Royal Egyptian Ceremonial Boats
Abydos - Capital Cities
Map of the Finds at Abydos


What: 14 Royal Egyptian ceremonial boats. The oldest ‘planked’ boat that has been
discovered to date
Where: Shunet es-Zebib, Abydos
Why: The Boats seem to have held a ritual significance for the Pharaoh and the Pharaoh’s use in the afterlife. As the Sterns are all pointed towards the Nile.
When: Attributed to 2nd Dynasty Pharaoh Khasekhemwy Discovered in 1991-2000
Notes: Each boat has its own brick boundary wall in the shape of a boat – Small boulders at the stern represent the anchor
– Approx. 75 ft long; 7–10 ft wide; 2 ft deep
– Bundles of Reeds were used as seams between the planks and covered the floor
– The Hull was made from local Tamarix wood, the poles and beams from Lebanese Cedar
– Remains of Paint Flecks show that these were decorated with white and yellow
– Boats used “unpegged joints” allowing Egyptian boats to be easily disassembled, transported long distances through the desert and then re-assembled