Timekeeping at Akhet Khufu

The discovery of the Diary of Merer (papyrus Jarf) allows us to see the Egyptian calendar applied in a logbook. The diary is dated to the 26th year of reign of Khufu and describes Merer and his crew transporting the limestone blocks from the Tura quarries to Akhet Khufu, that is, the pyramid of Khufu (Old Kingdom). We find a calendar with 30-day months, and Merer’s job adapted to the seasons of the year. The overall impression is that of extreme modernity in the logistics of ancient Egypt. And Merer looks like a person with a reputation for good timekeeping at Akhet Khufu.