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Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Egyptian Book of the Dead unearthed in cemetery and experts won't say what it contains
A team of archaeologists have unearthed a 3,500-year-old New Kingdom cemetery in central Egypt, which contains hundreds of ancient Egyptian treasures, including a 43-foot-long papyrus scroll containing part of the 'Book of the Dead' Despite our extensive knowledge of ancient Egyptian culture and practices, there are still many mysteries to unravel. Could we be on the brink of uncovering more ancient wisdom after archaeologists discovered a 3,500 year old New Kingdom cemetery in central Egypt? The team unearthed mummies, amulets, statues, canopic jars for organ storage, and a 43-foot-long papyrus scroll containing part of the 'Book of the Dead'. However, the archaeologists have remained eerily quiet about the contents of this 'Book of the Dead', as reported by Live Science. The term 'Book of the Dead' refers to various texts that served multiple purposes in ancient Egypt, including guiding the deceased through the underworld, reports the Mirror US. This particular scroll, found in 2023, is the first complete text discovered in the Al-Ghuraifa area and is "characterised by being in good condition," according to Mustafa Waziri, the then-secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Experts believe the cemetery dates back to between 1550 BC and 1070 BC. Despite the hundreds of archaeological finds, this ancient text has been hailed as a significant discovery, making the silence surrounding its contents all the more intriguing. Lara Weiss, CEO of the Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum in Germany, is understood to have studied the book extensively and told Live Science: "If it's that long and well-preserved [then it's] certainly a great and interesting find." Multiple coffins and mummies were excavated, including the daughter of a high priest of the ancient god, Amun, linked with air, wind, and fertility. A coffin belonging to a woman thought to have been a singer in the temple of Amun was also discovered. Whilst both represent remarkable discoveries, documenting more of the ancient Egyptian burial text in the 'Book of the Dead' will enable researchers to gain deeper understanding into previously unknown elements of ancient Egypt's religion, beliefs, and afterlife ceremonies, as highlighted by the American Research Center, in Egypt. "The 'Book of the Dead' reveals central aspects of the ancient Egyptians' belief system," the centre reports, "and, like many topics in Egyptology, our theories are constantly changing, growing, and adapting with every new translation of this text." The institute also concluded: "Familiar scenes – like a scale weighing a heart of the deceased against a feather or the eternal destruction of a soul by a deity composed of animal parts – originate from the Book of the Dead. With such impressive narratives, it is clear why Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife are so thoroughly ingrained in our collective memory."
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Found the Lost ‘Book of the Dead' Buried in an Egyptian Cemetery
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Egyptian archaeologists located a lost 3,500-year-old cemetery containing mummies and statues—among other discoveries. They found a 'Book of the Dead' papyrus scroll measuring over 43 feet long—a rare surviving copy of the traditional burial item. The team behind the find was mum on the details of the textual discovery. Ancient Egyptians sure knew how to stage a burial, including canopic jars to hold organs and scrolls from the 'Book of the Dead' to help the deceased navigate the afterlife. In central Egypt, archaeologists uncovered one of these elaborate scenes: a 3,500-year-old New Kingdom cemetery filled with mummies, amulets, statues, canopic jars, and a 43-foot-long papyrus scroll containing part of the Book of the Dead. This scroll is the first complete papyrus found in the Al-Ghuraifa area, and is 'characterized by being in good condition,' Mustafa Waziri, secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a translated Arabic statement from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. While the cemetery—dating to sometime between 1550 BC to 1070 BC—was significant for the hundreds of archaeological finds and tombs carved into the rock located within its boundaries, the discovery of what could be a copy of the 'Book of the Dead' captured the attention of experts as a truly rare find. But with few details released to the public about the contents of the scroll—believed to be 43 to 49 feet in length—there's plenty of questions remaining about this particular copy of the traditional Egyptian cultural book. These texts—which can differ depending on the writer—first appeared at the start of the New Kingdom around 1550 BC. As a result, locating one in 'good condition' from the era isn't a common occurrence. 'If it's that long and well-preserved [then it's] certainly a great and interesting find,' Lara Weiss, CEO of the Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum in Germany, told Live Science. Foy Scalf, an Egyptologist at The University of Chicago told Live Science that it's 'very rare' to find a copy in the grave it was originally buried in—although, without photographs and an official publication describing the text, it's hard to verify the details of the find. The book, which is more properly translated as 'The Chapters/Book of Going Forth By Day,' played a key role in ancient Egyptian culture. Any examples of the text give researchers insight into ancient Egyptian religion and beliefs about an afterlife, according to the American Research Center in Egypt. 'The 'Book of the Dead' reveals central aspects of the ancient Egyptians' belief system,' the center writes, 'and, like many topics in Egyptology, our theories are constantly changing, growing, and adapting with every new translation of this text.' While the 'Book of the Dead' may continue to interest researchers—the Egyptian ministry says they expect the scroll to be displayed in the Grand Egyptian Museum—the text wasn't the only item found in the burial chambers. The team located stone and wood coffins containing mummies, more than 25,000 ushabti statues, an untold number of utensils, thousands of stone and wooden amulets, and canopic jars. The engraved and colored wooden coffins—including that of Ta-de-Isa, daughter of Eret Haru, the high priest of Djehuti in Al-Ashmunin—were highlights of the collection. Next to her coffin were two wooden boxes with her canopic vessels, in addition to a complete set of ushabti statues and a statue of the ostrich-like deity, Ptah Sokar. Photo credit: Hearst Owned Get the Issue Photo credit: Hearst Owned Get the Issue Photo credit: Hearst Owned Get the Issue Photo credit: Hearst Owned Get the Issue Photo credit: Hearst Owned Get the Issue Photo credit: Hearst Owned Get the Issue Photo credit: Hearst Owned Get the Issue Photo credit: Hearst Owned Get the Issue Photo credit: Hearst Owned Get the Issue You Might Also Like
