Archaeologists have discovered a 43-foot-long papyrus scroll containing part of the ancient Egyptian 'Book of the Dead' in a New Kingdom cemetery in central Egypt. The find, made in 2023, is the first complete text of its kind found in the Al-Ghuraifa area and is described as being in good condition.
The cemetery dates back to between 1550 BC and 1070 BC. Alongside the scroll, the team unearthed mummies, amulets, statues, and canopic jars used for organ storage. The discovery has been hailed as hugely significant, but experts have remained silent about the contents of the scroll.
Lara Weiss, CEO of the Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum in Germany, who has studied the book extensively, told Live Science: 'If it's that long and well-preserved [then it's] certainly a great and interesting find.' The scroll is part of a collection of texts known as the 'Book of the Dead', which served various purposes in ancient Egypt, including guiding the deceased through the underworld.
Multiple coffins and mummies were also excavated, including those of a daughter of a high priest of the god Amun and a woman believed to have been a singer in the temple of Amun. The American Research Center in Egypt noted that the 'Book of the Dead' reveals central aspects of ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife, and that theories are constantly evolving with new translations.
