The Antechamber


Section 5.9.1

The next section consists of a horizontal passageway from the topstone in the Grand Gallery to the so-called King´s chamber, but in the middle of the passageway, there is an Antechamber with a peculiar locking system which should prevent intruders from entering the King´s chamber. It is obvious that the locking system did not keep out the intruders - whoever they were - and this passageway has been unbearable vandalized. 

Even the doorway in the southern wall of the Grand Gallery is vandalized. Hereunder are photos of the doorway taken by Edgar.

Source: The Great Pyramid Passages And Chambers" Volume 1 by John and Morton Edgar, 1910

Source: The Great Pyramid Passages And Chambers" Volume 1 by John and Morton Edgar, 1910

I have marked a track above the doorway. It appears that intruders have used a long tool. Why was it necessary?  

Maybe because there was a block stone in the doorway hiding the passageway that needed to be removed?

Source: The Great Pyramid Passages And Chambers" Volume 1 by John and Morton Edgar, 1910, revised with a blue marking by me.

Section 5.9.2

The height and width of the doorway between the Grand Gallery and the horizontal passageway to the Antechamber are not mentioned by Petrie, so I must see what Smyth has measured, even his measures usually are a bit shorter: 

Source :  (S20-P94-L5-8)

My comments:
The northern doorway near the great step in the Grand Gallery:
Height: 43,7" = 2,12 cubits RM, which is rounded up to 2,1 cubits RM in the drawings.
Width: 41,5" = 2,01 cubits RM,  which is rounded up to 2,0 cubits RM in the drawings.

The southern doorway near the King´s chamber:
Height: 43,6" to 43,8" = 2,11 cubits RM to  2,12 cubits RM,  which is rounded up to 2,1 cubits RM in the drawings.
Width: 41,4" = 2,01 cubits RM, which is rounded up to 2,0 cubits RM in the drawings. 

It seems the northern doorway is located exactly in the middle of the southern wall of the Grand Gallery on the great step.
According to section 5.5.10 the width between the walls in the Grand Gallery is 3,98 cubits RM, so the walls east and west for the doorway has a width of:
( 3,98 cubits RM - 2,01 cubits RM ) / 2 = 0,99 cubits, which is rounded up to 1,0 cubits in the drawings.

According to section 5.5.10 the coordinates of the southern corners in the Grand Gallery is:
East - south corner: 2041;2170
West - south corner: 2081;2170

According to section 5.5.9 the up-down coordinate at the above mentioned corners is: 1979 

Section 5.9.3

I have tried to make a drawing of the original northern doorway at the top stone and added the measures:

Underneath is the same drawing but with coordinates instead. Please observe in this drawing, coordinates are composed of all three dimensions:

The coordinates are composed of: North-South; Up-Down; East-West.

Calculations:
Eastern corner: 2170;1979;2041

2170;1979;(2041+1 cubit x 10) = 2170;1979;2051
2170;1979;(2041+2 cubits x 10) = 2170;1979;2071
2170;1979;(2071+1 cubits x 10) = 2170;1979;2081

2170;(1979 - 2,1 cubits x 10);2051 = 2170;1958;2051
2170;(1979 - 2,1 cubits x 10);2071 = 2170;1958;2071

Section 5.9.4

The complete section of the horizontal passageways and the Antechamber was measured by Petrie, here are the results:

Source: (S5orig-[S47]-P75-table)

Source: (S5orig-[S47]-P76-table), it is a continuation of the table on page 75.

The tables are mixed together in an Excel sheet:
The measures are in British inches.

The next table is the same, but in cubits. The calculation is inches/20,62 = cubits:

Section 5.9.5

Smyth made a drawing of the Antechamber:

Source: (S20-table, between the pages 96 and 97 )

It appears in lower part of the drawing by Smith the "Plan of Floor" that the walls of the north and south passageways are flush with the two wainscots.

The upper part of the drawing by Smyth is a bit confusing. I have marked different areas with colours:

The black marked area: 
This is the northern wall, the black area is the doorway to the Grand Gallery. On top of the doorway there are 3 limestones marked "L". On the left (west) side there is a granite wainscot a bit taller than the granite wainscot on the right side (east).

The red marked area:
The wainscot is a bit lower than the wainscot on the western wall. The wainscot consists of 4 broad grooves and 4 pilasters. The first groove is occupied by a partly destroyed granite twinstone partly standing on a limestone. 

The yellow marked area:
The southern wall consists of the doorway to the "Kings" chamber (black area), the two wainscots and 4 grooves of which the lower part is partly destroyed.  

The green marked area:
The western wall has the tallest wainscot also consisting of  4 broad grooves and 4 pilasters. The granite twinstone is drawn from the other side.  The twinstone has a boss on the upper part. The 3 most southern broad grooves has semicircular hollows. The  irregular hole (black area) is made by an intruder. 

The purple marked area:
This is the ceiling of the Antechamber consisting of 3 granite stones.

The blue marked area:
This is the top view of the floor at the floor level.


The Antechamber without the wainscots is measured by Petrie with these results:

Source: (S5orig-[S48]-P76-table)


In an Excel sheet it looks like this:


The same sheet in cubits RM:

The average of the length, north to south, is: 5,6 cubits.
The average of the width, east to west, is: 3,2 cubits.

It is surprising that the dimensions are not whole or half values ​​of the unit cubit, so I converted these results into the other unit remens:

Calculation method: Cubits RM x square root of 2 = Remens RM

The average of the length, north to south, is: 8,0 remens.
The average of the width, east to west, is: 4,5 remens.

It appears that the antechamber was designed with the unit remens instead of cubits.  So far, I have no explanation for this.

Section 5.9.6

The length and width of the Antechamber is based on the unit remens. Petrie measured the north-west to south-east and north-east to south-west diagonals. The results must be close to whole or half values of cubit as the diagonals are the hypotenuses: 

Source: (S5orig-[S48]-P76-L33-34)

My comments:
The diagonal north-west to south-east 0,01 cubits RM from the ceiling: 6,5 cubits RM.  
The diagonal north-east to south-west 0,01 cubits RM from the ceiling: 6,5 cubits RM.  

The diagonal north-west to south-east over wainscot: 6,5 cubits RM.
The diagonal north-east to south-west over wainscot: 6,4 cubits RM.

Section 5.9.7

Petrie measured the height of the Antechamber, here is the results:


In an Excel sheet it looks like this:


The same, but converted to cubits RM:


And in remens RM:

It appears the floor in the Antechamber is elevated 0,15 cubits or 1/4 remens compared to the level of the top stone in the Grand Gallery.

Another interesting feature is the average height in the Antechamber is designed to be 7 1/4 cubits or 10 1/4 remens.
(The fraction 1/4 was also used in the ancient Egypt. For more details about this subject, please see section 3.2.6 in the tab units.)