Chuck, let's remember the stated purpose of these buildings. The Egyptologists SWEAR that they were for housing the body of the pharaoh for eternity.
Even if he was a complete putz he was still the friggin' king and why would he decide to skimp on "eternity?" You see, the whole problem with the "tombs and tombs only" reasoning is that it can't survive removal of any of its component parts. It's a house of cards in the respect that you have to buy the whole premise or none of it works.
The reason for placing "inflection point" ( nice term ) is the obvious difference between the size of the stones as well as the quality of workmanship between the Red Pyramid and the Great Pyramid. Post Giza pyramids are largely rubble. Pre-Giza pyramids were of varying types and quality. But the story being put forth by the Egyptologists is Red Pyramid-Great Pyramid-Khafre-Menkaure-Userkapf... and that really runs the gamut in terms of quality. The question is even odder if you extend it on the older end and cite Meidum (which collapsed apparently during construction) and the Bent Pyramid which was an engineering disaster.
With all this, we still haven't discussed ramps and even the Egyptologists can't come up with a satisfactory explanation for that issue.
Even if he was a complete putz he was still the friggin' king and why would he decide to skimp on "eternity?" You see, the whole problem with the "tombs and tombs only" reasoning is that it can't survive removal of any of its component parts. It's a house of cards in the respect that you have to buy the whole premise or none of it works.
The reason for placing "inflection point" ( nice term ) is the obvious difference between the size of the stones as well as the quality of workmanship between the Red Pyramid and the Great Pyramid. Post Giza pyramids are largely rubble. Pre-Giza pyramids were of varying types and quality. But the story being put forth by the Egyptologists is Red Pyramid-Great Pyramid-Khafre-Menkaure-Userkapf... and that really runs the gamut in terms of quality. The question is even odder if you extend it on the older end and cite Meidum (which collapsed apparently during construction) and the Bent Pyramid which was an engineering disaster.
With all this, we still haven't discussed ramps and even the Egyptologists can't come up with a satisfactory explanation for that issue.
