Newsgroup: it.discussioni.misteri
Titolo: [WATER-SHAFT e TOMBA DI OSIRIDE] Un chiarimento

The 'Water Shaft' on the Giza Plateau - The Facts
Updated : 19th January 1999
Dear Readers,
Over the past year there has been much speculation and rumour
concerning the so-called "water shaft" under the causeway which
connects Khafre’s
(Chephren’s) Pyramid to the Valley Temple. Allegations and claims
of tunnels leading to the Sphinx, the Pyramids and even an
underground city have been all been voiced over the Internet.
Both my co-author, Ian Lawton, and I wish to dispel those rumours
and present the facts as known to us.
In April 98 Ian and I joined forces to research and write a book
covering the history of exploration at Giza to the present day.
Our aim, in focusing on Giza, is to document the explorations,
the discoveries, the theories, the hunt for secret chambers and
the politics connected with the Giza Plateau and its immediate
environs.
In October 1998 whilst on a research mission in Egypt we were
presented with an ‘opportunity’ to access all three levels of the
"water shaft". Driven by the desire to explore the underground
chambers, check the rumours and see it for ourselves, we took up
this ‘opportunity’ and viewed it
firsthand.
Before preceding with a brief description, we would like to point
out that another researcher and writer, Nigel Skinner-Simpson,
has done much to bring this shaft to the world’s attention. His
objective and factual reporting is to be commended and can be
viewed at "The Shaft, The Subway and
The Causeway"
Upon climbing down 20 or so feet to the first level chamber of
the "water shaft" one proceeds north to a set of two ladders that
drop down some 45+ feet. There is nothing worthy of note at this
upper level. Climbing down to the second level and turning round
to view this chamber, which is oriented north - south, one sees
seven rock cut sub-chambers: 3 on the right, 3 on the left and
one at the far northern end. Most are empty except
for one sub- chamber on the left and another on the right. Within
these two sub-chambers lie granite sarcophagi, with lids slid to
one side and empty save for some rubbish. These most probably
date to the 26th Dynasty.
Over to one’s right, on the eastern side, is another vertical
shaft proceeding down to the third level, perhaps some 25 feet
below the second level. Reaching the bottom of the ladder and
facing the shaft wall, one turns around to see a most unusual
rock-cut chamber some 100+ feet below ground level. This third
chamber or level is orientated east - west.
Within the centre of this, is a sarcophagus set in a rectangular
depression in the ground, covered by a shallow level of natural
water. Surrounding the coffer is a raised level of rock/soil that
forms a rectangle around the depression, some 2-3 feet wide. On
the outside of this is an outer channel filled with water, itself
surrounded by the chamber walls.
In the north-western corner of the chamber wall is a channel that
diminishes in size, and could have once been a natural water
inlet. In any case it becomes far too small to form a secret
passageway to the pyramids. All levels in the "water shaft" are
unadorned and without hieroglyphs. Although
this is an unusual and perhaps unique chamber, there are no
secret passageways heading
towards the Pyramids, Sphinx or underground cities.
As to the history of the "water shaft", during the 1930’s the
eminent archaeologist Dr. Selim Hassan excavated and explored
down to the second level and he attempted to hand-pump the water
from the third level but without success. On 4 March 1935 The
Daily Telegraph published a column
on the discovery of this shaft by Dr. Hassan. Sub-headed
"Colonnaded Hall in Rock", this article, as now, fuelled much
speculation. But the simple fact of the mater is that Hassan
observed the third level through the water without
exploration. There is still evidence to suggest that it once had
two, if not four, rock-cut pillars rising at the corners of the
raised surround to meet the roof of the chamber, although only
rough protrusions on the ceiling and surround still exist now to
support this view.
Throughout the intervening years the third level of this shaft
was known about but left unexplored due to the high level of the
water table. By the time of the Schor Foundation/Boris Said
expedition of 96/97, the water level in the shaft had dropped
significantly. Said and Dobecki, a seismologist, entered the
third level and discovered a sarcophagus lid partially buried in
detritus. Conducting GPR surveys over the lid they deduced
that a possible anomaly/void/tunnel may exist, traversing on an
east-west access. We believe, having seen the chamber
post-excavation, that this anomaly was caused by not only the
hollow of the coffer lid and the hollow coffer itself, but also
the depression the coffer was set in. We are of course
open-minded to the slim possibility of a subsequent level
existing below the coffer. However one should remember that we
are some 100+ feet below the surface of the plateau
at this point, and any further investigation beneath the chamber
will be below the current level of the water table. Likewise at
the Sphinx enclosure some150 meters lower down the plateau, any
excavations below the rock surface would quickly reveal, water,
and its subsequent table.
During the recent "Questing Conference" on "Alternative Egypt"
organised and hosted by Andrew Collins, Robert Bauval gave a
presentation during which he showed a video he claimed was part
of the Schor Foundation/ Boris Said explorations of 96/97.
The video portrayed team members rappelling down an open shaft
and entering a subsequent side shaft. The film then cut to the
discovery of a sarcophagus lid being exposed by a team member,
and at this point Bauval asked for the video to be stopped. As a
number of other researchers have voiced their complaints that the
video shown by Robert Bauval does not give a true representation
of the facts and location of the "water shaft", we feel it
necessary to enlighten the public as to the video’s content.
First, the open shaft shown in the opening sequence is definitely
not the entrance to the "water shaft": it is more likely
"Campbells Tomb", an open shaft near the "water shaft", or
something similar. The real entrance to the "water shaft" is much
smaller and concealed below Khafre’s Causeway.
According to Boris Said, the producer of the video, the reason
for the open shaft being portrayed as the entrance to the "water
shaft" was twofold: First to conceal the real entrance from
adventurers; and second to give the video a sense
of excitement. He does not deny that the open shaft is not the
entrance to the real "water shaft".
Second, the video was filmed before recent excavations: during
the Spring of 1998 Dr. Zahi Hawass conducted an archaeological
exploration of the third level, during which they used modern
pumping equipment to reduce the water level sufficiently to
conduct an exploratory archaeological
excavation. Then the detritus above the coffer was removed, and
the lid was lifted and slid back into the chamber entrance,
presumably revealing the coffer to be empty (it certainly was by
the time we saw it).
These results were presented at the end of Hawass’ lecture at the
A.R.E. in August of this year, along with a slide show. From his
descriptions and from what we have seen there is no reason to
suspect any cover-ups, withheld information or access to
underground cities/passageways.
Of particular interest during the A.R.E. convention, Zahi Hawass’
commented that he believed the third level of the "water shaft"
to be, at least symbolically, the "Tomb of Osiris". Were his
comments deliberately chosen to have connotations with the Hall
of Records, or the Chambers of Creation, and was the discovery
timed to coincide with Cayce’s predictions regarding 1998? No
doubt more will be revealed if he carries out his engagement to
speak on the "water shaft" at the National Geographic at the
beginning of December.
We hope this "press release" will help to clear up a number of
rumours and confusions. This is the primary aim of our book,
which we hope, written from an entirely objective viewpoint, will
clarify the great many other rumours and inaccuracies surrounding
the Plateau. These include secret tunnelling in the Great Pyramid
and the Sphinx, the Hermes affair, the search for the Hall of
Records and a variety of other intrigues and apparent cover-ups.
Chris Ogilvie-Herald & Ian Lawton
(This article originally appeared on Egyptnews on Friday 27th
November 1998)
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Updated : 19th January 1999
Interessante. Puoi dirci dove hai reperito l'articolo?
Grazie.
Paolo P.

 Grazie.
Dal solito "The noise room". Hanno aggiornato ieri la pagina
"egizia".
s.
