Great Pyramid may still contain Khufu's intact pharaonic tomb

Daily Star (Lebanon) ^ | Thursday, July 14, 2005 | Kyle Cassidy

[SunkenCiv]

Both shafts terminate somewhere within the structure as there are no holes in the outside of the pyramid. In the past, scholars have speculated that because of their alignment with the North Star and constellation Orion, these shafts could be symbolic exits for King Khufu's ka, or soul. Many archaeologists today find this unlikely because these small openings are unique to this pyramid. At the time of Khufu's reign, false doors served as symbolic gateways to the afterlife. As to whether the shafts terminate in larger rooms or not are still anybody's guess.

[SunkenCiv]

Many thanks to Constitution Day for emailing the link. These mysterious doors are tiny; they are right out near the surface of the pyramid; they have absolutely nothing to do with anything of much importance. Zahi's just drummin' up business. Egypt can't pay for more flight lessons for its nationals and ammo for things like the Luxor massacre without those tourist dollars pouring in.

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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks again, Constitution Day.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[blam]

"Egypt can't pay for more flight lessons for its nationals and ammo for things like the Luxor massacre without those tourist dollars pouring in. "

My sister was at the Luxor site the day before the massacre. She will never go back to Egypt. I was there in '61 and have just about lost interest in anything Egyptian.

Albeit, I think the government cracked down pretty hard after the Luxor incident.

[Aetius]

This would be too good to be true.

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, I was far too j'accuse toward the Egyptian single party state. And the terrorists at Luxor got chased and some of them captured (one almost beaten to death, if memory serves) by angry Egyptians.

Of course, those Egyptians were angry because they make their money off tourism, not because dozens of German tourists were gunned down.

[SunkenCiv]

We should keep in mind that apparent unknown chambers were detected by a Japanese team, using some kind of low-invasion method, circa 1980. The team was kicked out and banned from the plateau.

I don't doubt that there's nothing left to be found, and that the burial chamber (which was open to ancient tourists for centuries, before being resealed) was looted long, long ago.

[Aetius]

Its just sort of depressing how much of the ancient world has been lost to looting, natural disasters, amd the type of fires that wiped out the Alexandrian library.

[RightWhale]

The small shafts that go from the king's tomb to the outside are said to be sighting shafts for some kind of astronomical events. However, the shafts are not straight and there is no view to the outside through them.

[Spktyr]

Someone went to an awful lot of trouble to seal those shafts. It might be a bad idea to open them (bio or other unknown hazard?) without reexamining the entire structure with new technology (ground penetrating radar, perhaps) first.

[Constitution Day]

Zahi's just drummin' up business.

That was my impression as well.
Thanks much for posting it; I didn't have time to do so last night!

Regards,
CD

[vannrox]

"...Great Pyramid may still contain Khufu's intact pharaonic tomb..."

Name me any pyramid that has been shown to have been a tomb. The thought that pyramids are tombs is nothing more than just speculative consideration.

[Bellflower]

bttt

[wildbill]

Hawass is right. It is important is to show the adventure of archelogy so people will support it and then value the findings.

[SunkenCiv]

I guess that's what Hawass banned Gantenbrink from the plateau after he discovered the door in the first place? :'D

This is all about, tourism, Zahi's self-importance, and Egyptian nationalism.

[phasma proeliator]

I say we send in an engineering batallion and just take the damn thing apart.

[SunkenCiv]

I think we have already discovered the Real Curse of the Mummy. ;')

[phasma proeliator]

LOL...

[RightWhale]

Maybe somebody else will. The pyramid probably worked. The sarg is empty, isn't it?

[SunkenCiv]

Sakkarah
Step pyramid complex and tomb (August 1974)
http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/IS/SANDERS/PHOTOS/EGYPT/SAKKARAH/sakkarah62.html

Khufu Pyramid: King's Chamber, Tomb View
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/explore/khufutombking.html

[night reader]

Its just sort of depressing how much of the ancient world has been lost to looting, natural disasters, and the type of fires that wiped out the Alexandrian library.

Just makes the little which does survive that much more interesting, exotic, and unfortunately, valuable (thus inviting more looting.)