DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3558#0016
14
THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZEH.
THE SEVENTH PYRAMID,
THE NORTHERN, EASTWARD OF THE GREAT PYRAMID.
This Pyramid is almost entirely destroyed, a large cavity having been made in the centre; it is, in fact, at present, a mound
covered with sand. The Entrance was evidently beneath a large block,* that appeared, as far as an opinion could be formed, to
have been in the centre of the Northern Front. The sand and rubbish before it had been thrown up in a ridge, apparently at
no very distant period, so that very little labour was required to open it. On the 28th of July, the Interior, as well as the
Chambers and Excavations, was examined. The Inclined Passage, which, excepting the first 16 feet, was an Excavation, was much
encumbered with broken stones and sand, and descended to a vestibule, in which a cutting near the ceiling, and another on the
southern side,f seemed to have been intended, either for the fixing of a granite slab at the entrance of a short Inclined Passage
that led to the Sepulchral Chamber to the westward, or for the introduction of the Sarcophagus into that Apartment. The
northern side of the Short Passage had been revetted with masonry; and the Sepulchral Chamber had been lined with squared
blocks of white stone; the greatest part of which, however, excepting a few courses near the north-western corner, had been
removed, and were heaped up in the Apartment. A shallow recess on the western side, might have been intended for the reception
of a Sarcophagus; which, from some fragments discovered by Mr. Perring, seemed to have been composed of basalt, highly polished,
but quite plain.
An indication of an air-channel might be observed on the northern side, and near it was a quantity of black dust, apparently
decayed stone. A few pieces of bone, and of rusty metal, were found in the sand that had drifted with the rain-water, from the
Entrance; of which, it is to be observed, that a considerable quantity had run down the Entrance Passage into a flaw, or chasm,
on the eastern side of the vestibule.
As this Pyramid had evidently been ransacked, it was not cleared out.
In Plate I. of the Three Pyramids to the eastward of the Great Pyramid, a plan and section of this Building are given. And
in Plate II., Fig. 1, is the Entrance.
TABLE OF DIMENSIONS OF THE SEVENTH PYRAMID.
Feet. Inelies.
Original Base, supposed to be a square of £ . . . . . . . . 172 6
------Perpendicular Height, supposed to be . . . . . . . . .111 0
------ Inclined Height, supposed to be . ........140 0
Angle of Casing, supposed to be 52° 10'.
Former Extent of Base, supposed to be 3295 square yards.
Present Base above ground, about . . . • • • • • • • . 125 0
------Height above ground . . ... • • • • • - • 45 0
ENTRANCE PASSAGE IN CENTRE OF NORTHERN FRONT.
Length................55 3
Height . . . . . . . • . • ... . . 4 0
Feet. Inches.
3 6
Width................
Angle, 33° 35'.
HORIZONTAL PASSAGE.
Length . . . . . . . . . . » . . . .9 0
ANTEROOM.
Length, North and South . . . . .... . . . . . 13 10
Width, East and West......... . . . . 5 10
Height at Southern End............. 99
------Northern End.............. 4 0
Length of Inclined Floor............ 10 9
INCLINED PASSAGE LEADING TO SEPULCHRAL CHAMBER.
Length ... . . . . ... . . .
Height . . . , .
Width . . . . . . . .
Angle, 34°.
SEPULCHRAL CHAMBER.
Length, East and West . . . . . . . ...
Width, North and South........
Lining from 2 ft. 2f in. to 2 ft. 8 in. in thickness.
Feet. Indies.
13 4
4 1
3 1
11
9
8
9
THE EIGHTH PYRAMID.
THE CENTRAL, EASTWARD OF THE GREAT PYRAMID,
On the 29th of July, 1837, some coarse red paterae, pearl oyster-shells, and earth, were dug up in the rubbish, near the
Northern Front of this Pyramid ; from which it was supposed that the Entrance was not far off; as earth, and other substances,
had been found near the Entrances of most of the other Pyramids. It was eventually found in the masonry; and, in the mean
time, it was supposed to have been discovered between two inclined blocks at the Base; these proved, however, to be
parts of the casing, a good deal of which remained. The stones had been roughly chiselled into the proper angle before they
were laid, and had afterwards been worked down to a polished surface from the top of the Building,^ so that the joints were
scarcely perceptible; but, in many places, the latter operation had not been entirely performed. The blocks were as beautifully
polished and as firmly set as those in the Great Pyramid; and the masonry of the two monuments had a great resemblance,
which was remarkable, as the Eighth is generally supposed to have been the tomb of the daughter of Cheops. Mr. Perring
observed, that some old Arabic characters were inscribed over the Entrance into this Pyramid; and that the sides and roof of
jj~s¥
the Passage consisted of masonry for about 15 feet, the remainder of the interior being cut out of the rock. He also remarks
that the angle of this Passage, 34<° 5', and those also of the Seventh and Ninth, differ so greatly from the inclines in the other
Pyramids, that they put an end to the astronomical and chronological theories which have been formed on the subject. The
interior of this Pyramid was nearly on the same plan as those of the Seventh and Ninth. It contained a quantity of sand,
and in the Anteroom, twelve or thirteen sculls were found, and a quantity of bones and of broken mummy-boards; which shews
that, at some period or other, the Tomb had been used as a general place of sepulture, whoever may have been the first possessor.
The Sepulchral Apartment had been lined with fine masonry, which on the northern side had been doubled; most of the stones
had been taken down, in search of treasure, or of an inner apartment; but the solid rock appeared on every side. No remains
of a Sarcophagus were discovered.
* These Arabic characters were inscribed upon the large block I------------' f See recess, a; and hole, b. (Section of Apartment, Plate I., Seventh Northern Pyramid.)
X The exterior is almost entirely destroyed: these supposed dimensions are, therefore, matter of opinion ; and are given from a comparison of this Pyramid with the other, and from indications of the foundation.
§ The same process in smoothing down the surface of the masonry seems to have been practised at the Great Temple at Karnac, where parts of the columns and of the propylaea remain unfinished.
THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZEH.
THE SEVENTH PYRAMID,
THE NORTHERN, EASTWARD OF THE GREAT PYRAMID.
This Pyramid is almost entirely destroyed, a large cavity having been made in the centre; it is, in fact, at present, a mound
covered with sand. The Entrance was evidently beneath a large block,* that appeared, as far as an opinion could be formed, to
have been in the centre of the Northern Front. The sand and rubbish before it had been thrown up in a ridge, apparently at
no very distant period, so that very little labour was required to open it. On the 28th of July, the Interior, as well as the
Chambers and Excavations, was examined. The Inclined Passage, which, excepting the first 16 feet, was an Excavation, was much
encumbered with broken stones and sand, and descended to a vestibule, in which a cutting near the ceiling, and another on the
southern side,f seemed to have been intended, either for the fixing of a granite slab at the entrance of a short Inclined Passage
that led to the Sepulchral Chamber to the westward, or for the introduction of the Sarcophagus into that Apartment. The
northern side of the Short Passage had been revetted with masonry; and the Sepulchral Chamber had been lined with squared
blocks of white stone; the greatest part of which, however, excepting a few courses near the north-western corner, had been
removed, and were heaped up in the Apartment. A shallow recess on the western side, might have been intended for the reception
of a Sarcophagus; which, from some fragments discovered by Mr. Perring, seemed to have been composed of basalt, highly polished,
but quite plain.
An indication of an air-channel might be observed on the northern side, and near it was a quantity of black dust, apparently
decayed stone. A few pieces of bone, and of rusty metal, were found in the sand that had drifted with the rain-water, from the
Entrance; of which, it is to be observed, that a considerable quantity had run down the Entrance Passage into a flaw, or chasm,
on the eastern side of the vestibule.
As this Pyramid had evidently been ransacked, it was not cleared out.
In Plate I. of the Three Pyramids to the eastward of the Great Pyramid, a plan and section of this Building are given. And
in Plate II., Fig. 1, is the Entrance.
TABLE OF DIMENSIONS OF THE SEVENTH PYRAMID.
Feet. Inelies.
Original Base, supposed to be a square of £ . . . . . . . . 172 6
------Perpendicular Height, supposed to be . . . . . . . . .111 0
------ Inclined Height, supposed to be . ........140 0
Angle of Casing, supposed to be 52° 10'.
Former Extent of Base, supposed to be 3295 square yards.
Present Base above ground, about . . . • • • • • • • . 125 0
------Height above ground . . ... • • • • • - • 45 0
ENTRANCE PASSAGE IN CENTRE OF NORTHERN FRONT.
Length................55 3
Height . . . . . . . • . • ... . . 4 0
Feet. Inches.
3 6
Width................
Angle, 33° 35'.
HORIZONTAL PASSAGE.
Length . . . . . . . . . . » . . . .9 0
ANTEROOM.
Length, North and South . . . . .... . . . . . 13 10
Width, East and West......... . . . . 5 10
Height at Southern End............. 99
------Northern End.............. 4 0
Length of Inclined Floor............ 10 9
INCLINED PASSAGE LEADING TO SEPULCHRAL CHAMBER.
Length ... . . . . ... . . .
Height . . . , .
Width . . . . . . . .
Angle, 34°.
SEPULCHRAL CHAMBER.
Length, East and West . . . . . . . ...
Width, North and South........
Lining from 2 ft. 2f in. to 2 ft. 8 in. in thickness.
Feet. Indies.
13 4
4 1
3 1
11
9
8
9
THE EIGHTH PYRAMID.
THE CENTRAL, EASTWARD OF THE GREAT PYRAMID,
On the 29th of July, 1837, some coarse red paterae, pearl oyster-shells, and earth, were dug up in the rubbish, near the
Northern Front of this Pyramid ; from which it was supposed that the Entrance was not far off; as earth, and other substances,
had been found near the Entrances of most of the other Pyramids. It was eventually found in the masonry; and, in the mean
time, it was supposed to have been discovered between two inclined blocks at the Base; these proved, however, to be
parts of the casing, a good deal of which remained. The stones had been roughly chiselled into the proper angle before they
were laid, and had afterwards been worked down to a polished surface from the top of the Building,^ so that the joints were
scarcely perceptible; but, in many places, the latter operation had not been entirely performed. The blocks were as beautifully
polished and as firmly set as those in the Great Pyramid; and the masonry of the two monuments had a great resemblance,
which was remarkable, as the Eighth is generally supposed to have been the tomb of the daughter of Cheops. Mr. Perring
observed, that some old Arabic characters were inscribed over the Entrance into this Pyramid; and that the sides and roof of
jj~s¥
the Passage consisted of masonry for about 15 feet, the remainder of the interior being cut out of the rock. He also remarks
that the angle of this Passage, 34<° 5', and those also of the Seventh and Ninth, differ so greatly from the inclines in the other
Pyramids, that they put an end to the astronomical and chronological theories which have been formed on the subject. The
interior of this Pyramid was nearly on the same plan as those of the Seventh and Ninth. It contained a quantity of sand,
and in the Anteroom, twelve or thirteen sculls were found, and a quantity of bones and of broken mummy-boards; which shews
that, at some period or other, the Tomb had been used as a general place of sepulture, whoever may have been the first possessor.
The Sepulchral Apartment had been lined with fine masonry, which on the northern side had been doubled; most of the stones
had been taken down, in search of treasure, or of an inner apartment; but the solid rock appeared on every side. No remains
of a Sarcophagus were discovered.
* These Arabic characters were inscribed upon the large block I------------' f See recess, a; and hole, b. (Section of Apartment, Plate I., Seventh Northern Pyramid.)
X The exterior is almost entirely destroyed: these supposed dimensions are, therefore, matter of opinion ; and are given from a comparison of this Pyramid with the other, and from indications of the foundation.
§ The same process in smoothing down the surface of the masonry seems to have been practised at the Great Temple at Karnac, where parts of the columns and of the propylaea remain unfinished.