Czech archaeologists have discovered an ancient boat used for a wealthy funeral procession near the famous pyramids in Cairo, Egypt.
Miroslav Barta, who oversaw the Czech-led archaeological dig near the Abusir pyramids for the Czech Institute of Archaeology at Charles University, told the AFP that the funeral boat was likely built for a wealthy, prominent member of society due to its proximity to the well-known pyramids.
The wooden, 4,500-year-old boat was found near one of the pyramids’ Mastaba, or large tomb meant to house the dead.
Barta told the AFP that the boat’s proximity to the mastaba shows the “extraordinary social position of the owner of the tomb.”
According to Archaeology.org, the well-preserved boat dates back to 2550 B.C., with its wooden planks and wooden pegs still in good condition, as well as its ropes and plants used to bind the boat together.
