Egypt displays oldest papyruses, accounts on pyramid-builders

Items are from the 4th Dynasty of King Khufu, or Cheops as he was also known, for whom the Great Pyramid of Giza was built as a tomb.

The papyrus of King Khufu is shown at the opening exhibition of 'The Papyri of Khufu from Wadi al-Jarf' for the first time at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo has put on display the country’s oldest papyruses, which date back 4,500 years, detailing the daily life of the pyramid-builders.

The items are from the 4th Dynasty of King Khufu, or Cheops as he was also known, for whom the Great Pyramid of Giza was built as a tomb.

Egypt’s Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anany told reporters on Thursday as the exhibition was unveiled that the papyruses were discovered in 2013 in the port of Wadi el-Jarf. The port is located 119 kilometres, or 74 miles, from the city of Suez.

‘These are the oldest papyruses’

Mr. El-Anany said “these are the oldest” papyruses in Egypt.

Museum chief Tarek Tawfiq said the papyruses depicted the daily routine of the workers, who also transferred building material from the Red Sea port to Giza.