07/04/2023
The Abydos ships, discovered by American scientist David O'Connor from the University of New York in 1992, represent one of the most significant archaeological findings in the ancient city of Abydos. The group of ships were found buried in the cemetery of Abydos, known as "Shounet El Raisin," and are believed to date back more than 5,000 years. The Abydos ships were carefully stacked side by side inside the Shunet El-Zebib area, which is the cemetery of King "Kha-Sekhem-Wey" of the Second Dynasty (about 2700 BC).
Initially, the research team believed that the ships belonged to King Kha-Sekhem-Wey, but they soon discovered that they were buried in that area centuries before the era of King Kha-Sekhem-Wey. These ships, made with great skill and large sizes, with a length of about 75 feet, a width of seven to ten feet, and a draft depth of about two feet, demonstrate the impressive level of shipbuilding technology that the ancient Egyptians had achieved more than 3,000 years BC. The ships were tied together using ropes made of papyrus, and remnants of yellow paint were found on some of the planks.
According to Belgian engineer Robert Boval, the city of Abydos is the oldest Egyptian city to contain one of the most important and ancient ports in Egypt. The port was dedicated to Hajj and trade, with Hajj ships sailing between Abydos and another important port located at the edge of the Giza Plateau. The discovery of Abydos ships buried next to the Shunet al-Zabeeb cemetery is evidence that the burial rituals of royal ships, particularly pilgrimage ships, next to the tombs of kings, are ancient rituals that may date back to the beginning or before the dynastic era.
Excavations in the Giza Plateau have also revealed an octagonal structure believed to have been used for burying ships, along with the famous Khufu's boat, which was discovered in the fifties. The American researcher John Anthony West believes that the size of Khufu's boat is too large for sailing in the Nile and that its dimensions suggest it was built to sail on the high seas. These discoveries shed light on the impressive shipbuilding technology and maritime activities of the ancient Egyptians.
