Discovery of sealed wooden box in western serdab passageway of Pyramid G2-A. A second descending passageway on the western side (serdab) was discovered by chance in 1960 A T-shaped limestone closure stone sealed the entrance, fixed to bedrock by gypsum mortar Three plug blocks measuring 1.2 m, 1.35 m, and 1.8 m long and weighing 1.48, 1.61, and 2.23 tons were removed

A second passageway in G2-A was discovered by chance in 1960, sealed with a T-shaped limestone closure. Inside, excavators found a wooden box containing layered cedar wood cylinders — clearly hacked apart before placement. Restored by the same craftsman who rebuilt Khufu's solar boat, Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass identified it as a divine booth for a life-size statue. 🪵

Key Facts

  • A second descending passageway on the western side (serdab) was discovered by chance in 1960
  • A T-shaped limestone closure stone sealed the entrance, fixed to bedrock by gypsum mortar
  • Three plug blocks measuring 1.2 m, 1.35 m, and 1.8 m long and weighing 1.48, 1.61, and 2.23 tons were removed
  • A wooden box measuring 105 cm long, 49 cm wide, and 29 cm high was found in a niche in the south wall
  • The box was secured with four nails and a rope and contained layered cylindrical pieces of cedar wood
  • The wooden object had been hacked apart with an axe or chisel before placement in the box
  • The object was restored by Egyptian master restorer Haj Ahmed Yusef Mustafa, who also restored Khufu's solar boat
  • Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass identified the restored object as a divine booth large enough to hold a life-size statue