Fragments of Ancient Egyptian ‘Book of the Dead’ Reunited After Centuries
Discovery and Reunification
Researchers have digitally reunited two fragments of a 2,300-year-old linen mummy wrapping covered in hieroglyphics from the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. The fragments, originally from the same scroll, were scattered across museums worldwide.
When employees at the Getty Research Institute (GRI) in Los Angeles saw photographs of a digitized fragment housed in the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities at the University of Canterbury (UC) in New Zealand, they realized that a section in their collections fit perfectly with the UC scrap.
Significance of the Book of the Dead
The Book of the Dead, a collection of funerary texts, was believed to guide the deceased through the afterlife. It contained spells, prayers, and illustrations depicting the journey and challenges faced by the soul in the underworld.
Provenance of the Fragments
The reunited fragments came from a series of bandages once wrapped around a man named Petosiris. Fragments of the linen are scattered across museums and private collections around the globe.
The UC fragment originated in the collection of Charles Augustus Murray, the British consul general in Egypt from 1846 to 1853. It later became the property of British official Sir Thomas Phillips. The university acquired the linen at a Sotheby’s sale in London in 1972.
Ancient Egyptian Funerary Practices
Ancient Egyptian belief held that the deceased needed worldly possessions on their journey to and in the afterlife. The art in pyramids and tombs depicted scenes of offerings, supplies, servants, and other necessities for the afterlife.
Evolution of Funerary Texts
Ancient Egyptian funerary texts first appeared on tomb walls during the Old Kingdom period (around 2613 to 2181 B.C.). Initially, only royalty at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara could have these so-called Pyramid Texts inscribed at their graves.
Over time, funerary customs changed, and versions of the Coffin Texts—a later adaptation of the Pyramid Texts—appeared on the sarcophagi of nonroyal people. During the New Kingdom period (roughly 1539 to 1075 B.C.), the Book of the Dead became available to all who could afford a copy.
Hope for Further Insights
Scholars hope that the newly joined fragments will reveal more information about ancient Egyptian funerary practices. “The story, like the shroud, is being slowly pieced together,” says Terri Elder, a curator at the Teece Museum.
The digital reunification of these fragments provides researchers with a valuable opportunity to study the Book of the Dead in greater detail and gain insights into the beliefs and customs of ancient Egyptian society.