Ancient Egypt How to look at a papyrus.

Papyrus Papyrus is made from pressed reeds and can get damaged over time. It was used for everyday writing, but also for documents which were put in the tomb with the dead. Museums used to cut the rolls of papyrus into sheets for easier storage and display. The Egyptians wrote hieroglyphs on papyrus with a pen. Sometimes they were drawn carefully. Sometimes they were done in a quick version like handwriting – known as hieratic

Papyrus What can be seen on papyrus? hieroglyphs (written with a pen) pictures (painted) In tomb papyri, the pictures can show deities (gods and goddesses) humans objects

Papyrus from the Book of the Dead of Nakht. Papyrus provides information about everyday life in ancient Egypt and the beliefs of the afterlife. Osiris Maat Nakht (the deceased) a pool a house hieroglyphs What can you see on this papyrus? Tjuiu (Nakht’s wife) trees ankh crook and flail linen robesjewellery wigs Can you identify these people and gods?Can you identify these features of the ancient Egyptian environment?Can you identify some of the things people wore?Can you identify these ancient Egyptian symbols?

Scene from the Book of the Dead of Hunefer showing a funeral Can you see... the mummy? the tomb? the mourners? the priests? the ceremonial objects on a table? the god Anubis? the chest of food offerings?

A scene showing the afterlife from the Book of the Dead of Nakht This papyrus shows us some of the activities that the ancient Egyptians believed a person had to do in the afterlife. Nakht, the tomb owner, is shown 8 times on the papyrus. worshipping the gods? rowing a boat? looking after the crops? ploughing the fields? Can you see Nakht … weighing his heart against the feather of truth?

Find out more about the ancient Egyptian papyrus at the British Museum Visit the main Museum website Use Explore to look at some of our papyri Learn more about ancient Egypt