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Firstly, let me say that I have been away from this as well as the Maat message boards because I did not approve of much of the bickering on important issues. I break my silence now here because there is, again, a very important issue that perhaps with the help of some of you, we may get to the bottom of it. This concerns the Cartouche of Khufu in the 5th Relief Chamber (also known as Cambell's Chamber).
I am, at this stage, primarily addressing this issue to Martin Stower. Let us put aside all personal feelings and deal with this matter objectively and with the seriousness that it deserves.
To start with I, like you, am convinced that the Cartouche along with all other red ochre graffiti in the Relief Chambers are contemporary with the contruction of the Great Pyramid c. 2500 BC. But we also all know very well that, since Zacharia's Sitchin's claim in 1980 that the Cartouche was forged by Col. Howard Vyse, there has been --and still are-- many who claim that the Cartouche is a modern fake put there by Vyse or one of his employees in 1837. We also know that there are some among these believers who, given the chance, may go as far as taking samples from the cartouche's red ochre paint in order to C-14 test it (it may contain organic resin) to prove their conspiracy theory. One of these people you often suggested is the German author Stefen Erdmann who, in your own words, had the motive and the opportunity to do so.
It is well-known that on the 17th April 2013 Erdmann, along with two other Germans, Dominique gorlitz and Jan Gartig (not Frank Hofer, Btw), entered the Great Pyramid with a Private Visit Permit from 6 to 8 p.m. and took samples of 'black soot' from the underside of the granite beams of the King's Chamber and also a sample of red ochre paint from a graffito in Campbell's Chamber. The whole episode was actually filmed by Jan Gartig, an employee of Frank Hofer, the owner of NUOVISO Film Produktion. It was not till several months later, when Frank Hofer put on Youtube a trailer for a documentary titled DAS CHEOPS PROJEKT, that the world got to know of what happened back on the 17th April 2013 inside the Great Pyramid. Everyone at first, including myself, jumped to the conclusion that the 'Germans' had removed samples from the Khufu Cartouche. More fuel to the fire was added to this erroneous conclusion when on 10th December 2013, Zahi Hawass published an interview in the Egyptian newspaper Masry El Yom where he accused me of funding the 'Germans' (Erdmann and Gorlitz) of 'stealing the khufu Cartouche'. I do not want to repeat here this bizarre fabrication by Hawass other than to say that, innevitably, it drew me into this 'Cartouche Affair' and prompt me to investigate what really happened.
We know know, with irrefutable evidence, that the Khufu Cartouche was neither 'stolen' as Hawass had claimed, or damaged in any way on that day of the 17th April 2013 when Erdmann and Gorlitz were taking samples in the Great Pyramid. But now we also DO KNOW, also with irrefutable evidence, that someone DID TAKE SAMPLES FROM THE KHUFU CARTOUCHE sometime between July 2004 and December 2006. The question, therefore, is WHO?
I know that you, Martin Stower, strongly suspect Stefan Erdmann. You have made this plain several times in posting here and on the Maat Website. Contrary to what you have assumed, I, too, have suspected the same person (Stefan Erdmann) since I found out, like you, that he had 'motive and opportunity' back in 2006, when he entered the Great Pyramid three times in 2006 (in August, November and December) with official Private Visit permits. Erdmann has, however, officially denied that he entered the Relief Chambers during these visits in 2006, although he has confirmed that he entered the Relief Chambers BEFORE the year 2000 (maybe in 1996 or 1997) and another time in 2009. We cannot, as you rightly pointed out in some of your postings, take his word on face value. Everyone who has been in the Relief Chambers between July 2004 and December 2006 is, in my way of reckoning, a suspect until the real culprit is identified with certainty. I discount no one at this stage of my investigation who can be shown to have been in the Relief Chambers of the Great Pyramid between July 2004 and December 2006. This, you will agree, is the correct way to deal objectively with this investigation.
I would welcome your help (and anyone else who is serious about this issue) to get to the truth of this matter.
I am, at this stage, primarily addressing this issue to Martin Stower. Let us put aside all personal feelings and deal with this matter objectively and with the seriousness that it deserves.
To start with I, like you, am convinced that the Cartouche along with all other red ochre graffiti in the Relief Chambers are contemporary with the contruction of the Great Pyramid c. 2500 BC. But we also all know very well that, since Zacharia's Sitchin's claim in 1980 that the Cartouche was forged by Col. Howard Vyse, there has been --and still are-- many who claim that the Cartouche is a modern fake put there by Vyse or one of his employees in 1837. We also know that there are some among these believers who, given the chance, may go as far as taking samples from the cartouche's red ochre paint in order to C-14 test it (it may contain organic resin) to prove their conspiracy theory. One of these people you often suggested is the German author Stefen Erdmann who, in your own words, had the motive and the opportunity to do so.
It is well-known that on the 17th April 2013 Erdmann, along with two other Germans, Dominique gorlitz and Jan Gartig (not Frank Hofer, Btw), entered the Great Pyramid with a Private Visit Permit from 6 to 8 p.m. and took samples of 'black soot' from the underside of the granite beams of the King's Chamber and also a sample of red ochre paint from a graffito in Campbell's Chamber. The whole episode was actually filmed by Jan Gartig, an employee of Frank Hofer, the owner of NUOVISO Film Produktion. It was not till several months later, when Frank Hofer put on Youtube a trailer for a documentary titled DAS CHEOPS PROJEKT, that the world got to know of what happened back on the 17th April 2013 inside the Great Pyramid. Everyone at first, including myself, jumped to the conclusion that the 'Germans' had removed samples from the Khufu Cartouche. More fuel to the fire was added to this erroneous conclusion when on 10th December 2013, Zahi Hawass published an interview in the Egyptian newspaper Masry El Yom where he accused me of funding the 'Germans' (Erdmann and Gorlitz) of 'stealing the khufu Cartouche'. I do not want to repeat here this bizarre fabrication by Hawass other than to say that, innevitably, it drew me into this 'Cartouche Affair' and prompt me to investigate what really happened.
We know know, with irrefutable evidence, that the Khufu Cartouche was neither 'stolen' as Hawass had claimed, or damaged in any way on that day of the 17th April 2013 when Erdmann and Gorlitz were taking samples in the Great Pyramid. But now we also DO KNOW, also with irrefutable evidence, that someone DID TAKE SAMPLES FROM THE KHUFU CARTOUCHE sometime between July 2004 and December 2006. The question, therefore, is WHO?
I know that you, Martin Stower, strongly suspect Stefan Erdmann. You have made this plain several times in posting here and on the Maat Website. Contrary to what you have assumed, I, too, have suspected the same person (Stefan Erdmann) since I found out, like you, that he had 'motive and opportunity' back in 2006, when he entered the Great Pyramid three times in 2006 (in August, November and December) with official Private Visit permits. Erdmann has, however, officially denied that he entered the Relief Chambers during these visits in 2006, although he has confirmed that he entered the Relief Chambers BEFORE the year 2000 (maybe in 1996 or 1997) and another time in 2009. We cannot, as you rightly pointed out in some of your postings, take his word on face value. Everyone who has been in the Relief Chambers between July 2004 and December 2006 is, in my way of reckoning, a suspect until the real culprit is identified with certainty. I discount no one at this stage of my investigation who can be shown to have been in the Relief Chambers of the Great Pyramid between July 2004 and December 2006. This, you will agree, is the correct way to deal objectively with this investigation.
I would welcome your help (and anyone else who is serious about this issue) to get to the truth of this matter.
The Khufu Cartouche Scandal
