The editorial director of Sciences et Avenir Dominique Leglu presents in video the number 857, dated July 2018:newly found papyri allow new revelations about Kheops.
The cover of Sciences et Avenir 857, dated July 2018.
Whoever thinks Egyptians, does not spontaneously think sailors. And yet, what a surprise! If they were extraordinary builders, and especially of this wonder of the world that is the pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops, it is also thanks to their talent as navigators. In an unequaled dimension, this is clearly revealed by the oldest papyri in the world, found thanks to Pierre Tallet and his team. At the foot of what will become the most famous funerary monument in the world, stretched a basin connected to the Nile, the traces of which are now hidden by several districts of Cairo, the sprawling capital. In an incessant ballet, astonishing dismountable boats docked, loaded with stones by the tens of tons.
Let's admit it right away, it's a real emotion that seizes with such discoveries. First of all, there is the magic of the first excavations a few years ago, recalled by our specialist Bernadette Arnaud in the dossier for this month of July. It is on the side of a mountain in connection with an ancient port, and not in a prestigious place already known to all, that the famous papyri have been lying for more than 4500 years. Luck smiles on daring (archaeologists) who know how to unearth treasures in unexpected places. Then there is the eye of the master, in this case this professor at Sorbonne University who was able to spot so quickly, from the height of his years of experience, the cartouche of the pharaoh in the multiple fragments delivered by the mountain, measure their importance and ensure their preservation. Would there be a Nobel Prize for archeology that Pierre Tallet the enthusiast would have a serious chance of winning. Finally and above all, there is what makes the salt of the story:this rediscovered account of a certain Merer, who tells day by day how he, the site manager, organizes the arrival of blocks of stone by the hundreds and by thousands. And this, under the watchful eye of a half-brother of Kheops, the vizier Ankhhaef. As if we were watching "live these men who work directly on behalf of the pharaoh" , says the Egyptologist, happy. The enterprise was gigantic (a quarter of a century, 25,000 people) and the mysteries of the Great Pyramid remain, that Sciences et Avenir has recently mentioned*. Yes, there is something to dream about...
A daydream that we would be wrong to deprive ourselves of, especially during the holidays. Because “daydreaming is very good for the brain “, as stated by many neurologists and not the least, to Hugo Jalinière. This would boost creativity in particular. So, if you want to shine around a pastis (to be consumed in moderation) or a fruit juice, you only have to say this:of all the networks, it is the RMD that I prefer! In other words, the "default mode network “, that of idleness. We think about it strongly, wishing everyone a good summer!