Hi all,
I have some questions that I do not seem to be succeeding in finding answers to even with the assistance of the not-so-ancient oracle known as "Google".
First, in Treasures of the Pyramids in the chapter on pyramidia, Zahi Hawass states
"Many people believed that the pyramid of Khafre never had a pyramidion because they thought that the casing of white limestone continued to the top of the pyramid, However, Italian scholars Maragioglio and Rinaldi surveyed the top of this pyramid and pointed out that the summit of the pyramid had been destroyed and now ended in a small platform. Another Italian expedition recently surveyed this pyramid to assess damage from an earthquake. They discovered that the casing stone of the top is only five centimeters thick, which is different from all the other pyramids at Giza."
Does anyone have information on additional dimensions of this platform or this "five centimeters thick" layer of casing stones, the identity of the more recent Italian expedition who discovered this, or any other related information?
Second, I'm looking for sufficiently reliable information on the Chephren subsidiary pyramid GII-a. It looks as if Maragioglio and Rinaldi may have given some of this information on a plate from Le piramidi di Zedefra e di Chefren I presume? [giza.fas.harvard.edu] but the plates from M&R at this site seem to be almost completely illegible at the available resolution.
Does anyone have that data that I hope was included by Maragioglio and Rinaldi, or reliable data from any other sources on the base dimensions and height or slope angle of GII-a?
Third, I recently came across a webpage without references that alleges that beneath its exterior, the Mycerinus pyramid is configured as a step pyramid rather than as a layered construction.
Does anyone know a good source on this, particularly one that would confirm this, and more importantly, does anyone know of any successes in determining the proportions of these steps?
Fourth, does anyone know the story of the discovery and reconstruction of the pyramidion of G1-d? I have read the texts by Zahi Hawass and the appendix by Josef Dorner several times and seem to be left with the impression that the second course of the pyramidion was never found.
I'm somewhat confused as photographs (I think the best one I know of is page 162 of Treasures of the Pyramids) shows a second course that appears rather pristine on top but somewhat damaged on the bottom - is this perhaps a facsimile of the second course that has been chipped away by tourists attempting to gain souvenirs?
I'm also somewhat confused by this matter because Plate 5 of Hawass and Dorner show what looks as if the discovery of part of the pyramidion in situ with what look several parts of an adjacent course immediately present.
Would anyone happen to know the true story here, and particularly the heights of the second and third courses of the pyramidion that are on display?
Many thanks in advance for any assistance that anyone might be able to provide, and apologies for having so many questions, and probably naive ones at that. Perhaps I'm just a bit slow, but when it comes to archaeology, for some reason I often seem to read much but learn little.
I have some questions that I do not seem to be succeeding in finding answers to even with the assistance of the not-so-ancient oracle known as "Google".
First, in Treasures of the Pyramids in the chapter on pyramidia, Zahi Hawass states
"Many people believed that the pyramid of Khafre never had a pyramidion because they thought that the casing of white limestone continued to the top of the pyramid, However, Italian scholars Maragioglio and Rinaldi surveyed the top of this pyramid and pointed out that the summit of the pyramid had been destroyed and now ended in a small platform. Another Italian expedition recently surveyed this pyramid to assess damage from an earthquake. They discovered that the casing stone of the top is only five centimeters thick, which is different from all the other pyramids at Giza."
Does anyone have information on additional dimensions of this platform or this "five centimeters thick" layer of casing stones, the identity of the more recent Italian expedition who discovered this, or any other related information?
Second, I'm looking for sufficiently reliable information on the Chephren subsidiary pyramid GII-a. It looks as if Maragioglio and Rinaldi may have given some of this information on a plate from Le piramidi di Zedefra e di Chefren I presume? [giza.fas.harvard.edu] but the plates from M&R at this site seem to be almost completely illegible at the available resolution.
Does anyone have that data that I hope was included by Maragioglio and Rinaldi, or reliable data from any other sources on the base dimensions and height or slope angle of GII-a?
Third, I recently came across a webpage without references that alleges that beneath its exterior, the Mycerinus pyramid is configured as a step pyramid rather than as a layered construction.
Does anyone know a good source on this, particularly one that would confirm this, and more importantly, does anyone know of any successes in determining the proportions of these steps?
Fourth, does anyone know the story of the discovery and reconstruction of the pyramidion of G1-d? I have read the texts by Zahi Hawass and the appendix by Josef Dorner several times and seem to be left with the impression that the second course of the pyramidion was never found.
I'm somewhat confused as photographs (I think the best one I know of is page 162 of Treasures of the Pyramids) shows a second course that appears rather pristine on top but somewhat damaged on the bottom - is this perhaps a facsimile of the second course that has been chipped away by tourists attempting to gain souvenirs?
I'm also somewhat confused by this matter because Plate 5 of Hawass and Dorner show what looks as if the discovery of part of the pyramidion in situ with what look several parts of an adjacent course immediately present.
Would anyone happen to know the true story here, and particularly the heights of the second and third courses of the pyramidion that are on display?
Many thanks in advance for any assistance that anyone might be able to provide, and apologies for having so many questions, and probably naive ones at that. Perhaps I'm just a bit slow, but when it comes to archaeology, for some reason I often seem to read much but learn little.