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Khufu’s Ship is an ancient Egyptian vessel which was discovered near the Great Pyramid of Giza; its original purpose has baffled the imagination of archaeologists for decades.
As Egyptologists commemorate the 65th anniversary ofthe discovery ofthe Khufu Ship, the mystery ofthe vessel, which was uncovered inGiza on26 May 1954, has lost none ofits appeal.
Unearthed nearthe Great Pyramid ofGiza, also known asthe Pyramid ofKhufu, the ancient vessel dates back 4,600 years, and still has archaeologists puzzled overwhat it was originally intended for, writes the Express.
Khufu’s Ship was found and unearthed onthe south side ofthe Great Pyramid byarchaeologist Kamal el-Mallakh.
The dismantled vessel, inits entire form consisting ofover 1,200 cedar-wood pieces, was found infive pits nearthe Great Pyramid ofKhufu concealed inan air-tight vault shrouded in42 limestone blocks.
The Egyptian Department ofAntiquities worked painstakingly foryears tofully reconstruct the ship withoutdamaging it. Today, however, they are reportedly no closer toconclusively understanding any definite answers aboutits origin.
Experts generally concur that the beautiful boat was built forthe great Pharaoh Khufu, butlittle is known aboutits exact purpose. Some believe the mysterious Khufu Ship was constructed tocarry the Pharaoh intothe afterlife, butothers are ofthe opinion the vessel holds the secret ofthe Pyramids’ construction.
A common theory is Khufu’s Ship was designed similarly tothe Sun god Ra’s so-called solar barge, known asAtet, which would ferry the Egyptian god acrossthe skies, shedding light ontothe world below.
This theory suggests that Khufu’s Ship could have been constructed totransport the dead Pharaoh’s spirit intothe afterlife alongsidethe god Ra.
The artefact is currently housed atthe foot ofthe Great Pyramid, inthe Solar Boat Museum, whose experts claim ancient Egyptians would bury boats likethis next totheir dead.
The museum website states: “Ancient Egyptians used tobury a ‘solar barge’ nearthe tomb oftheir pharaoh because they believed that their ruler needed transportation inthe afterlife.”
Intriguingly, though, there are some signs that the vessel was used beforeit was dismantled and stored, suggesting that the ship may have been built tophysically ferry the Pharaoh afterhe died.
This small clue puts forward the theory that Khufu’s Ship carried the Pharaoh fromthe ancient city ofMemphis tohis final resting place inGiza.
Other experts, such asBritish writer Graham Hancock, have speculated that the ancient vessel may have been used totake the Pharaoh outto sea inhis lifetime.
Finally, there are some who claim the ship’s construction holds the key tosolving the mystery ofhow the Great Pyramid ofGiza was built.
Author and contributor toAncient-Origins.com Istvan Soros wrote: “In my opinion, the entire craft was specifically designed tolift objects.
Its size allowed it toeasily hoist stone blocks oftwo or three tonnes, and onopen water it could transport these towherever they were needed .”
If one goes alongwith this fascinating theory, the barge’s “asymmetric” design served touse it asa lever ofsorts, dipping inand outof water.
“The structure ofthe prow stretches outhigher thanthe stern, giving it the ability todip and rise approximately five metres. Evidently, this is what it was designed todo,” says Soros.
(SPUTNIK)
