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Diaries of Hemiunu, Architect of the Great Pyramid, reveal his privileged, yet dangerous, life as royal architect to Khufu. Diaries answer age-old questions about the design and building of the pyramids, but also about royal-family 'goings-on,' succession rivalries and murder in the harem…
What the Diaries Contain
Early entries were concerned with family matters, parties (of which there seemed to be an inordinate number), girls, hunting trips, and schooling. Later entries became more in the nature of a journal, with social functions, affairs, observations on royal activities, drawings of ideas for construction, notes of meetings, etc., and the record of his exile to the South of the Two Lands, and his triumphant return…
- Records of events, situations, alliances, successes and defeats – the life and times of Hemiunu
- Hemiunu’s apprenticeship in the family business
- King Snefru’s court
- The administration of justice throughout the two lands
- Hemiunu’s early misadventures, rites of passage, and love life
- Notes and diagrams of his designs and reviews of temples and pyramids
- Differences between priest-architects and the masons
- Developing stellar and solar theological issues
- Khufu’s court intrigues, plots, threats and murders
- Major fallings-out between Hemiunu and Khufu…
- Hemiunu’s rebellious “progress” through upper Egypt and the Land of Kush
- The design of Akhet Khufu
- The secrets of the Great Pyramid’s construction–why there are no traces of ramps
- Why no 4th Kingdom king’s mummies have been found
- Usurping the Throne of Egypt
- Djedefre built at Abu Roash
It appeared from the diaries that Hemiunu had been given a scribe’s kit for his 10th birthday, and that he had been encouraged to write each evening about his experiences of the day. This practice became habitual, and so there were entries for virtually every day of his life.
The diaries present a slice of the life of an exceptional man, born with a silver (electrum?) spoon in his mouth, living during the Golden Age of the 4th dynasty pyramid builders. Here is the holy grail of the archaeologist: a first hand account of a long lost culture, with its social and political practices, moral principles, justice systems, food logistics, work organization, etc.
As if that were not enough, the diaries also resolve many of the outstanding mysteries that have surrounded the 4th dynasty pyramids. Why was the Rhomboidal Pyramid bent? Did the builders use ramps to raise large stones? What was the purpose of the many, seemingly- unique features in the Great Pyramid? Why was the pyramid shape chosen? Why does each pyramid have a unique slope? And many, many more. Here are the definitive answers from the man who did it all…