Members of an Egyptian and Japanese research team remove limestone blocks that cover a pit containing King Khufu’s second solar boat on the southern side of Khufu’s Great Pyramid June 23, 2011. The solar boat, designed to ferry the king to his afterlife, was first discovered in 1987 following an electromagnetic radar survey of the area. Recovery and reassembly of the boat, as it would have looked in ancient times, became a priority for Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities and a delegation from Waseda University and the Japanese Institute for Restoration Research since 2008. King Khufu reigned from around 2589 to 2566 BC and is considered the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT – Tags: SCI TECH SOCIETY IMAGES OF THE DAY)