A 3,300-year-old Book of the Dead from the tomb at Sedment, Egypt, originally uncovered by Flinders Petrie in 1922, has been reanalyzed using infrared photography and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Created for senior royal scribe Ramos in the early 13th century BCE, the papyrus may have exceeded 60 feet in length. Notably, an artist used white correction paint containing calcite, huntite, and yellow orpiment to make a jackal figure appear thinner. The figure likely depicts Wepwawet, god of war and hunting, rather than Anubis.
Ancient artist used white correction paint on 3,300-year-old Egyptian Book of the Dead
EgyptArtifactNew Research
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Key facts
- 3,300-year-old Book of the Dead found in tomb at Sedment in Egypt
- Papyrus originally uncovered by Flinders Petrie in 1922
- Part of Fitzwilliam Museum collection in Cambridge, UK
- Created for senior royal scribe named Ramos in early 13th century BCE
- Estimated to have reached over 60 ft in length
- Artist used white correction paint to make jackal figure appear thinner
- Jackal likely depicts Wepwawet, god of war and hunting, not Anubis
- Analysis used infrared photography and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry
- Correction paint mixture included calcite, huntite, and yellow orpiment (arsenic sulfide)
Sources
uni-saarland.de
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rps.baden-wuerttemberg.de
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arkeonews.net
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