Ancient 13-Meter Book of the Dead Scroll Unearthed in Egypt
Archaeologists in central Egypt have uncovered a well-preserved copy of the legendary Book of the Dead. The discovery took place at a New Kingdom cemetery dating to about 3,500 years ago, according to Popular Mechanics. Photo from public sources / AI-generated illustration. Archaeologists found a burial with mummies, figurines, amulets and canopic jars designed to store the deceased's internal organs. But the main scoop was a papyrus scroll nearly 13 meters long. This artifact is one of the first near-complete copies found in the Al-Ghuruf area and represents a beautifully preserved example of the traditional funerary text of the ancient Egyptians.
In This Article:
- A 3,500-year-old New Kingdom cemetery yields a remarkable discovery
- The scroll itself: nearly 13 meters long and one of the first full copies in Al-Ghuruf
- Officials caution that details are still limited
- The Book of the Dead: a window into ancient beliefs
- More finds from the tomb complex: daily life and the afterlife
A 3,500-year-old New Kingdom cemetery yields a remarkable discovery
Archaeologists uncovered a burial with mummies, figurines, amulets and canopic vessels designed to hold the deceased's internal organs. Yet the headline grabber was a papyrus scroll almost 13 meters long, a rare and nearly complete example of the traditional funerary text. The find comes from a New Kingdom cemetery in central Egypt dating to about 3,500 years ago, and is described as a beautifully preserved specimen.
The scroll itself: nearly 13 meters long and one of the first full copies in Al-Ghuruf
The team says the scroll is a papyrus nearly 13 meters long, making it one of the longest and best-preserved copies recovered from a tomb in the Al-Ghuruf region. It represents a well-preserved example of the traditional funerary text, though authorities have not yet released the full contents.
Officials caution that details are still limited
Mustafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, says the archaeological community awaits details of the investigation, because publication of details is currently limited. While researchers acknowledge the importance of the discovery, many details remain hidden, including the exact content of the text.
The Book of the Dead: a window into ancient beliefs
The Book, which would be more correctly translated as 'The Book of How to Begin the Journey by Day', underscores the importance of the rite of the transition of the soul into the afterlife. Each copy could differ in details depending on the scribe, and therefore each new copy adds valuable material for studying ancient Egyptian religious beliefs about death and the afterlife.
More finds from the tomb complex: daily life and the afterlife
Beyond the famous scroll, researchers retrieved thousands of items of daily life, including wooden sarcophagi painted in bright colors and covered with inscriptions, a wooden statue of the goddess Ta-de-Isa, daughter of the high priest Jetu-ti, and tens of thousands of tiny ushabti figures that served as helpers for the deceased in the afterlife.
