Preliminary Stability and Resistance Analysis of the Cheops Boat

Abstract

The Cheops Boat is the most complete, largest, and one of the oldest boats ever excavated, but it has received surprisingly little study by Naval Architects. The 43-m boat was constructed around 2500 BC and placed, disassembled, in a pit next to the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt. Since its discovery in 1954, there has been speculation about its original design, means of propulsion, and purpose. This article presents previously unpublished results of the first tank testing of a model of the Cheops Boat and some preliminary conclusions about the design, propulsion, and function of the original. It is shown that the stability characteristics of the boat make it suited for carrying lightweight cargo and people in the protected waters of the Nile. Towing tests have shown that the boat can be safely rowed in a variety of wind and current conditions. Windward sailing calculations have shown that, if fitted with sail, then boats such as the Cheops Boat perform well downwind, but sail no closer than a beam reach. During the 1954 clearing of debris from the Giza Plateau, it was noticed that the Great Pyramid's north and west enclosure walls were 23.6m from the base of pyramid, but the south wall was 5mcloser to the base. Careful inspection revealed that the south wall had been built in an asymmetrical location to conceal two boat pits beneath it. The two pits were end to end, one covered by 41 massive limestone blocks and the other by 40. When the eastern pit was opened, the remains of the disassembled boat were revealed. Figure 1 shows photographs of some of the pieces as they were removed from the pit. Remarkably, the 4500-year-old cedar had been so well preserved that it was possible to reassemble this boat like a kit. Even the rope was preserved, and looked like what could be bought today.