ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered a boat intended to carry the soul of its owner to the stars buried under the ruins of a 4500-year-old Egyptian tomb. 

“The discovery is important as this is the only boat of the Old Kingdom to be discovered next to non-Royal tomb which emphasis the status and rank of the Mastaba owner and his relation to the King at that time,” Dr. Mamdouh El Damaty, Minister of Antiquities, said.

The 18m funerary ship, dated to the end of the 3rd Dynasty about 2550BC, is reported to be in a very well preserved condition.

Wooden pegs and natural-fibre ropes used to hold the hull together are still in their original places, offering a rare glimpse of the time’s construction techniques.

Most previously discovered boats — other than those belonging to Pharaoh Khufu — were in very poor condition.