1. Ancient Egypt
Reading a papyrus

2. 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.
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
Museums used to cut the rolls of papyrus into sheets for easier storage and display.

3. 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

4. Papyrus from the Book of the Dead of Nakht
Papyrus from the Book of the Dead of Nakht. Papyrus provides information about everyday life in ancient Egypt and the beliefs of the afterlife.
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?
Tjuiu (Nakht’s wife)
trees
What can you see on this papyrus?
crook and flail
Osiris
wigs
hieroglyphs
a house
This is a page from the Book of the Dead of Nakht dating from around BC. It shows Nakht and his wife, Tjuiu, worshipping Osiris and Maat.
ankh
linen robes
a pool
jewellery
Maat
Nakht (the deceased)

5. 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?
This is a scene from the Book of the Dead of Hunefer, dating from around 1300BC. The full papyrus page has hieroglyphs to the right and top of the picture.
the chest of food offerings?
the god Anubis?

6. 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.
weighing his heart against the feather of truth?
Can you see Nakht …
rowing a boat?
Nakht, the tomb owner, is shown 8 times on the papyrus.
looking after the crops?
worshipping the gods?
This papyrus is a scene from the Book of the Dead of Nakht. Nakht was a royal scribe and overseer of the army (general). This is spell 110 which shows the Field of Offerings and the Field of Rushes. The deceased were expected to undertaken agricultural work in the Field of Rushes.
ploughing the fields?

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