Member II Giza limestone, found in the tombs of Khentkawes and Kai and exposed in the Sphinx enclosure, extends across the Giza Plateau. The video argues that late pre-dynastic or early dynastic people carved and decorated a natural escarpment as a palace-façade-like statement of authority visible from the Nile Valley. It cites a copper-contamination spike in sediments dated 3265–3185 BCE as evidence of substantial settlement on the plateau before the Fourth Dynasty.
Member II limestone links Khentkawes and Kai's tombs to the Sphinx enclosure
EgyptTheory
Key facts
- The video identifies the limestone in the Khentkawes and Kai tombs and in the Sphinx enclosure as Member II of the Giza Limestone, extending across the Giza Plateau.
- It reports a natural escarpment through the central field, with a south-facing side and an east-facing section.
- It says the southern side of Khentkawes's tomb and the southern and eastern sides of Kai's tomb follow the former escarpment line.
- The video argues that late pre-dynastic or early dynastic people carved and decorated the natural escarpment in a palace-façade form as a display of authority.
- It compares the escarpment's orientation toward the vegetated Nile Valley and waterways with palace-façade decoration at Abydos.
- The video cites a copper-contamination spike in sediments dated 3265–3185 BCE as evidence of substantial settlement on the plateau before the Fourth Dynasty.
- The video credits Colin Reader with assigning most plateau features to the Second Dynasty and presents a pre-dynastic elite settlement as an alternative interpretation.
- The video says the Sphinx grotto may be a pre-dynastic rock-cut dwelling and that the enclosure and the first phase of the Sphinx Temple may be late pre-dynastic.
Sources
[PDF] Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures - The University of Chicagooi.uchicago.edu
... Giza, not only illustrate the rise of scribes within the administration of the late Fourth and early Fifth Dynasty, they also demonstrate how sensitive any ...
Further considerations on development at Giza before the 4th Dynastyacademia.edu
As can be seen in figure 2 the original limestone surface between the top of the southern Sphinx enclosure wall and the causeway was excavated ...
Major Geological Fissure through Prehistoric Lion Monument at Giza ...scirp.org
The baboon can be seen on a limestone slab found in the First Dynasty mastaba tomb S3507 in the sarcophagus chamber of Herneith (Figure 5) where ...
[PDF] Rewriting the History of the Great Sphinx - Archaeopressarchaeopress.com
Part 2 of the book provides a general introduction to the geology of. Egypt, together with a focus on the geology of both the Giza Plateau and the Great Sphinx.
Giza Before the Fourth Dynasty - Hall of Maathallofmaat.com
There has been a great deal of debate about the age of the Great Sphinx of Giza, much of which has focussed on the weathering of the limestones ...
In the Central Field on Giza Plateau walking between rock ...alamy.com
In the Central Field on Giza Plateau walking between rock-cut tombs of Kai and Khentkawes looking toward the pyramid of Khafre. In the Central Field on Giza ...
(PDF) Khentkawes Tomb, Giza, A Layman's Guideacademia.edu
Above we have a view of khentkawes tomb, the entrance was in the southeast corner; today this corner is largely missing and we are left with two dark voids.
Reader, Further considerations on Giza www.PalArch.nl ...giftofgeology.co.uk
by CD Reader · Cited by 5 — Kai and Khentkawes. Khentkawes and Kai … two tombs are 'inside' the 4th Dynasty central field quarry. escarpment east of the Great Pyramid,
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