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Boats in Construction

Boats - Buildings - Builders & Buildings

The Egyptian relied on the River Nile to transport large goods needed for construction projects, such as rocks from quarries in the south to the north. The Nile currents run from south to north whilst the Winds run from north to south, meaning a relatively easy journey either way, with oars being used for any problematic areas.

These large cargo ships or barges were made from wooden planks which were held together with rope and furnished with Sails and Oars. The rope would swell in the water which would ensure that the ship remained continually impermeable. For the larger pieces of construction rocks that were needed for a project, Egyptologists have hypothesised that two wooden floating barges were constructed together with the stone being placed in between for added buoyancy.

For the Giza Pyramids, Granite Stones from Aswan were transported on wooden barges over 875km, and Limestone Blocks were ferried from Tura across the Nile, and onwards through pre-made canals or channels to the Harbour at the Giza Necropolis near modern day Cairo. Some of these blocks were up to 50 tons in weight, although it may be true that the Egyptians worked out how to nearly double the weight these Ships carried up to 90 tons.

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