June 2011: Egyptologists plan to restore a 4,500-year-old wooden boat found underground next to the Great Pyramid of Giza. Biblical documentation in Genesis relates to builders and armies of ships and boats used in Egypt.

The boat was discovered in 1954 with another ship. That one was restored and is regarded as one of the most significant discoveries on the Giza plateau for its age, size and condition. It is about 140 feet (43 metres) long.

The ships are the oldest surviving vessels from antiquity. The boats, made from Lebanese cedar and Egyptian acacia trees, are believed to have been buried with the pharaoh Khufu, to carry him in the afterlife. Khufu, also known as Cheops, built the pyramid.
Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s antiquities chief, stated he hoped the display of the ship would boost tourism after Egypt’s revolution this year.

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