argued that because the King's Chamber was at one time subject to a powerful force—the chamber walls show evidence of having undergone a violent repositioning—and the ceiling did not collapse, Howard-Vyse guessed correctly. However, as I will point out in more detail later in the book, this is a fallacious argument—the disturbance of the King's Chamber is attributed to an earthquake, but no other chambers suffered that fate.
The traditional tomb theory has been constantly drummed into us by documentaries, books, and movies. But despite its predominance, it continues to be questioned. On a more positive note, recently uncovered evidence has prompted some Egyptologists to revise aspects of the theory.
In 1993, Rudolph Gantenbrink, a German robotics engineer, explored the northern shaft leading from the Queen's Chamber using a specially designed robot equipped with a camera and laser pointer. Approaching a sharp bend in the shaft, Gantenbrink's robot, named Upuaut II (Upuaut means "opener of the ways") encountered an obstacle in its path. There was a length of steel pipe jammed in the passage. The pipe presumably was inserted into the shaft by early explorers with the hope of retrieving some artifacts. Not wanting to risk losing the $250,000 robot, Gantenbrink rescued it from this shaft and turned his attention to the Queen's Chamber southern shaft. During this tense mechanical expedition, Gantenbrink made a sensational discovery: At a level that is higher than the King's Chamber, his robot encountered a dead end, with what has been described as a "door" through which protruded two copper fittings. The implications of this discovery were immediately apparent, and created quite a dilemma for Egyptologists. According to their theories, Khufu changed his mind about being buried in the middle chamber in favor of a chamber higher up inside the pyramid. So if the so-called Queen's Chamber was abandoned for the higher chamber, it would not make sense for the builders to continue to create these shafts as the construction of the pyramid continued.
In order to construct these shafts, the builders had to use a tremendous amount of care. The blocks needed to be cut on an exact angle and fitted together with precision. More care would have been necessary when constructing the northern shaft because the shaft does not go straight through the pyramid. With the same angle in reference to a horizontal plane, the shaft veers to the left to bypass the Grand Gallery and then veers back again once the gallery is cleared. The blocks that were manufactured to accommodate this angle had to have been cut on a compound angle. What we have, then, are a large number of limestone blocks that are precision cut with a bottom surface that is cut on an angle (see Figure 3). Parallel to this surface a rectangular channel is cut to form the walls and ceiling of the shaft. The existence of these shafts, and the precision with which they were manufactured, cannot be explained within the framework set forth by many Egyptologists; thereby they undeniably weaken the tomb theory. I will discuss a more logical purpose for these shafts later in the book.
FIGURE 3. Example of Blocks Used to Create Pyramid Shaft
Rudolph Gantenbrink's important discovery has forced many Egyptologists to finally accept that their theories are flawed. This is an interesting development. Academic mores normally dictate that when a theory contains flaws, or unsubstantiated data that supports critical elements on which the theory is built, the entire theory must either be thrown out or revised. Instead of the tomb theory being dismissed, however, Gantenbrink himself was dismissed from the project. He discovered the "door" on March 22, 1993. A week later, he was told to pack up his robot and leave Egypt. Gantenbrink has the technology to go beyond the so-called door but, presumably because of political reasons, has been refused permission to resume his research in Egypt.
Gantenbrink, with an engineer's typical pragmatism, stated, "I take an absolute neutral position. It is a scientific process, and there is no need whatsoever to answer questions with speculation when these questions could be answered much more easily by continuing the research. Yet because of a stupid feud between what I call believers and non-believers, I am condemned as someone who is speculating. But I am not. I am just stating the facts. We have a device [ultrasonic] that would discover if there is a cavity behind the slab. It is nonsensical to make theories when we have the tools to discover the facts."15
Along with the recent discovery of the termination of the Queen's Chamber shaft, there is additional evidence that has been available for over a hundred years, but is seldom mentioned by Egyptologists. Cut into the bedrock about one hundred yards to the east of the Great Pyramid are features known as Trial Passages (see Figure 4). It is theorized that they were excavated to enable the workers to practice and perfect their skills before the Great Pyramid was built.
The Trial Passages are unique in that they are cut purely into the bedrock, yet they do have features that correspond with elements that are constructed, not excavated, within the Great Pyramid. A shortened version of the Descending Passage can be found as well as an Ascending Passage that is cut on the same angle as the one in the pyramid. At the juncture where the trial Descending and Ascending Passages meet there is a vertical shaft that must have fulfilled some need that the builders did not find necessary to include in the Great Pyramid. Where the trial Ascending Passage and the bottom of the trial Grand Gallery meet is an indentation that merely hints at the start of a Horizontal Passage such as that leading to the Queen's Chamber in the actual pyramid. The trial Grand Gallery displays features found in the Great Pyramid Grand Gallery, notably the steeply rising angle and the side ramps. The dimensions and angles of all these puzzling excavations are almost exactly the same as those in the Great Pyramid.
FIGURE 4. Trial Passages
William Flinders Petrie went further in describing these Trial Passages with tables of dimensions comparing the Trial Passages with various parts of the Great Pyramid. Table 1 is a reconstruction based on Petrie's table, using his dimensions.16
The hypothesis that these passages were "trial runs" is questionable, especially when the following observations are considered:
The passages in question were cut into the bedrock of the plateau. This would require a different technique than those used to duplicate these features inside the Great Pyramid. The excavating skills developed in digging these tunnels would, in all probability, be redundant when the builders turned to constructing the Great Pyramid.
These "trial passages" are the only ones found on the Giza Plateau. If there had been others of lesser quality, it could be argued that the builders needed the practice, but it is evident by the close similarity between these passages and the ones in the Great Pyramid that the builders knew exactly what they were doing. They already possessed the necessary skills needed to incorporate these features inside the Great Pyramid, making such an exercise, if that is what it was, unnecessary.
It should be noted that Trial Passages were not cut for the Horizontal Passage, Queen's Chamber, Well Shaft, and Subterranean Pit-an interesting point to consider when faced with the traditional tomb theory of why the inner chambers and passages came to be. It is doubtful that both the Trial Passages and the interior chambers of the Great Pyramid were the result of indecisiveness on the part of the builders. The Subterranean Pit, which was supposedly the first chamber that was abandoned by the king, is not even included in these passages. The Queen's Chamber, purportedly the second burial chamber abandoned by the king, also is not included. The King's Chamber, the last an
d final burial place for the king, is nowhere to be seen in these Trial Passages.17
In the course of events proposed by many Egyptologists, the Queen's Chamber was built after the lower chamber was abandoned. If the builders decided to excavate the Trial Passages after they had also rejected the Queen's Chamber, we may ask why include the Descending Passage and the Ascending Passage, which must, after all, have been already built into the pyramid? The most striking detail in this investigation is that the builders went to a lot of work to excavate these Trial Passages, and, at that stage, they were placing more emphasis on the passages than on the chambers.
It is reasonable to conclude, and the Trial Passages prove, therefore, that the builders planned the Ascending Passage and the Grand Gallery before beginning construction. More than likely they also planned the King's Chamber. We can conclude, therefore, that the interior design of the Great Pyramid was conceived before the construction started, with nothing added later, be it on a whim or for any other motivation.
With a weight of evidence opposing the traditional sequence of events in the Great Pyramid, Egyptologist Mark Lehner has modified the theory to accommodate its lack of logic. In his book The Complete Pyramids, he wrote, "Inside Khufu's pyramid we find developments that are unique in pyramid evolution and remarkable in the entire history of architecture. Many Egyptologists have long accepted Borchardt's suggestion that the pyramid's three chambers represent two changes in plan, with the abandonment of the Subterranean Chamber, believed to be the original intended burial chamber of the king, and then the Queen's Chamber, in favour of the King's Chamber. Several clues, however, combine to make it probable that all three chambers and the entire passage system were planned together from the outset. Three chambers seem to have been the rule for Old Kingdom pyramids."18
Although it is probably no more than an afterthought, given to rationalize the existence of three chambers inside the Great Pyramid, Lehner's last sentence, as amply illustrated and described in his book, is not quite accurate. Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara is riddled with three and one-half miles of tunnels that branch off and then converge into a central shaft at the bottom of which is a single burial chamber. The pyramid at Meidum has only one chamber. The Bent Pyramid at Dahshur has arguably two chambers and one so-called antechamber. Khafre's pyramid, which is next to Khufu's, has only two chambers. The Pyramid of Sahure at Abusir has only one chamber. Several other pyramids listed in Lehner's book also contain fewer than three chambers.19
By virtue of their design, the interior passageways and chambers within the Great Pyramid are difficult to explain according to the tomb theory. Orthodox explanations are strained and unconvincing, more so because Egyptologists offer differing opinions regarding the sequence of events during the Great Pyramid's construction and the intended purpose for its principal chambers. There are differences of opinion, too, between Egyptologists and professional architects regarding the establishment of its architectural attributes. In order for the tomb theory to be valid, an impossible feat must have been performed by the guardians of the Great Pyramid after the funeral procession had departed. Jammed within the lower part of the Ascending Passage are three huge blocks of granite that block the passageway that leads to the supposed burial chamber. Egyptologists propose that the blocks were originally stored in the Grand Gallery, held in position by wooden pegs inserted into slots, and then released to slide down the Ascending Passage and into position after the funeral procession had exited the pyramid. Yet architects and engineers claim that this would have been impossible and that these blocks had to have been installed as the pyramid was being built. In order for these blocks to slide down the passage, there would had to have been a half inch or more of clearance between the blocks and the passageway, whose surfaces would had to have been as smooth as glass to overcome friction.20 The fact is that these blocks fit into the passage without any clearance on the sides; and the limestone walls, which mayor may not have been smooth, would more than likely have been scoured by the harder granite as it pushed past. In addition, past these granite plugs the Ascending Passage pierces the heart of the pyramid at a 26°8' angle. Even with a clear passage—without the granite barriers—for a burial party this does not make sense, as the passage is only forty-one inches square, with barely enough room for a person to pass.
Nonetheless, in order to uphold their theory that the pyramid was indeed used as a tomb, Egyptologists must propose that the Ascending Passage was clear of obstruction. The only other way into the pyramid would have been through a small, cramped, almost vertical shaft that connects the lower Descending Passage with the Grand Gallery—certainly not a very dignified final journey for a king. So how do we reconcile the differences in opinion between Egyptologists and technologists regarding the physical realities of the theory? Obviously we are not going to re-enact the event in order to prove or disprove the theory one way or another, so the only way to settle the issue is to come up with an alternate theory that, in light of the physical evidence, makes more sense.
In this endeavor we are faced with a catch-22. The evidence cannot be explained within the parameters set by the tomb theory, so any theory that proposes that the pyramid was not a tomb is going to be immediately suspect and in all likelihood rejected out of hand. This is both good and bad. All theories should be suspect, but they should at least be objectively reviewed before being rejected. Such objectivity, in light of all the preceding arguments, can lead us to only one likely conclusion: There is precious little evidence to support the traditional tomb theory. Indeed, the evidence proves that it is altogether erroneous. Researchers who face the facts have made suggestions that the Great Pyramid must have served some other purpose. I agree. Considering the amount of effort that went into building it, and the precision of its execution, the pyramid's function must have been extremely important to its builders, more important even than serving as the final resting place for the king. So what was the function of the Great Pyramid? It is time to look at the evidence with a fresh eye and an open mind. As you will see as we progress through the book, the evidence that leads us away from the tomb theory will strongly support another theory: that the Great Pyramid was a highly sophisticated machine, with a function that was more fantastic than we have, until now, even dared consider.
Chapter Two
QUESTIONS, DISCOVERY, AND MORE QUESTIONS
Around A.D. 820, Caliph Al Mamun was inspired by reports of treasures within the Great Pyramid, and directed his men to search for an opening to the inside. Not finding such an opening, they resorted to breaking through the hard limestone exterior by lighting fires against the stone, then pouring vinegar on the heated rock. Once they were through the hard case, the softer limestone core-masonry yielded more easily to their chisels and they proceeded to hack out a tunnel. After blindly working for what seemed eternity, Al Mamun's men were about to quit, when they heard a muffled sound coming from within the pyramid. Redirecting their efforts toward the source of that sound, they eventually connected with the Descending Passage. But their efforts did not cease there. Finding only a long Descending Passage with a lonely Subterranean Chamber at the end, Al Mamun turned his attention to evidence of other possible passages. The bottom side of a large granite plug in the ceiling of the Descending Passage indicated to him that if he cut around the granite, he would find other passages. After chiseling around three granite plugs, Al Mamun's men opened to the world the inner chambers of the Great Pyramid. Each year, thousands of tourists follow the path that Al Mamun carved into this structure.
After Al Mamun's fruitless and disappointing search for treasures, there was little attention paid to the edifice, with the exception of using it as a quarry. Bats took over the inner passages and chambers, and suspicion took over the minds of the local inhabitants. Without modern illumination, few would dare to go inside, especially at noon and sunset, when a naked woman with large teeth who seduced people and drove them insane reportedly haunted the pyramid. Rabbi Benjamin ben Jonah o
f Navarre reported that "the Pyramids which are seen here are constructed by witchcraft."1
After Europeans started to travel to Egypt, information regarding the wonders found there began to find an audience in Western civilization. Fueled by their own curiosity and this intense interest at home, European explorers in the area were quite energetic in studying, searching, and noting just about anything, no matter how seemingly insignificant, pertaining to the Great Pyramid. As one researcher followed another, more knowledge of this pyramid was uncovered and revealed to the world.
John Greaves, a British mathematics teacher and astronomer, visited the Great Pyramid in 1638.2 He made studies with which he hoped to find information establishing the dimensions of the planet. During his explorations, Greaves discovered what was to be known as the Well Shaft. The Well Shaft is located at the bottom of the Grand Gallery through an opening in the west wall and is approximately three feet wide. The notches cut into the sides enabled Greaves to lower himself into the bat-infested bowels of the pyramid.
Climbing down, Greaves reached a level that was sixty feet below the level of the Grand Gallery. Here he came across a small round chamber cut into the limestone bedrock. Beyond this small cavern, and deeper still, the shaft continued downward. Not knowing what lay beneath him or whether a bottomless pit might swallow him up, Greaves dropped a lighted flare down the hole. He noted that the flare continued to flicker from the depths and assumed that the shaft terminated at that point. Deciding that he had crawled around enough for one day, Greaves made his way out into the fresh air, leaving the stifling shaft to its resident bats.