Wadi el‐Jarf papyri, Red Sea

Abstract Wadi el‐Jarf, a Red Sea harbor from the early 4th Dynasty, served as a logistical base to go to Sinai. Excavations revealed boat parts, tools, and about one thousand papyrus fragments – the oldest known Egyptian papyri. These documents include logbooks and accounting records from a team led by an inspector named Merer.

They describe tasks such as maintaining harbor basins at Giza, transporting limestone from Tura quarries, and managing supplies. The accounting papyri show precise state‐controlled distribution of food, tools, and goods to workers. Overall, this archive offers a rare glimpse into early Egyptian administration and logistics behind royal construction projects.