One of the three artifacts from an ancient building was discovered more than centuries ago but went missing. Today, an Egyptian researcher finally put an end to the unsolved case at the University of Aberdeen. The relic was seen inside a cigar container at the Scottish school collection. This is a 5,000-year-old cedar wood fragment from the Giza pyramid. Before it has been missing for several decades, it was unveiled in the 19th century.
Inside A Cigar Box
A record showed that the fragment, a bronze hook, and a ball were unearthed in 2001. They all have been gifted to the University of Aberdeen. Unfortunately, the ancient relic disappeared without showing any clues until last year. The Egyptian curator, Abeer Eladany, found it by chance in the school’s Asian collection section.
After realizing that it was out of place, she quickly verified it with the other records. Eladany is an archaeologist and stated that she would have never imagined to come across such pieces from where she worked. Sorting through the records for verification was challenging, but worth it.
Mystery Solved
Initially discovered at the Queen’s Great Pyramid Chamber by Waynman Dixon, the fragments measured about 13 cm. are now cut in bits and pieces. Because of Dixon’s connection to James Grant, a physician who served in Egypt to treat cholera, it was transported to Scotland.
After several tests conducted on the relic, the missing bits of wood and the rest of the items are believed to be part of the Great Pyramid construction. According to the results, carbon present on wood revealed it existed from 3341 to 3094 BCE, which was way before the pyramid’s construction. Such a discovery has corroborated the theory that the builders left these things instead of being found by the explorers. Hence, the museum head Neil Curtis considers it a significant revelation. According to his statement, it will rekindle attention to these relics and inform the public more about the Great Pyramid.
The Pyramid of Khufu
The Great Pyramid
The Great Pyramid of Khufu is found in Memphis’s Necropolis, within the south of the Giza Plateau in Egypt. This was made for the Egyptian pharaoh that served during the 2500 B.C. It’s the biggest among the other pyramids, built with more than a million tons of limestone, hundreds of thousands of mortar, and over a thousand granite. The pyramid remained perched, measuring 455 feet even after a millennium of extreme weather conditions. It initially measured 481 feet, considering the time and the difference from its height now, the structure is indeed long-lasting.
In the 1800s, Dixon was building a bridge in Cairo, Egypt, when Charles Piazzi Smyth requested him, a Scotland astronomer, to help in the Great Pyramid survey. Through the process, he got three items from the Queen’s Chamber, a hook, a bit of cedar, and a ball–the Dixon relics. While the hook and ball were kept at The British Museum, the cedar took quite an interesting journey and landed in an unusual place.
The wooden chip went into Dr. Grant’s possession. He was assisting Dixon in the survey and was present during the discovery of the relics. In 1946, a record showed that Grant’s daughter handed a five-inch piece of wood to the museum.
