Waynman Dixon

Waynman Dixon (1844–1930) was a British engineer, known for his work on the Great Pyramid of Giza and for discovering the only Egyptian artefacts to be found inside that pyramid.

The three objects found in the Great Pyramid of Giza, the so-called "Dixon Relics", are tools: a small dolerite ball, a copper hook (both now in the British Museum in London), and a fragment of cedar wood in the Marischal Museum, Aberdeen. These relics were mostly forgotten after their discovery. He also discovered two shafts out from the Queen's Chamber of the Great Pyramid, similar to those that connect the King's Chamber to the outside wall of the pyramid, although these don't extend all the way.

Outside of his interest in Egypt, he worked as a manager of Sir Raylton Dixon & Co, a Cleveland-based shipbuilding company, alongside his brothers in Middlesbrough: He also served as an honorary consul of Japan in later life. The other brother, Sir Raylton Dixon, was also an engineer and shipbuilder, and served as Mayor of Middlesbrough.

Discoveries within Khufu's Pyramid While excavating within Khufu's pyramid in 1872, Dixon's team found two symmetrical, sealed shafts within the second chamber of the pyramid. This venture in the second chamber was based on Dixon's speculation that there would be shafts there similar to the ones already discovered in the first chamber. However, these shafts were sealed from their inside, leading Dixon to conclude that they could not have served a practical purpose in construction. Dixon hired a man to pierce the seals with a chisel, and in both, the man lost his chisel in the shaft.

In 1872, Dixon discovered a casing (exterior) stone while the Egyptian government was removing detached rubble for road work. It was the most complete specimen of a casing stone that had been found up to that point. The hook and ball are currently housed in the British Museum. In 2019, they were rediscovered by Egyptian archaeologist Abeer Eladany, and subsequently carbon-dated, with an estimated date of creation between 3341 and 3094 BCE, 500 years before the reign of Khufu. Modern theories have proposed that the artifacts were part of a measuring device Using a vessel designed by Benjamin Baker, they maneuvered the obelisk down the Nile to Alexandria. The boat was temporarily abandoned during a storm, but it was eventually towed to England after stopping at Ferrol. There, he advocated from the education of the populace of mining and manufacturing villages in first aid due to the "scarcity of doctors and hospitals" in those areas.

Dixon died on January 24, 1930 in Great Ayton.

Honours In 1896, Dixon was appointed a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of St John (KStJ). He was awarded the Service Medal of the Order of St John in 1900. In 1922, he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Third Class) by the Emperor of Japan.