In1954 the Egyptian archaeologist Kamel el Mallak discovered two large pits southof the pyramid of Cheops. They were covered by enormous limestone blocks whichbore the cartouches of the pharaoh who succeeded Cheops, his son Dediefre.

Uponremoving one of the stones, a « solar bark » once more saw the light of day. Itmay even be the one which had accom­panied the body of Cheops to Giza beforehe was buried in the great pyramid which the pharaoh had built as his eternaldwelling. After over ten years of patient work, the boat, once morerecon­structed in its original forms, was placed in the museum builtex­pressly to house it next to thepyramid.