The Date of the Great Pyramid Complex for Pseudoarchaeologists

                              The Giza Pyramids complex (Wikipedia)                    

It is simply NOT TRUE that the inscriptions in the relieving chambers of the Great Pyramid are the "only evidence" that the pyramid was built in the reign of Khufu. Even if we ignore their evidence, there is still a lot to support this.

The pyramid stratigraphically is earlier than the north enclosure wall of the Khafre pyramid complex, which is aligned on its southern side. The east wall of the Funerary temple of Khafre is aligned on the pyramid's west side. The line of tombs of the GIS cemetery (period: Khafre/ Menkaure?) are oriented on the pyramid's south side. 

During the time when the pyramid was under construction, clusters of mastabas for lesser royals and royal officials and dignitaries - all of which can be dated to specific reigns - were built around it (Reisner 1942 ; Porter and Moss 1974). They are formed by clusters of structures that were quite clearly laid out systematically, following an overall plan. In other words they are contemporary with other features that form an integral part of thayt layout.    Those tombs associated with Khufu cluster around the Great Pyramid in a way that demonstrates the close connection of their tombs with the pyramid.

The principal burial area Cemetery G 7000 occupied the Giza East Field, situated just east of the Great Pyramid and adjacent to the queens’ pyramids. Laid out along orderly streets and avenues, this cemetery formed an integrated complex. It contained the the tombs of Khufu's wives, sons, and daughters as well as officials of his reign. Some of the tombs were used for later members of the 4th dynasty and their officials. In the eastern Cemetery is the tomb of an official (wikipedia says 'Nykahap', but this is not traceable anywhere I could find - it is not in Reisner 1942) - a "priest of Khufu who presides over the pyramid Akhet-Khufu" [Horizon of Khufu]

On the pyramid’s western side, in the  Giza West Field, Khufu’s sons Wepemnofret and Hemiunu were interred in Cemeteries G 1200 and G 4000, respectively. The entire necropolis continued to expand during the 5th and 6th Dynasties.

                  Snnw-ka             

The tomb of Snnw-ka is located in the Western Cemetery at the Giza necropolis in Egypt. His tomb is known as Lepsius 21. Snnw-ka held significant titles, including "Chief of the Settlement and Overseer of the Pyramid City of Akhet-Khufu" . The "Pyramid City of Akhet-Khufu" clearly refers to the area and workforce settlement associated with the construction of the Great Pyramid. A painted limestone statue of Snnw-ka (also known as Irukakhufu) in the form of a seated scribe was discovered within the serdab (a sealed chamber for the statue of the deceased) of his mastaba tomb during excavations in the mid-1950s. This statue is at the moment on display at the Cairo International Airport Museum in Terminal 3.

The Giza cemeteries mentioned above are also the provenance of a series of distinctive slab-stelae,, all of which date to the reign of Khufu (Der Manuelian 2003).

Note there are very few tombs in the Giza cemetery that can be linked with individuals that died during the reign of Khufu's predecessor Sneferu.* 

There therefore seems very little doubt, taking the evidence of the 'horizontal stratigraphy' (spatial layout) of these cemeteries that the Great Pyramid was an integral part of a funerary complext that can only be dated to the reign of Khufu. If some pseudoarchaeological enthusiast wants to suggest that these tombs were added to a pre-existing structure (or three pyramids in an "Orion-line") let us see them break down into phases based on the actual stratigraphy of teh remains: why would the Khufu-tombs cluster in one group of cemeteries, and the Khafre ones in another?  Because the logic of teh Great Pyramid being built first together with the cemeteries that clearly relate to it, to which was later added the Khafre pyramid and its own cemetery and enclosure, really seems the much better explanation of the actual evidence attained from centruries of investigatiuon and publication. Let the pseudos READ the publications. 

References 

• Reisner, George Andrew, 'A History of the Giza Necropolis' Volume I. Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1942.

Porter, Bertha and Moss, Rosalind L. B. 1974, 'Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings'. Volume III. Memphis. Part I. Abû Rawâsh to Abûṣîr. 2nd edition, revised and augmented by Jaromír Málek, The Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Peter Der Manuelian 2003, 'Slab Stelae of the Giza Necropolis' New Haven and Philadelphia (Publications of the Pennsylvania-Yale Expedition to Egypt 7).

 

*Tombs at Giza related to Sneferu's time
Hemiunu: Grandson of Sneferu, overseer of royal works, and probable architect of Khufu's pyramid. His large tomb is at Giza (G4000).
Queen Hetepheres I: Wife of Sneferu and mother of Khufu; her shaft tomb (G7000x) at Giza contained significant funerary equipment.