The Red Sea Scrolls : how ancient papyri reveal the secrets of the pyramids
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Bibliographic Information
The Red Sea Scrolls : how ancient papyri reveal the secrets of the pyramids
Thames & Hudson, 2021
- : hbk
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 309-314) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
The inside story, told by the archaeological detectives themselves, of the extraordinary discovery of the world's oldest papyri - revealing how King Khufu's men built the Great Pyramid at Giza.
Pierre Tallet's discovery of the Red Sea Scrolls - the world's oldest surviving written documents - in 2013 was one of the most remarkable moments in the history of Egyptology. These papyri, written some 4,600 years ago, combined with Mark Lehner's research and theories, change what we thought we knew about the building of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Here, for the first time, Tallet and Lehner together give us the definitive account of this astounding discovery.
The story begins with Tallet's hunt for hieroglyphic rock inscriptions in the Sinai Peninsula, leading up to the discovery of the papyri - the diary of Inspector Merer, who oversaw workers in the reign of Pharaoh Khufu - in Wadi el-Jarf, the site of an ancient harbour on the Red Sea. The translation of the papyri reveals for the first time exactly how the stones of the Great Pyramid were transported to Giza. Combined with Lehner's excavations of the recently unearthed harbour, the Red Sea Papyri have greatly advanced our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians were able to build monuments that survive to this day.
Tallet and Lehner narrate this thrilling discovery and explore how the building of the pyramids helped create a unified state, propelling Egyptian civilization forward. This lavishly illustrated book captures the excitement and significance of these seminal findings, conveying above all how astonishing it is to discover a contemporary eye-witness testimony to the creation of the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World.
With over 200 illustrations
Table of Contents
Prologue
Introduction
Part I
Discoveries in the Desert
The Red Sea
Part II
Copper
Sneferu and Khufu and their Pyramid
From Khufu to Khafra on the Red Sea Coast and at Giza
Finding the Papyri
The Challenges of Translating the Papyri
What the Papyri Tell Us
Part IV
How Merer and his Team Transported Stone to Giza
From the Red Sea to the Nile Delta: A Year in the Life of Merer and his Men
From Worker's Village to Port City
Overseer of the Ro She Ankh-haf
Part V
Feeding the Workers
How They Could Have Raised the Stone
How the Pyramids Created a Unified State
Conclusion: Future Discoveries on the Red Sea Coast?
Appendix : Translation of Papyri
by "Nielsen BookData"
