“Without confirmation that the granite beams were carefully tuned to respond to a precise frequency, I will infer that such a condition exists in light of what is found in the area. While I have not found any specific record of anyone striking the beams above the King’s Chamber and measuring their resonant frequencies, there has been quite a lot written about the resonating qualities of the coffer inside the chamber itself. The coffer is said to resonate at 438 hertz and is at resonance with the resonant frequency of the chamber. This is easily tested and has been noted by numerous visitors to the Great Pyramid, including myself.”98
Another interesting discovery was made by the Schor expedition. This is a preliminary report, told to Art Bell by Boris Said, but it was noted that the floor of the King’s Chamber does not sit on solid rock. Not only is the entire granite complex surrounded by massive limestone walls with a space between the granite and the limestone, the floor itself sits on what is characterized as “corrugated” shaped rock. It’s no wonder the entire chamber “rings” while walking around inside!
Says Dunn concerning this, “Note, also, that the walls of the chamber do not sit on the granite floor, but are supported outside and 5-inches below the floor level. The granite complex inside the Great Pyramid, therefore, is poised ready to convert vibrations from the earth into electricity. What is lacking is a sufficient amount of energy to drive the beams and activate the piezoelectric properties within. The ancients, though, had anticipated the need for more energy than what would be collected only within the King’s Chamber. They had determined that they needed to tap into the vibrations of the earth over a larger area inside the pyramid and deliver that energy to the power center—the King’s Chamber—thereby substantially increasing the amplitude of the oscillations of the granite.
“While modern research into architectural acoustics might predominantly focus upon minimizing the reverberation effects of sound in enclosed spaces, there is reason to believe that the ancient pyramid builders were attempting to achieve the opposite. The Grand Gallery, which is considered to be an architectural masterpiece, is an enclosed space in which resonators were installed in the slots along the ledge that runs the length of the Gallery. As the earth’s vibration flowed through the Great Pyramid, the resonators converted the energy to airborne sound. By design, the angles and surfaces of the walls and ceiling of the Grand Gallery, caused reflection of the sound and its focus into the King’s Chamber. Although the King’s Chamber was also responding to the energy flowing through the pyramid, much of the energy would flow past it. The design and utility of the Grand Gallery was to transfer the energy flowing through a large area of the pyramid into the resonant King’s Chamber. This sound was then focused into the granite resonating cavity at sufficient amplitude to drive the granite ceiling beams to oscillation. These beams, in turn, compelled the beams above them to resonate in harmonic sympathy. Thus, the input of sound and the maximization of resonance, the entire granite complex, in effect, became a vibrating mass of energy.
“The acoustic qualities of the design of the upper chambers of the Great Pyramid have been referenced and confirmed by numerous visitors since the time of Napoleon, whose men discharged their pistols at the top of the Grand Gallery and noted that the explosion reverberated into the distance like rolling thunder.
“Striking the coffer inside the King’s Chamber results in a deep bell-like sound of incredible and eerie beauty, and it has been a practice over the years for the Arab guides to demonstrate this resonating sound to the tourists they guide through the pyramid. This sound was included on Paul Horn’s album, (Inside The Great Pyramid, Mushroom Records, Inc., L.A., CA). After being advised of the significant pitch produced by the coffer when it has been struck, and the response of the chamber to this pitch, Horn brought along a device which would give him the exact pitch and frequency. Horn tuned his flute to this tone which was emitted, which turned out to be ‘A’ 438 cycles per second.”
In a fascinating booklet about his experiences at the Great Pyramid, Horn describes phenomena concerning the acoustic qualities of the inner chambers, “The moment had arrived. It was time to play my flute. I thought of Ben Peitcsh from Santa Rose, California (a man who had told Mr. Horn about the pitch of the coffer) and his suggestions to strike the coffer. I leaned over and hit the inside with the fleshy part of the side of my fist. A beautiful round tone was immediately produced. What a resonance! I remember him also saying when you hear that tone you will be ‘poised in history that is ever present.’ I took the electronic tuning device I had brought along in one hand and struck the coffer again with the other and there is was—‘A’ 438, just as Ben predicted. I tuned up to this pitch and was ready to begin. (The album opens with these events so that you can hear all of these things for yourselves.)”
After noting the eerie qualities of the King’s and Queen’s Chambers, Paul Horn went out onto the Great Step at the top of the Grand Gallery to continue his sound test. The Grand Gallery, he reported, sounded rather flat compared with the other Chambers. He heard something remarkable at this time. He heard the music he was playing coming back to him clearly and distinctly from the King’s Chamber. The sound was going out into the Grand Gallery and was being reflected through the passageway and reverberating inside the King’s Chamber!
Dunn says that it appears that the coffer inside the King’s Chamber was specifically tuned to a precise frequency, and that the room itself was scientifically engineered to be a resonator of that frequency. Perhaps these observations will finally provide an answer to a mystery that William Flinders Petrie had puzzled over at great length. His discovery of a flint pebble under the coffer, after he raised it, did not strike him as being unimportant for reasons he describes in The Pyramids And Temples Of Gizeh:
“The flint pebble that had been put under the coffer is important. If any person wished at present to prop the coffer up, there are multitudes of stone chips in the pyramid ready to hand. Therefore, fetching a pebble from the outside seems to show that the coffer was first lifted at a time when no breakages had been made in the pyramid, and there were no chips lying about. This suggests that there was some means of access to the upper chambers, which are always available by removing loose blocks without any forcing. If the stones at the top of the shaft leading from the subterranean part to the gallery had been cemented in place, they must have been smashed to break through them, or if there were granite portcullises in the Antechamber, they must also have been destroyed; and it is not likely that any person would take the trouble to fetch a large flint pebble into the innermost part of the Pyramid, if there were stone chips lying in his path.”
Says Dunn, “Is it possible that the flint pebble was placed underneath the coffer at the time of the building? And that the pebble served a purpose for those who placed it there? The alternative answer—that there was free access to the upper chambers—cannot be supported by fact, and even if it was, we are still faced with the question of why someone found it necessary to prop up the coffer. However, if we had just manufactured an object like the coffer and had it tuned to vibrate at a precise frequency, we would know that to sit flat on the floor would dampen the vibrations somewhat. So, by raising one end of the coffer onto the pebble, it could vibrate at peak efficiency.
“Another unique feature, which needs to be confirmed by on-site inspection, is the ratchet style roof-line. The problem with coming up with an accurate calculation of the true angle of the overlapping stones is that there is conflicting data from the only two researchers that I have found paying these overlaps any close attention. However, preliminary calculations are interesting to say the least. The angle of the Grand Gallery is 26.3 degrees. Smyth measured the height of the Grand Gallery and found that it varied between 333.9 inches and 346.0 inches. The overlaps are estimated to have approximately a 12-inch tilt. Smyth counted 36 overlaps in the 1844.5 inches length of the roof. The surface of the overlapping stones in the roof line is close to a 45 degree angle from a vertical plan
e (135 degrees polar coordinates, given that the ends of the gallery are 90 degrees). With this tilt of the roof tiles, a sound wave traveling vertically to the roof would be reflected off the tiles at a 90 degree angle and travel in the direction of the King’s Chamber.
“This gives another report, which didn’t receive much attention, more pertinence. It has been reported that Al Mamun’s men had to break a false floor out of the gallery, and as they broke one stone out, another slid down in its place. It’s a sketchy bit of information that would require further research. Al Mamun’s men were tearing out so much limestone that little attention was given to this. However, it should be kept in mind that there may have been a ratchet-style tiled floor in this gallery that matched the roof. Much of the stone that Al Mamun cut out of the Ascending Passage was dropped down the Descending Passage. Later explorers, such as Caviglia, Davison and Petrie, eventually cleared this passage of all debris, and most of this debris was dumped on the traditional rubbish pit on the North and East side of the Great Pyramid. Petrie reports finding inside the Great Pyramid a prism shaped stone that had a half round groove running its length. He also found in the Descending Passage a block of granite that was 20.6 inches thick with a section of tubular drilled hole cut through the thickness on one edge. Where this granite came from, and for what purpose it was used in the Great Pyramid, was a mystery to Petrie. With more significant findings to attract attention, though, its not surprising these details weren’t given much consideration.”
Dunn says that it is possible to confirm that the Grand Gallery indeed reflected the work of an acoustical engineer using only its dimensions, “The disappearance of the gallery resonators is easily explained, even though this structure was only accessible through a tortuously constricted shaft. The original design of the resonators will always be open to question; however, there is one device that performs in a manner that is necessary to respond sympathetically with vibrations. There is no reason that similar devices cannot be created today. There are many individuals who possess the necessary skills to recreate this equipment.”98
The Helmholtz Resonator and the Grand Gallery Resonators
According to Dunn, a Helmholtz resonator would respond to vibrations coming from within the earth, and actually maximize the transfer of energy! The Helmholtz resonator is made of a round hollow sphere with a round opening that is 1/10-1/5 the diameter of the sphere. The size of the sphere determines the frequency at which it will resonate. If the resonant frequency of the resonator is in harmony with a vibrating source, such as a tuning fork, it will draw energy from the fork and resonate at greater amplitude than the fork will without its presence. It forces the fork to greater energy output than what is normal. Unless the energy of the fork is replenished, the fork will lose its energy quicker than it normally would without the Helmholtz resonator. But as long as the source continues to vibrate, the resonator will continue to draw energy from it at a greater rate.
Dunn says that the Helmholtz resonator is normally made out of metal, but can be made out of other materials. Holding these resonators in place inside the Gallery are members that are “keyed” into the structure by first being installed into the slots, and then held in the vertical position with “shot” pins that locate in the groove that runs the length of the Gallery.
Dunn now thinks that “The material for these members could have been wood, as trees are probably the most efficient responders to natural Earth sounds. There are trees that, by virtue of their internal structure, such as cavities, are known to emit sounds or hum. Modern concert halls are designed and built to interact with the instruments performing within. They are huge musical instruments in themselves. The Great Pyramid can be seen as a huge musical instrument with each element designed to enhance the performance of the other. To choose natural materials, especially in the function of resonating devices, would be a natural and logical decision to make. The qualities of wood cannot be synthesized.”
The strange basalt “vases” of the Cairo museum may be the resonators that Dunn is looking for: “One of the most remarkable feats of machining can be found inside the Cairo Museum. I have stood in awe before the stone jars and bowls that are finely machined and perfectly balanced. The schist bowl with three lobes folded toward the center hub is an incredible piece of work. With the application of ultrasonics and sophisticated machinery, I can understand how they could be made, but the purpose for doing so has long escaped me. It seems like a tremendous amount of work to go to just to create a domestic vessel! Perhaps these stone artifacts, of which there were over a thousand found at Saqqarra, were used in some way to convert vibration into airborne sound. Are these vessels the Helmholtz resonators we are looking for?
“The enigmatic Ante Chamber has been the subject of much consternation and discussion. Ludwig Borchardt, Director of the German Institute in Cairo, forwarded one proposal for its use (circa 1925). Borchardt’s theory proposed that a series of stone slabs were slid into place after Khufu had been entombed. He theorized that the half-round grooves in the granite wainscoting supported wooden beams that served as windlasses to lower the blocks.
“Borchardt may not have been far off with his analysis of the mechanism that was contained with the antechamber. After building the resonators and installing them inside the Grand Gallery, we would want to focus into the King’s Chamber sound of a specific frequency, i.e., a pure tone or harmonic chord. We would be assured of doing so if we installed an acoustic filter between the Grand Gallery and the King’s Chamber. By installing baffles inside the antechamber, sound waves travelling from the Grand Gallery through the passageway into the King’s Chamber would be filtered as they passed through, allowing only a single frequency or harmonic of that frequency to enter the resonant King’s Chamber. Sound wave lengths not coinciding with the dimensions between the baffles are filtered out, thereby ensuring that only no-interference sound waves enter the resonant King’s Chamber, a condition that would reduce the output of the system.
“To explain the half-round grooves on one side of the chamber, and the flat surface on the other, we could speculate that when the installation of these baffles took place, they received a final tuning or ‘tweaking.’ This may have been accomplished by using cams. By rotating these cams, the off-centered shaft would raise or lower the baffles until the throughput of sound was maximized. A slight movement may have been all that was necessary. Maximum throughput is accomplished when the ceiling of the first part of the passageway (from the Grand Gallery), the ceiling of the passageway leading from the acoustic filter to the resonant King’s Chamber and the bottom surface of each baffle are in alignment. The shaft suspending the baffles would have then been locked into place in a pillar block located on the flat surface of the wainscoting on the opposite wall.”
Knowing that a vibrating system can eventually destroy itself, Dunn says that if there is no means to draw off or dampen the energy, there would have to be some way to control the level of energy at which the system operates. As the output of the resonant cavity would only draw off the energy up to a certain level, that being the maximum amount the granite complex could process, there would have to be some means of controlling the energy as it built up inside the Grand Gallery.
Dunn says that normally there would be three ways to prevent a vibrating system from running out of control:1. Shut off the source of the vibration. (Can’t do that.)
2. Reverse the process that was used to couple the vibration of the pyramid with the Earth.
3. Contrive a means to keep the vibration at a safe level.
Says Dunn, “With the source of vibration being the earth, obviously, numbers 2 and 3 are our best options. There are two ways to eliminate constant vibration, one is to dampen it and the other is to counteract the vibration with an interference wave that cancels it out. Physically dampening the vibration would be impractical, considering the function of the machine. The dampening wouldn’t always be necessary, unlike the dampening needs of a bridge, and indeed w
ould have an adverse effect on the efficiency of the machine. Consequently it would involve moving parts—like those in a piano. Faced with this consideration I immediately started to look closer at the Ascending Passage. It is the only feature inside the Great Pyramid that contains ‘devices’ that are directly accessible from the outside. I call the granite plugs inside this passage ’devices’ in the same context that I called the granite beams above the King’s Chamber devices because it wasn’t necessary to use granite to block this passage and limestone would have been sufficient. It is obvious that their effectiveness at securing the inner chambers from robbers had the reverse effect. They drew attention to the existence of the Ascending Passage and subsequently the entire internal arrangement of passages and chambers. The granite plugs had to have another reason for being there!
“Possibly, they were built into the structure to allow or facilitate interference sound waves being introduced into the Grand Gallery and prevent the build-up of vibration within from reaching destructive levels. It may be the reason that the builders selected granite instead of limestone to plug the Ascending Passage.”
Concludes Dunn, “The 3 plugs and their spacing within the passage may have, in fact, provided feedback to signal when the energy was reaching a dangerous level. By directing in- or out-of-phase sound waves up the Ascending Passage, they may have been able to control the energy level of the system. By directing a signal of the correct frequency, they may have also been able to prime the system in this manner also. In other words, the entire system would be forced to vibrate, and once in motion, it would draw energy from the earth with no further input.
Technology of the Gods: The Incredible Sciences of the Ancients Page 26