Czech archaeological mission from Charles University in Prague discovered remains of a possibly first non-royal ancient Egyptian wooden boat in a funerary context ever found. The discovery was made during excavation work at the Abusir necropolis, in an area south of a still unidentified non-royal mastaba tomb identified as AS54. The boat is situated almost 12 metres south of the tomb, its orientation, length and the pottery collected from its interior make a clear connection between the structure and the vessel. It is dated to the very end of the Third or beginning of the Fourth Dynasty, or around 2550 BCE. The desert sand has preserved the plant-fibre battens of the boat that covered the planking seams.

The tomb’s exceptional size (52.60 metres by 23.80 metres), orientation, architectural details, as well as the name of the Third Dynasty king Huni discovered on one of the stone bowls buried in the northern underground chamber, indicated the high social standing of the person buried there. The burial has not been found yet.

(after Al-Ahram Weekly)