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Wood Fragment from the Great Pyramid, Missing for Over 70 Years, Discovered by Chance in Cigar Box in Scotland and Surprises with Dating Older than the Monument
A piece of cedar wood, taken from the Great Pyramid of Giza in 1872 and deemed missing for decades, has been rediscovered in an unlikely location: a cigar box at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
The object is part of a trio of historical artifacts known as the “Dixon Relics,” removed from the pyramid by two Britons with official permission.
Discovery in the 19th Century
The removal of the pieces occurred in 1872, conducted by structural engineer Waynman Dixon and physician James Grant.
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Both operated with the approval of the newly created Egyptian Antiquities Service, responsible for curbing the illegal trade of relics. The pieces were located in the so-called Queen’s Chamber, one of the three main chambers of the pyramid.
Among the items were a ball, a hook, and the aforementioned cedar wood fragment, measuring about twelve centimeters in length. After Grant’s death in 1895, the wood piece was donated by his daughter to the University of Aberdeen. Shortly thereafter, it disappeared from the institution’s official records.
The Unexpected Reunion
The rediscovery only happened in 2020, through the efforts of Egyptian archaeologist Abeer Eladany. During a review of the university’s Asian collections, she found an old cigar box, decorated with an Egyptian flag. The contents caught her attention.
When checking the university’s records, Eladany realized that the object was the missing cedar fragment. The piece had been misfiled, outside of the Egyptian collections, and had been forgotten for over 70 years.
“I am an archaeologist and have worked on excavations in Egypt, but I never imagined that it would be here in northeastern Scotland that I would find something so important for the heritage of my own country,” she stated in a note to Smithsonian magazine.
Surprise in the Dating
After its rediscovery, the fragment underwent carbon dating analysis. The result was surprising: the wood dates from a period between 3341 and 3094 B.C., at least 500 years before the pyramid was built, which occurred between 2580 and 2560 B.C., during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu.
Neil Curtis, head of museums at the university, commented that the date raised new hypotheses. Among them, the possibility that the wood came from a very ancient tree, with extensive growth rings.
Another explanation considered is the use of wood preserved for centuries, which would not be uncommon in an area with a scarcity of trees. It is also possible that the fragment had a symbolic value, connecting the pharaoh to earlier eras.
The Value of the Dixon Relics
With the piece finally identified, academic interest in the so-called Dixon Relics is growing. The other two objects, the ball and the hook, remain in the collection of the British Museum. The wood fragment has once again become part of the story of Egyptian archaeology.
Although its original function is still uncertain, there are indications that it could have been part of a measuring tool used during the construction of the pyramid.
At the time Dixon and Grant conducted their excavations, archaeological methods were quite primitive. In many cases, reports indicate the use of explosives to open pathways within the structures. Today, these practices have been replaced by safer and more sophisticated techniques.
New Mysteries of the Pyramid
The Great Pyramid of Giza, built as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu, remains shrouded in mystery. In addition to the Queen’s Chamber, it houses the King’s Chamber and the Grand Gallery. In 1993, a robotic mission located a larger piece of the same cedar wood in a deep part of the pyramid.
In 2017, another advance caught attention: scientists discovered an unknown cavity, dubbed the “Great Void,” using cosmic ray technology. The function of this space has yet to be determined.
Even after millennia, the pyramid continues to amaze and reveal secrets that intrigue researchers worldwide. And, as shown by the rediscovery of the cedar wood, sometimes the past is closer than one might think — even on a forgotten shelf in Scotland.
With information from Aventuras na História.
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