Cet inventaire des découvertes, outre le fait qu'il serait fastidieux (rien ne remplace la lecture de l'ouvrage de Vyse), n'entre pas dans le cadre que j'ai fixé à ce blog, plus spécifiquement attentif aux aspects techniques de la construction des pyramides.
Néanmoins, pour cette première note consacrée au Sherlock Holmes de la pierre (so sorry pour ce nouvel anachronisme !), il me paraît intéressant de faire un état des lieux, autrement dit de rappeler ce qui était connu des pyramides au moment où le fouineur de ces masses antiques et solennelles est entré en scène. Pour cela, rien de plus simple : il suffit de relire ce qu'il écrit lui-même.
Dans un deuxième temps (une autre note à venir), je tenterai de relever les maigres et rares réflexions de Vyse ou Perring sur les techniques de construction qui nous intéressent particulièrement. Ces notes sont très éparses, parfois cachées dans une footnote, révélatrices toutefois d'un réel intérêt porté non seulement au "quoi", mais également au "comment".
En préambule à l'état des lieux, qui figure, comme on pouvait s'en douter, au début du premier volume d'Operations carried on at the pyramids of Gizeh in 1837, j'ai remarqué cette entrée en matière qui, dans le contexte de la campagne de récupération par l'Égypte de son patrimoine culturel disséminé de par le monde, retrouve une étrange actualité :
"It was understood that the antiquities discovered under the firmaun (*) were to belong to the Pasha, and that, without his Highness's permission, nothing whatsoever could be retained by either Colonel Campbell or myself. Separate lists are in consequence subjoined of the different articles found at Gizeh since the 13th of February, distinguishing those, which we were allowed to keep in consequence of an application to Boghos Bey; and since my return to England I have sent every thing of value to the British Museum. The Sarcophagus of Mycerinus was removed with considerable trouble and expense out of the Third Pyramid for the same purpose ; as I was convinced that owing to the brittle quality of the stone, of which it was composed, it would soon have been entirely destroyed had it been left in an open pyramid. I was the more confirmed in this apprehension by having found, to my great regret, that the magnificent casing-stones discovered at the base of the Great Pyramid were so much defaced, even during the time that I remained at Gizeh, that I thought it my duty, upon leaving the place, to cover them again with a considerable quantity of rubbish, and thereby to do all in my power to protect from further injury one of the most interesting features of these unrivalled monuments. I am sorry to add, that my precautions were unsuccessful, and that I have been subsequently informed that the blocks have been again uncovered and much injured."
(*) ce mot signifie un décret ou mandat émis par l'autorité, une sorte d'ordre de mission, de sauf-conduit ou de plan de route.
(Traduction très sommaire, à gros traits : Ce qui est découvert en Égypte appartient à l'Égypte. Sauf permission explicite de la plus haute autorité de ce pays, Vyse et Campbell ne "retiendront" rien pour eux, ou, plus précisément, pour le British Museum... Pour une plus grande protection, le sarcophage de Mykérinos, découvert dans la troisième pyramide, devait ainsi prendre la route de l'Angleterre. Mais on sait ce qu'il en est advenu : des robots sont toujours à sa recherche dans les fonds marins au large des côtes d'Espagne. Quant aux pierres de revêtement découvertes au pied de la Grande Pyramide, elles n'ont pas connu un meilleur sort : pour les protéger, Vyse les fit dissimuler sous un tas de déchets, mais en vain.)
The inclined passage from the entrance to the subterraneous apartment, that apartment itself, and the unfinished passage proceeding to the southward from it, were open, although much encumbered with stones and rubbish ; as were the forced and upper passages leading to the King's and Queen's Chambers. These two chambers, together with Davison's, and the communication, or well, descending from the great upper passage to that of the subterraneous apartment, were also open. In the floor of the subterraneous apartment, an excavation had been made to the depth of a few feet ; some stones had also been removed from behind the wall at the south-eastern corner of Davison's Chamber : one of the blocks composing the pavement had been taken up near the north-western corner of the King's Chamber, and an excavation had been carried on beneath the Sarcophagus : this last, however, was almost entirely filled up with rubbish. The mouth of the southern Air Channel had been partially enlarged, and an excavation of a few feet had been made near the portcullis, along the course of the northern Air Channel. In the Queen's Chamber a considerable passage had been forced into the solid masonry, from the niche on the eastern side. There was also a large hollow near the granite blocks at the commencement of the ascending passage, which was supposed to have been the forced entrance made by the Caliphs. These were the only excavations of any consequence. On the exterior of the Pyramid a vast heap of stones and rubbish, 50 feet in height, extended from the base to the entrance of the inclined passage.
(...) We carefully examined Davison's Chamber in the Great Pyramid ; and the result of this examination was a conjecture, that it formed a sort of entresol between the King's Chamber and some large sepulchral apartment over it, to which the inclined ceiling of the Great Passage was, probably, an entrance. I also thought that the channels proceeding from the King's Chamber communicated with other apartments.
(...) We visited the subterraneous chamber in the Great Pyramid, which had partially been cleared out, and in which Mr. Caviglia had excavated, when engaged with Mr. Salt, to the depth of a few feet. He did not appear to think that there was any apartment beneath it.
(Je remarque simplement deux "conjectures" - le mot était à la mode chez les égyptologues - :
1) la première chambre de décharge ne serait-elle pas une sorte d'entresol entre la Chambre du Roi et "quelque grand appartement sépulcral" ?
2) les conduits ("channels") partant de la chambre du Roi ne communiqueraient-ils pas avec d'autres "appartements" ?)
État de la seconde pyramide :
The upper entrance, conducting to Belzoni's Chamber, and the chamber itself, with the descending passage returning to the north, were open ; as were also the horizontal passage to the forced portcullis, and a considerable part of the re-ascending passage leading to the lower entrance. The inclined passage from the horizontal part of this communication, together with the small chamber to which it conducted, were likewise accessible. Several stones had been removed from the pavement near the Sarcophagus in Belzoni's Chamber, and a large excavation had been carried on across the upper horizontal passage to a considerable extent. A mound, similar to that on the exterior of the Great Pyramid, extended from the base to the upper entrance. The chasm in the centre of the northern front, by which the Caliphs are supposed to have entered, and in which Belzoni commenced his operations, was apparent ; and there is no doubt that, before the stones had collapsed, it communicated with the excavation, already mentioned, across the horizontal passage.
(...) In the Second Pyramid it was evident that the reascending passage, returning to the north, led to a lower entrance.
(À noter la "large excavation" au-dessus du couloir horizontal supérieur : d'autres chercheurs sont donc déjà passés par là !)
État de la troisième pyramide :
In the northern front of the third Pyramid a considerable chasm had been made, said, by Denon, to have been the work of the Mamelukes ; while below it another smaller chasm had been carried on upon the level of the upper line of granite, which forms the front of the lower part of the Pyramid. A great deal of rubbish, and many large blocks of calcareous stone and of granite, were lying around it ; particularly on the northern side, in which the above-mentioned excavations had been made. Some of these had been taken away at the centre ; but the difficulty of removing the heavy masses without the assistance of machinery, had put a stop to the operation. Opposite the centre, and at some little distance from the base of the Pyramid, a pit about 20 or 30 feet square had been excavated in the rubbish, the sides of which had been supported by a revetment of large stones. Several blocks had been forced from a pavement at the bottom of this pit, it would seem in search of an entrance into the Pyramid, and many others yet remained there, similar to those afterwards uncovered to the eastward ; but there was no appearance that the Pyramid had ever been opened.
Sources des illustrations :
- portrait de Vyse : Wikimedia commons
- pyramides : ouvrage de Vyse
Sources des illustrations :
- portrait de Vyse : Wikimedia commons
- pyramides : ouvrage de Vyse
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