Update: Return to the Great Pyramid [ Bob Brier & Jean-Pierre Houdin ]

Archaeology ^ | Volume 62 Number 4, July/August 2009 | Bob Brier

[SunkenCiv]

All of the current theories -- a long, straight ramp, a ramp that corkscrewed around the outside of the pyramid, or cranelike shadoufs (used in Egypt until recently for irrigating fields) -- have serious flaws... architect Jean-Pierre Houdin and I presented a radical new theory: that blocks of stone were raised to the very top of the pyramid on an internal ramp.

We gave what we felt was strong evidence for the theory, which explains a French team's microgravemetric survey in the 1980s that recorded variations in the density of the pyramid... an image from the survey may show a ramp still open inside the pyramid, running parallel to the outer face of the structure and turning 90 degrees at the corners, corkscrewing up to the top.

[SunkenCiv]

The author contemplates the notch on the northeast edge of the Great Pyramid at Giza. A chamber beyond the hole in the wall provides new information on the monument's construction. (Gedeon Programme/Dassault Systèmes)
Construction details suggest this L-shaped chamber dates from the building of the pyramid. Some blocks in it are carved in semi-arches to support the ceiling (left) and the central ceiling block was set in place, like a keystone (right). Mortar extrudes into the chamber from around small blocks likely put in place from behind the wall by workmen retreating down the ramp (center, area circled). (Photos: Gedeon Programme/Dassault Systèmes)
A survey in the 1980s recorded a possible internal ramp (left, highlighted in white). Where the ramp turns the pyramid's northeast corner (red dot), there is a notch in the masonry (center). An L-shaped room behind this notch was used for turning blocks. It was closed off after work was completed (computer diagram at right). (Photos: left: EDF Foundation/Jean-Pierre Houdin; center: Farid Atiya; right: Jean-Pierre Houdin/Dassault Systèmes, Microgravimetry)

[SunkenCiv]

Architect claims to solve pyramid secret
Yahoo News | March 30, 2007 | Laurence Joan-Grange
Posted on 03/30/2007 4:57:51 PM PDT by Man50D
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1809556/posts

Architect Says Pyramid Built Inside Out
AOL News | March 31, 2007 | Tim Hepher
Posted on 03/31/2007 9:48:03 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1809827/posts

Egyptologists use high-tech software to analyze construction of Great Pyramid
physorg.com | October 21, 2008 | Sumathi Reddy and Nia-Malika Henderson
Posted on 10/21/2008 6:14:48 AM PDT by Mike Fieschko
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2111085/posts

[SunkenCiv]

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[LRS]

I saw the show on this. It was quite fascinating...

[Tax-chick]

I read this in the magazine. Bob Brier is the lecturer on The Teaching Company’s “Ancient Egypt” set; he has a really cute sense of humor. When I run out of new history CD’s, I often pick out a random disc of “Ancient Egypt” to pass the time.

[Sacajaweau]

Always said the Pyramids were a honeycomb inside. That would lend to all kinds of leverage possibilities.

[PIF]

So did I. But where and when did this “primative” people learn to build like that? Or was it built long before by some one else and they were merely repairing it? Can one tell the difference between original building and a major later reconstruction?

[jalisco555]

Brier’s Teaching Company course on Egypt was terrific. I bought mine so long ago that it was the VHS version. Maybe I should splurge and get it again on DVD since my VCRs have all given up the ghost. Brier also wrote a book detailing how, in his opinion, King Tut was murdered. This view is controversial.

[Tax-chick]

I just have audio CD. He discussed his theory about King Tut in the course - it’s reasonable, although it can’t be proved.

[jalisco555]

The video version has a ton of really interesting photos. I usually just get audio versions of courses but a few are worth investing in video. The digital download versions are fairly economical and they keep records of your purchase in case you accidentally delete a course. As a pathologist (albeit not of the forensic variety) I found his detailed description of Tut’s possible murder in the book very interesting, although not everyone is convinced it actually was homicide.

[jalisco555]

I should add that the digital download is audio only. BTW, I’ve gotten a few Art History courses which are, of course, video only. Terrific stuff, as is Alex Fillipenko’s (sp?) Astronomy course. That one is fascinating although exhausting. 96 lectures, I’m somewhere in the 70’s now.

[SunkenCiv]

Had heard about, but not seen, the show about this, until a couple weeks ago, and have watched it five or six times since. I’ve got a few suggestions for additions to the model, but basically, it appears that Houdin hit it out of the park with his ramp discovery.

There’s no reason to believe that the Great Pyramid was built significantly earlier (as claimed by Bauval, West, Hancock, et al) or were built with power tools (I forget which tools came up with that one). The Pharaohs’ constructions went from mastabas, to step pyramids, to pyramids, over a period of a few hundred years.

The exterior limestone facing blocks the Muzzies carted off to build Cairo were carved with texts, described but alas not recorded by at least one ancient writer. The Great Pyramid was opened to tourists in Roman (and perhaps Greek) times, then closed back up by Byzantine times. During the Middle Ages one of the caliphs had it opened again. Between the ancient Egyptians themselves (who did 99+ per cent of the tomb robbing in Egypt), and various invaders and foreign rulers going back to pharaonic times, it’s a wonder there isn’t more damage.

The only writing visible inside the pyramid today is graffiti, including a text on the wall of one of the relieving chambers, which reads (per Lehner) “how mighty is the ‘Great White Crown of Khufu’ (work) gang”. Most of the rest of the graffiti is modern, or made during or since the Ptolemies, with the exception of a four-character graffito (possibly the name of the graffitist) carved over the doorway.

However, one of the early Egyptologists (possibly Petrie, but I can’t find it on the drive) recorded the last trace of official Fourth Dynasty text on one of the walls, I believe in the Grand Gallery, a reference to “Year of the Cattle Drive” during the reign of Khufu. That has since flaked away.

[SunkenCiv]

I like those CDs. Yeah, his book, “The Murder of Tut”, is an amusing read; it turns out that the skull damage (to Tut, not to Brier) on which he bases his thesis is probably due to modern handling of the mummy.

[SunkenCiv]

Seems like it would have dripped out by now. ;’)

The interesting thing about the microgravimetric study the French team did about 20 years ago is, they didn’t publish the graphic shown above, probably because no one had anticipated a ramp, and they didn’t want to look incompetent. Makes the rest of the study look a bit lame, although they did discover a previously unknown chamber, which was drilled into, but otherwise unexamined.

[Xenalyte]

Ah, but what does Zahi Hawass have to say? Isn’t there, like, a law that no one can talk about pyramids without consulting him?

[SunkenCiv]

• Inscription in Carian and Greek

[SunkenCiv]

That’s the best part of the show! Zahi appears not even once! Dunno if he was just out of the country, or because he likes Bob Brier, or plans to fling crap on the thesis, or wants to see if it catches on before he takes credit for it.

[SunkenCiv]

• History of Ancient Egypt by Bob Brier
• Great Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Bob Brier
• Brier (search results)

[Pietro]

Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

The stones were lifted straight up on scaffolding.

No mastermason worthy of the name would have wasted the energy and time required to build useless ramps.

A series of levers were used to divide the weight of the stones in half (at their center) and the power required to lift one side and then the other could have been prodided by water pumped to the top of the scaffolding.

Raise the stones slightly above the height of the working course and let them roll into place.

Does anyone think that masons acquired such an exalted reputation by building ramps???

[Xenalyte]

Knowing that, now I wonder if Brier and Houdin planned their trip for a time they knew they’d be Zahi-free.

But if one of the other parts of your theory turns out to be true, we should be hearing from him any time now.