"The Giza Paper Trail: How Inspector Merer’s Logbook Solved Egypt’s Greatest Mystery"

 

The major breakthrough was brought about in 2013 by French and Egyptian archaeologists led by Pierre Tallet in the remote Wadi al-Jarf on the Red Sea coast. They unearthed a collection of 4,500-year-old papyri which, since then, has been referred to as the Diary of Merer or the Red Sea Scrolls that give for the first time ever a "behind-the-scenes" look at the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The Man Behind the Logbook

The journal was written by Inspector Merer, a middle-ranking official who led a specialized team-a za or phyle-of about 200 skilled laborers. Unlike the popular myth of slave labor, these records show a highly organized, professional workforce paid in rations of grain, beer, and meat.

Key Disclosures in the Diary The Transport Route: Merer's logs describe how his team of workers moved enormous blocks of limestone from the quarries at Tura to the Giza plateau. First, they had to load the stone onto wooden boats and sail them down the Nile.

The Management: According to historical records, Ankhhaf, half-brother to Pharaoh Khufu, was the high-ranking government official managing this construction process towards its end.

Phase of the Project: This diary originated during the 26th or 27th year of the reign of Khufu. As the description in the diary related to the movement of the white Tura limestone, it is thought that Merer’s crew was bringing the outer casing stones to give the pyramid its smooth finish.

Key takeaways

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Wadi el-Jarf Port: A Red Sea ancient Egyptian seaport that functioned as a distribution center for limestone and copper to the Giza Plateau that indicated Egyptian organization over 240 kilometers.

"Merer's Journal" - It is a record of the daily activities involved in pyramid building.

Skilled Workforce: The workers were compensated with payment and comprised free labor, with rations such as bread, meat, and beer. The project was overseen by Egypt's most elite administrators with Ânkhkhâf, half-brother toKhuf

For centuries, the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza has remained one of history's greatest mysteries. Since no modern machinery existed, how did the ancient Egyptians accomplish the movement and carving of blocks of limestone weighing tons each? Well, that's about to change, thanks to an incredible discovery in 2013.

The Red Sea Papyri were discovered at the Wadi el-Jarf site, on Egypt's Red Sea coast, by archaeologists. Among them are some of the oldest documents ever found, including a journal belonging to a man named Merer, chief overseer during the pyramid's construction. His records give great details into the logistics of this monumental task.

Merer's Journal: A Day-to-Day Account of the Construction at the Great Pyramid

If you ever happened to come across Merer's journal, you probably would think you were reading this rather dry work log. But the details in these ancient pages bring the pyramid construction process to life in a way few things have before. Merer was directly involved in the logistics of transporting materials for the pyramid. His journal in three months maps out in minute detail a day-by-day account of the activities of his team.

Let's take this excerpt as an example:

"Day 25: The Inspector Merer spent the day with his team in moving the stones to Tura-South, night at Tura-South.

The journal continues the next day:

It writes, “Day 26: Inspector Merer left Tura-South with his team on a boat, filled with limestone blocks to Akhet-Khufu, the Great Pyramid, spending the night at She-Khufu, an administrative area near Giza.” As can be seen from these entries, Merer's team had a very regulated, almost military, schedule of movement, coupled with meticulous recording at every step of the way.

The amazing part of this is just how large the scale of this effort was. Merer’s workforce of 200 workers would carry the stones, document their movement through administrative centers, and then set off to deliver the next batch. It is staggering to think that Merer and his men would make several rounds in a matter of a few days between the quarries and Giza, carrying tons of building materials.

Who Really Built the Pyramids? Reconsidering

The legend of the pyramid builders has long been shrouded in mystery. There was an air of mystery as to who actually constructed the great pyramid of Giza. Many thought that the pyramid was constructed by slaves under the will of the tyrannical Pharaoh. However, the Red Sea Papyri, particularly the Merer journal, present a much different account. The account in the journal reveals that the pyramid was not constructed by slaves. Rather, they were professional craftsmen who were paid well.

Merer pays attention to the wages of his employees, which were not in the form of money but in the types of foods: bread, meat, dates, beer, and legumes. Such was the mode of payment known as the “ration,” which depended on the level of the employee. He was not forcing anyone to do any job but was, in fact, paying for the specific skill.

Merer's journal also refers to prominent individuals involved in overseeing the project, such as Ânkhkhâf, half-brother of Khufu and "chief of all the king's works."

“Day 24: Inspector Merer spends the day with his za hauling [text missing] with people in elite positions, aper-teams and the noble Ankh-haf, director of Ro-She Khufu,” the papyri fragments state.

His involvement shows that the pyramid was carefully managed at this time of the elite class of Egypt. It was a highly organized, well-coordinated operation, involving some of the most important figures in the kingdom.