Coils of rope inside a cave at Wadi Gawasis that was sealed up by sand before other material, including a tablet inscribed with the name of Amenemet III (1847-1799 BC). So the rope is perhaps more than 4,000 years old and not less than 3,850 years old. Credit: Cheryl Ward and the University of Naples "L'Orientale"/Boston University Wadi Gawasis Project