Researchers studying a 3,300-year-old papyrus at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge have uncovered an unexpected detail: ancient Egyptian artists corrected mistakes much like modern creators do. While preparing artifacts for the “Made in Ancient Egypt” exhibition, curators noticed that the outline of a jackal in a Book of the Dead made for royal scribe Ramose had been reshaped using a thick white substance. Further analysis with infrared imaging and a 3D digital microscope revealed the mixture—calcite and huntite—was deliberately applied to slim the figure, with the artist even adding yellow flecks to blend the correction into the papyrus. The discovery not only highlights the craftsmanship behind these sacred texts but also offers a surprisingly human glimpse into the creative process of artists working more than three millennia ago.
artnet
