A unique boat from the pyramid age discovered at Abusir by the expedition of the Czech Institute of Egyptology ****************************************************************************************** * A unique boat from the pyramid age discovered at Abusir by the expedition of the Czech I Egyptology ****************************************************************************************** The mission of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in P recently made an unexpected discovery at Abusir South that once again highlights the impor cemetery of the Old Kingdom officials. Work commenced in 2009 on a large mastaba termed AS by several seasons of excavations. Its exceptional size (52.60 x 23.80 m), orientation, ar details, as well as the name of king Huni (Third Dynasty,) discovered on one of the stone the northern underground chamber, indicate the high social standing of the person buried i far unlocated) shaft. Unfortunately, his name remains unknown due to the bad state of pres cruciform chapel.             Clearing the area south of Mastaba AS 54 revealed an 18 m-long wooden boat dur excavation season. It was lying on tafla, covered with the wind-blown sand. Although the b almost 12 m south of Mastaba AS 54, its orientation, length, and the pottery collected fro make a clear connection between the structure and the vessel, both dating to the very end beginning of the Fourth Dynasty, ca 2550 BC. While extremely fragile, the roughly 4,500 year old planks will shed new light on ship bui Egypt. The wooden planks were joined by wooden pegs that are still visible in their origin Extraordinarily, the desert sand has preserved the plant fiber battens which covered the p Some of the ropes that bound the boat together are also still in their original position w details intact, which is a unique discovery in the study of ancient Egyptian boats. All th details are of the highest importance, since most of the ancient Egyptian boats and ships either in poor state of preservation, or were dismantled in pieces. During the 2016 season Institute of Egyptology will launch a project, together with experts from the Institute of Archaeology (INA) at Texas A&M University, to study the techniques used in the hull’s cons             The construction details are not the only features that make the boat unique. burying boats beside mastabas began in the Early Dynastic Period. This phenomenon has been for royal structures, as well as for some tombs belonging to members of the royal family, society. Dr. Miroslav Bárta, director of the mission notes: “In fact, this is a highly unu since boats of such a size and construction were, during this period, reserved solely for of the society, who usually belonged to the royal family. This suggests the potential for discoveries during the next spring season.” Scholars debate the purpose of Egyptian boat burials. Did they serve the deceased in the a might they have functioned as symbolical solar barques, used during the journey of the own underworld. The Old Kingdom kings adopted the earlier tradition, and often had several boa their pyramid complexes. Unfortunately, most of the pits have been found already empty of others contained little more than brown dust in the shape of the original boat. The only e the two boats of Khufu that have survived, and were reconstructed or are in the process of However, there was no boat of such dimensions from the Old Kingdom found in a non-royal co the new discovery at Abusir.  “It is by all means a remarkable discovery. The careful exca recording of the Abusir boat will make a considerable contribution to our understanding of watercraft and their place in funerary cult. And where there is one boat, there very well adds  director of the excavations, Miroslav Bárta.             The boat by the southern wall of Mastaba AS 54 indicates the extraordinary soc the owner of the tomb. Since it is not located adjacent to a royal pyramid, the owner of t probably not a member of the royal family: both the size of the tomb, as well as the prese itself, however, clearly places the deceased within the elite of his time with strong conn reigning pharaoh. Contact: Mgr. et Mgr. Lucie Vendelová Jirásková Czech Institute of Egyptology Faculty of Arts Charles University in Prague Celetná 20 110 00 Prague 1 Phone +420 221 619 614 +420 776 132 337 fax +420 221 619 618 lucie.jiraskova(zavinac)ff.cuni.cz [ MAIL " lucie.jiraskova(zavinac)ff.cuni.cz"] http://egyptologie.ff.cuni.cz/ [ URL "http://egyptologie.ff.cuni.cz/"]