Quote:
Originally Posted by julianh72
Alex,
There is very little in the way of "documentary" evidence dating back to the era of the pyramids, other than the "hard" evidence (pottery, jewellery, buildings, sculptures, etc) - pretty well all of the "soft" evidence (papyrus, fabrics, official records and histories, etc) has been lost. The history trail was well and truly cold by the time of the celebrated later dynasties of Tutankhamen, Nefertiti, etc - they were mystified by the purpose and function of the pyramids, because the culture of the much earlier pyramid-builders was entirely foreign to them.
We KNOW that the earliest pyramids were used as tombs, because funerary remains have been found in some; we also know that virtually all tombs and temples of that period (including mausoleums, in-ground burials, cave burials, and the pyramids) were comprehensively looted well before the later Egyptian dynasties. The Egyptian pyramids were an evolution from earlier structures (mastabas in Egypt, ziggurats in Mesopotamia before that), and we also know that these too were used as temples and tombs.
It is incorrect to state that there are no hieroglyphics in the Great Pyramid - they HAVE been found in the various hidden chambers. Their meaning is not entirely certain, but they are thought to be builder's marks and calculations, rather than having a symbolic or religious function. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43314221/n.../#.XWiPgS4zZEY
As for the absence of such markings in the main chambers - yes, it is believed that whatever writing and artwork existed in the main chambers was destroyed by looting and / or decay. As I noted previously, it is unreasonable to assume that the walls of the pyramids would have been decorated in the same way as the temples of the much later dynasties - these were very different civilisations, functioning at very different times in history.
It seems to me that the question is not "What evidence is there that the Great Pyramid was intended to be a tomb?", but rather "What reason is there to suspect that it was not?" |
Nice informative post Julian. Thank you.
I will work on both questions and arrive at pros and cons for each.
Alex