When an ancient papyrus was found in a cave in Wadi al-Jarf in 2013, a remarkable discovery was made. They are the oldest of their kind ever found, from just over 4,500 years ago.
The hieroglyphic text revealed details of the construction of the pyramids that archeologists and historians had only previously speculated on. They now had substantial proof that confirmed an old mystery. So who uncovered this game-changing artifact?
Grand Theft Pharoah
One of the misfortunes that prevented Egyptologists from getting a full picture of what it was like to live in the Pyramids was their historic illegal activity. Apparently, "all the pyramids were robbed" by the New Kingdom, according to authors Briar and Hobbs.
It is also thought that stone was taken at some point, serving as a slope to the foundations of the Great Pyramid. Unfortunately, numerous robbers broke in towards the end of the Old Kingdom.
Man With A Plan
Remarkably, Mark Lehner made many pyramid-related discoveries. His team found a working town known as " The Lost City" by the archeological community. He also found what originally seemed to be a nearby port, making it clear that the region was much more integrated than previously anticipated by the masses.
Lehner also believes that pyramid workers could have lived on the ramps they used to build and park near the site.
History Maker
Pierre Tallet was the person who made this notable discovery. After finding the ancient papyrus, he deciphered the hieroglyphics for almost half a decade and worked out exactly what was written there.
"Since the very day of the discovery, it was quite evident that we have the oldest papyrus ever found in the world," he said. He knew with his amazing find that he had changed the face of Egyptology. But what was the actual truth behind this amazing artifact?
The Diary Of Merer
An ancient Egyptian named Merer wrote an intricate text describing how the Egyptian workforce behind the Great Pyramid was made up of an incredible number of skilled engineers. According to him, these workers used boats to transport more than 170,000 tons of limestone from Tura to Giza down the Nile.
This finally served as the first written account in history for Egyptologists. But there was another astounding detail that makes this engineering wonder even more impressive.