156 replies to this topic

[bonneville]

Having a wonderful time reading the multitude of theories and research on this site.Have I missed something- I cant find any theories or explanations on how the so called airshafts were made in the Great Pyramid. Were they worked into the architecture during sonstruction or bored in at a later date? All replies welcome, whether based on "fact" or fancy

[Kantzveldt]

bonneville, on 16 May 2011 - 12:14 PM, said:

Having a wonderful time reading the multitude of theories and research on this site.Have I missed something- I cant find any theories or explanations on how the so called airshafts were made in the Great Pyramid. Were they worked into the architecture during sonstruction or bored in at a later date? All replies welcome, whether based on "fact" or fancy

They were inbuilt during construction.

[lightly]

Welcome bonneville,  Apparently they were carved in sections and installed during construction.
 shaftblock.JPG   13.04K   22 downloads  (click to enlarge)

[Cyaneyed]

Yes, as stated this post, they were built during construction. This explains how the stone 'plugs' or 'doorways' (as they were called due to the mysterious copper handles) were added. It would be impossible to retrospectively add those into the masonry of the structure.

Also, the shafts aren't in straight lines (they kink), meaning not only could they not have been bored in after the pyramid was completed, but they are also very hard to traverse even with modern technology (hence why we still don't know where some culminate-though conspiracy theorists would tell you otherwise!).

[cladking]

http://www.cheops.org/

This site is a little difficult to use, especially the first time but
it is superb and contains just about everything known about these shafts.  

Check out the "bends 3D" for some great depictions of the chambers, too.

[third_eye]

I don't think those shafts should be termed as "air shafts" anymore seeing that so much of what is known now conclusively points to the fact that they were never meant to be used as such.

Since the openings to the Queen's Chamber were left uncut I wonder why there should be "air plugs" on the other end.

[lightly]

*good points cyaneyed and third eye

I wonder if openings of the shafts at the exterior surfaces have been located??  Another thing i wonder about is...  if they were inbuilt to provide air to the inner chambers during construction, and then , plugged up along the way as construction proceeded outward and upward , as they obviously were, ... WHY on earth would they continue to the outside surface.. and air ?  shafts.gif   3.41K   8 downloads

*

Edited by lightly, 18 May 2011 - 12:53 PM.

[cladking]

third_eye, on 18 May 2011 - 11:41 AM, said:

I don't think those shafts should be termed as "air shafts" anymore seeing that so much of what is known now conclusively points to the fact that they were never meant to be used as such.

This is not true.  What is true is that many people find this the simplest
explanation for a feature built in what they believe is a tomb by people who
drew pictures of little birds representing the "soul" of the dearly departed
flying about.  This is not an unreasonable assumption but there is no evidence
to support it and there is some logic which shows it is neither consistent
with the evidence nor internally.  

Indeed, one of the best more recent theories is that these shafts allowed the
waters of Nun to flood the chamber for the dead king believed to have been in
the king's chamber.  

As far as anyone knows none of the other great pyramids had such a feature so
the question would become why would these people believe for less than twenty
years the king needed an escape route and then suddenly revert to the old beliefs
or move on to something new that again had him buried under his tombstone without
a means of escape.  

Quote

Since the openings to the Queen's Chamber were left uncut I wonder why there should be "air plugs" on the other end.

If you assume that the shafts were simply sealed when they were no longer being
used in construction then the questions become much more manageable. The lower
end simply suggests a second  intended function which was never used.

I don't believe it is safe to assume everything about the culture and their arte-
facts had a religious function.  It seems that 150 years of these assumptions have
led us to a dead end and numerous contradictions, inconsistencies, and mysteries.  

Sometimes an air shaft is just an air shaft.  

The Pyramid Texts seem to touch on these a little.  I believe they are the dorsal air
siphon of Serket and if you could talk to a builder that's what he'd call it.

Edited by cladking, 18 May 2011 - 02:46 PM.

[cladking]

lightly, on 18 May 2011 - 12:39 PM, said:

*good points cyaneyed and third eye

I wonder if openings of the shafts at the exterior surfaces have been located??  Another thing i wonder about is...  if they were inbuilt to provide air to the inner chambers during construction, and then , plugged up along the way as construction proceeded outward and upward , as they obviously were, ... WHY on earth would they continue to the outside surface.. and air ? shafts.gif

*

The upper shafts, of course, continue to the outside and someone
even attempted to enlarge the northern one to breach the pyramid.  
It's very unlikely the lower shafts continue to the outside and
this goes double if they were airshafts since they are plugged.  
It seems probable that one the kings chamber shafts were begun
the lower shafts simply became redundant so they were blocked and
abandoned.

[lightly]

cladking, on 18 May 2011 - 02:50 PM, said:

The upper shafts, of course, continue to the outside and someone
even attempted to enlarge the northern one to breach the pyramid.  
It's very unlikely the lower shafts continue to the outside and
this goes double if they were airshafts since they are plugged.  
It seems probable that one the kings chamber shafts were begun
the lower shafts simply became redundant so they were blocked and
abandoned.

thanks cladking,   Ah..   the upper ones from the King's chamber... i thought i remembered at least one reaching the exterior.          .. at the attempt to breach the pyramid through a shaft approximately 6 inches in diameter?   Of course they wouldn't know that ... until they tried .

[third_eye]

cladking, on 18 May 2011 - 02:50 PM, said:

The upper shafts, of course, continue to the outside and someone
even attempted to enlarge the northern one to breach the pyramid.  
It's very unlikely the lower shafts continue to the outside and
this goes double if they were airshafts since they are plugged.  
It seems probable that one the kings chamber shafts were begun
the lower shafts simply became redundant so they were blocked and
abandoned.

Okay, let's back it up a little bit here. Let's take things a little slower.
Step by step.

First : Was the Queen's chamber abandoned before , during or prior to the completion of the King's Chambers or Grand Gallery?

Makes a lot of difference for each different scenario.

Was the openings to the Queen's Chambers "stone left uncut" or "patched up" ?
If "left uncut" the whole process of getting it there requires very important planning.

Do you move everything on top out of the way and getting a brand new uncut stone in place and restack everything back up on top ?

Edited by third_eye, 19 May 2011 - 03:53 PM.

[marblecake]

"airshafts"? Oh my, bless your heart classic tenderfoot mistake. They're channels for microwaves to be emitted into space.

source: this

[cladking]

I don't believe it's possible for any single causative factor to be the reason
the airshafts were built.  These are far too complicated to fit into any single
use or single need explanation.  This means there were at least two reasons each
shaft or each pair of shafts were made.  These two reasons might be different
between the upper and lower shafts since there are very fundamental differences
between each pair.  

third_eye, on 19 May 2011 - 03:52 PM, said:

First : Was the Queen's chamber abandoned before , during or prior to the completion of the King's Chambers or Grand Gallery?

This is the largest fundamental difference.  Physical objects (and air) could act-
ually pass through the upper shafts while the lower shafts were built closed. The
queens shafts end about the level of the kings chamber suggesting that one of  the
functions could be taken over by the upper air shafts.  This would explain why they
were sealed with the plugs at that  point though one is left to ponder why they were
sealed so elaborately. There seems no simple function that would entail copper han-
dles.  (I'll look into the exact height of the plug and get back to you if it seems
relevant).  

Quote

Was the openings to the Queen's Chambers "stone left uncut" or "patched up" ?

It was uncut.  In other words the bottom was sealed even as it was being built. This
might merely suggest they didn't know for certain that the ability to pass solid ob-
jects would be required for these shafts.  

Quote

Do you move everything on top out of the way and getting a brand new uncut stone in place and restack everything back up on top ?

I'm confident they would have merely opened up the shaft if it were deemed necesary
but it never was.

[third_eye]

@clad

With all due respect cladking, your statement here :

Quote

It was uncut. In other words the bottom was sealed even as it was being built. This
might merely suggest they didn't know for certain that the ability to pass solid ob-
jects would be required for these shafts.

makes me think that I would likely come to the conclusion that you are either in dire need of a psychiatrist or you are just trying a little too hard at being silly.

[cladking]

third_eye, on 20 May 2011 - 12:56 PM, said:

@clad

With all due respect cladking, your statement here :


makes me think that I would likely come to the conclusion that you are either in dire need of a psychiatrist or you are just trying a little too hard at being silly.

If you can put what you don't understand into words I'd be
happy to try to explain it to you.