Bassir Reveals How Pyramids Were Built

Archaeologist and Egyptologist Dr. Hussein Bassir, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Antiquities Museum, said that Wadi El-Jarf papyrus illustrated the way the pyramids were built and the names of the workers who worked on building them.

These Papyri belong to the era of King Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. These papyri, the oldest in the history of Egyptian writing, have been found in Wadi El-Jarf port, the oldest port not only in Egypt, but in the history of global maritime navigation.

Six papyri, out of 30 belonging to King Khufu, were exhibited in the Egyptian Museum. These papyri are considered as an important document from the era of King Khufu as they confirm that the construction of the Great Pyramid was a national project, and that the pyramid was built by the ancient Egyptians; these papyri deny any allegations regarding the construction of the pyramids.

These papyri included a papyrus ranging in length from 150 to 200 centimeters, belonging to a senior employee named "Murar", who participated in the construction of the Great Pyramid, this papyrus contained information about three months of his career.

These papyri allowed us to know a lot about the lives of employees in the Fourth Dynasty, including a team of seamen who transferred limestone blocks from Tora quarries on the east bank of the Nile to Khufu Pyramid across the Nile River and its canals.

Most of these papyri contain tables showing the distribution of daily rations of food, which were brought from many areas in the Nile Delta; this emphasizes the centrality and control of the administrative apparatus according to strict regulation.

Since 2011, a joint Egyptian-French mission has been carrying out excavation work in Wadi El-Jarf port. This port, along with Mersa Gawasis harbor in Safaga, and Ain Sokhna port in Southern Suez, represents the oldest group of Pharaonic ports in the history.

The port of Wadi El-Jarf was built in the same way the other two ports were but on a larger area. Through the clay seals, papyri and rock inscriptions discovered in this region, it is possible to date this site to the Old Kingdom.

This magnificent collection of papyri was found in 2013 at the entrance of two caves at the port; they were buried among stone blocks used to close the cave after the work was completed. It seems that these caves were used as workshops, stores and residential places. These papyri confirm that the team that worked at Wadi El-Jarf port was the same one who worked in building the Great Pyramid.

King Khufu was the second king of the Fourth Dynasty, who built the Great Pyramid of Giza. King Khufu, whose mother was Queen Hetepheres, succeeded king Snefru to the throne of Egypt.

Contributed by Basant Ahmed