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papyrus

Example of a brightly painted antique papyrus, as could benefit from wasabi’s preservative qualities.	Source: Thomas Sztanek/Adobe Stock

Wasabi Is Innovative ‘Green’ Solution for Preserving Ancient Papyrus

Researchers have discovered a novel, environmentally friendly method for preserving bio-deteriorated painted archaeological papyri using wasabi. The study, led by Hanadi Saada and her team, explored...
Egyptian painting of snakes near Anubis. Source: Vermeulen-Perdaen / Adobe Stock.

Scroll Reveals Ancient Egypt Had Many More Venomous Snakes Than Today

How much can the written records of ancient civilizations tell us about the animals they lived alongside? Our latest research , based on the venomous snakes described in an ancient Egyptian papyrus,...
Augustus and Cornelius Cinna Magnus Bozetto by Louis André Gabriel Bouchet (1819) Versailles Musée National du Chateau et des Trianons (Public Domain)

Papyrus Rolls Roling From Egypt To The Roman Empire

By the first century AD, papyrus paper was available throughout the Roman Empire, a market that consisted of the area stretching from Hadrian’s Wall in the northern wilds of Caledonia, east to the...
Fragment from ancient gospel. Source: Stephen Butler / Adobe Stock.

Lost Gospels Revealed: The Startling Revelation of Jesus's Wife (Video)

In the depths of history, a remarkable discovery emerged, shedding new light on the enigmatic figure of Jesus . An ancient fragment of a book, the Gospel of Jesus’s Wife , composed in the mysterious...
 Part of the 16-meter-long document from Saqqara that includes illustrations and text from the Book of the Dead of Ahmose. Source: Supreme Council of Antiquities

First Public Display of 16-meter-long Papyrus Found in Saqqara Casket

The exciting discovery of a 16-meter-long (52.5 ft) ancient papyrus found in a sarcophagus in Egypt's Saqqara region has now been unveiled. A papyrus of this size and quality had not been discovered...
Research of Latin papyrus texts has allowed for a deeper understanding of the Roman world. Representational image of papyrus scrolls. Source: shaiith / Adobe Stock

Latin Papyrus Texts Reanimate Fossils of the Roman World

The PLATINUM project claims to be a “Partnership for Learning and Teaching in University Mathematics.” The study began with the goal of analyzing existing Latin papyrus texts dating to the 1st to 8th...
Did an ancient Greek courtesan write the first sex guide? Harem Scene, oil painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1848. Source: Public Domain

Filthy Philaenis? The Ancient Mediterranean Sex Guide that Steamed Up the West

Often referred to as the author of the Mediterranean Kama Sutra , little is known about Philaenis of Samos, who likely wrote this work around the 4th century BC. She is the most mentioned author of...
The Judean desert has numerous caves, which provided refuge for Jewish resistance to Roman rule. The Cave of Letters got its name from the recovered cache of documents related to the Bar Kochba Revolt  Source: Pavel Bernshtam / Adobe Stock

Cave of Letters: Probably the Most Important Cave For Ancient Jewish History

The Cave of Letters is quite literally a cave of secrets. Rediscovered by archaeologists in the 1960s, its contents told of uprisings as well as everyday life in ancient Israel. What at first...
Selection of Greek Magical Papyri which are kept at the British Library.	Source: British Library

Curious and Unusual Spells from the Greek Magical Papyri

The Greek magical papyri, as it is commonly known, is an extensive collection of ancient Greco-Roman Egypt magical spells, rituals, remedies, hymns, and myth. Scholars have placed its origin between...
Ancient Egyptian Papyrus Reveals Secrets to Embalming the Face!

Ancient Egyptian Papyrus Reveals Secrets to Embalming the Face!

A newly translated papyrus from ancient Egypt dating back 3,500 years provides a rare insight into Egyptian embalming techniques. The ancient medical text details a procedure never identified before...
Major Discoveries of Coffins, Burial Shafts and Texts Made in Saqqara

Major Discoveries of Coffins, Burial Shafts and Texts Made in Saqqara

Archaeologists excavating at the famous Saqqara necropolis in Egypt have announced a list of top-level ancient discoveries. Within a matrix of 52 burial shafts the researchers discovered 50 sealed...
Digital reconstruction of the Nile River from Assassin’s Creed Origins.

The Nile: How One River Helped Build a Civilization – 10 Amazing Facts

The Nile River spans almost 4,175 miles (6,719 km), crosses nine countries throughout Africa, and is widely regarded as the longest river in the world. While all this might be considered common...
Part of the Egyptian Book of Breathing, a hieratic papyrus probably from Thebes, Egypt written during the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Resuscitation of the Ancient Egyptian Book of Breathing

Recently, an American professor has for the first time analyzed the First Book of Breathing , a famous ancient Egyptian book that reveals incredible insights into the afterlife. What happens to us...
Image shows excavation work by the University of Jaen Qubbet-el Hawa Project, during which they have uncovered evidence of an ancient gynecological treatment. Source: Patricia Mora / Proyecto Qubbet-el Hawa

Remains of 4,000-Year-Old Gynecological Treatment Discovered in Egypt

Gynecology is the “science of women” and the term given to the modern medical discipline that focuses on the female reproductive system. The 19th-century physician James Marion Sims developed new...
Trade in Ancient Egypt portrayed in ‘Israel in Egypt’ by Edward Poynter  Source: Edward Poynter / Public Domain

The Vagaries of Trade in Ancient Egypt

Along with a lust for building enigmatic and long lasting structures, trade was an important feature of Ancient Egypt . The ancient Egyptians traded with many lands that bordered their country,...
Ancient Egyptian Goddess. Credit: tk0920 / Adobe Stock

Ancient Egyptian Sex Spell Invoked a Ghost to Entrap a Man

Ancient, magical spells of subjugation, love, and sex sounds like the opening lines to an adult fairy tale, but these steamy evildoings are also found on an 1,800-year-old ancient Egyptian “erotic...
Book of the Dead papyrus

Invisible Ink on Nile Papyrus Revealed by Groundbreaking Method

The first thing that catches an archaeologist's eye on the small piece of papyrus from Elephantine Island on the Nile is the apparently blank patch. Researchers from the Egyptian Museum, Berlin...
The Christian letter - papyrus P.Bas. 2.43 has been in the possession of the University of Basel for over 100 years. Source: University of Basel / Fair Use.

World’s Oldest Christian Letter Found On 3rd Century Egyptian Papyrus

Egypt played a very significant role in the history of early Christianity . A researcher has announced that she has found the earliest known Christian letter, that was written in Roman Egypt in the...
Plates vi and vii of the Edwin Smith Papyrus

Edwin Smith Papyrus: 3,600-Year-Old Surgical Treatise Reveals Secrets of Ancient Egyptian Medical Knowledge

The Edwin Smith Papyrus is a medical treatise from ancient Egypt. This papyrus is named after Edwin Smith, the American collector of antiquities who purchased the papyrus. The Edwin Smith Papyrus is...
Ancient human skeleton missing teeth

4,000-Year-Old Teeth of Egyptian Papyrus Maker Speak of Hard Work and Chronic Pain

Mendes was once the capital of Ancient Egypt and it was in the necropolis here in the 1970s that archaeologists discovered the remains of a very special, but common woman, who lived around 2181-2055...
Detail of ‘Christ in the House of Martha and Mary’ (1886) by Henryk Siemiradzki. Questions abound on the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife and the relationship between Mary and Jesus.

Forgery or a Lost Account? Examining the Authenticity of the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife

...not [to] me. My mother gave me life... The disciples said to Jesus,... deny. Mary is (not?) worthy of it. ... Jesus said to them, "My wife... she is able to be my disciple... Let wicked people...
Part of Dead Sea Scroll number 109 (4Q109), also known as Qohelet (Ecclesiastes). From Qumran Cave 4

At Least Five Dead Sea Scroll Fragments at the Museum of the Bible Are Fake

The Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. has announced some news that has shocked the archaeological community and scholars around the world. The museum has revealed that some of its most precious...
Egyptian Papyrus from Macquarie University with proposed Coptic Love Spell

French Academic Detects A Little Bit of Love Magic on Egyptian Papyrus

A French University lecturer has announced that he has deciphered an Egyptian magical spell written on a piece of papyrus. The spell has baffled experts, because of its enigmatic language and imagery...
Instructions for a 3,500-year-old pregnancy test.

Translated Papyrus Provides New insights Into Medical Knowledge of Ancient Egypt

The University of Copenhagen in Denmark has announced a very important discovery. During an international project to decipher ancient Egyptian texts, one expert has been able to translate a papyrus...

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