Zahi Hawass on archaeology: what the evidence says · JRE #2321
FACT CHECK // JRE #2321 // EXHIBIT LOG
EPISODE AIRED MAY 14, 2025 · THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE
CLAIM CMRGC4WXSTATUS: PUBLISHED
SUBJECT: ARCHAEOLOGY
SUBJECT: ARCHAEOLOGY
RulingNeeds Context
Not a true/false call. Every claim is logged with its sources; read the exhibits below.
Now. First of all, how old is that? 4600 years ago. Isn't that amazing?
Zahi Hawass@ 24:15
►Watch on YouTubeJUMP TO 24:15What the evidence says 01 / RECORD
The Wadi al-Jarf papyri (also called the Diary of Merer or Red Sea Scrolls), discovered by Pierre Tallet's French-Egyptian mission between 2011 and 2013, are the oldest inscribed papyri ever found. They are internally dated to the reign of Pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty, with the latest documents recording the 27th year of his reign, placing them in the mid-26th century BCE (roughly 2560s BCE). That is approximately 4,600 years before the present, matching Hawass's figure. Smithsonian's coverage explicitly describes the site and papyri as dating to about 4,600 years ago.