Research
The Book of the Dead of Kha: Analysis and Studies
info@museitorino.it
011 44 06 903
From Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The Museo Egizio has launched a significant project for the analysis and study of the Book of the Dead of Kha.
This is a 14-meter-long papyrus displayed in Room 7 of the museum, on the first floor of the building, dedicated to the burial equipment of the royal architect Kha and his wife Merit.
The manuscript contains 33 magical spells, many of which are accompanied by illustrations, for guiding, protecting, and resurrecting the deceased in the afterlife.
The Kha Papyrus
The artifact was discovered in the tomb of the royal architect Kha and dates back to the New Kingdom, specifically between 1425 and 1353 BCE. It was unearthed by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1906 as part of the Italian Archaeological Mission and has since proven to be in excellent condition.
The analysis
From Monday, February 26, for 3 weeks, the artifact will undergo analysis as part of a project conducted by the Egyptian Museum with the support of the Mobile Laboratory MOLAB of E-RIHS (European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science) in collaboration with the ISPC CNR groups in Catania, Florence, Milan, Perugia, and Rome.
Following preliminary analyses, thanks to Raman spectroscopy - a non-invasive technique - it will be possible to examine the composition of pigments used in the papyrus and distinguish between original materials and those added later. This will deepen understanding of past restoration measures and inform future conservation efforts.
Subsequently, additional analyses will be conducted using XRF mapping (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy): the specific goal in this case is to investigate what is no longer visible, such as preliminary drawings, changes in vignette coloring, erasures, and any scribe errors.
Further analyses will be carried out using the HIROX microscope to study the painting's texture in detail, the painting technique employed, color blending, and particularly the glittering effect.
The study
The name of the owner benefiting from the formulas typically appears frequently after the title and at the end of chapters. However, on the papyrus of Kha, the space intended for the name is empty in some chapters. Therefore, it seems that the Book of the Dead was prepared before being destined for Kha, leaving the space for the name of what would later be its owner blank. Only when the manuscript was adapted for Kha was his name inserted, although not in all instances. The later insertion of the name is evident in the second column of Chapter 1: the titles and names of Kha and Merit have a very wide spacing because the scribe had to fill the entire column. Furthermore, magnification reveals that the names are written over another erased text, of which some ink traces are still visible, suggesting that the manuscript was initially intended for someone else.
Even to the naked eye, a change in the program of decoration is noticeable; for example, the initial scene presents the god Osiris in mummy form from the chest down, but under the white neck, a decoration is glimpsed. The god's body was originally covered with feathers or flowers. Ongoing analyses will be crucial to clarify whether this is a change in taste linked to the reuse of the papyrus for Kha.
Despite numerous studies and analysis projects on the artifact, a comprehensive study of Kha's Book of the Dead has not been undertaken to date. The latest publication is by Susanne Töpfer and can be purchased HERE.
The initiated project is crucial for delving into the history of the artifact and the written text. In parallel with diagnostic investigations, philological editing of the text will be initiated, including transliteration, translation, and commentary.
The research will be pivotal in shedding light on the scribal practice of ancient Egypt, which is still relatively unknown. Furthermore, papyrology increasingly contributes to defining the "biography of objects," allowing for the reconstruction of contexts and stories based on the materiality of the artifacts.
This is a 14-meter-long papyrus displayed in Room 7 of the museum, on the first floor of the building, dedicated to the burial equipment of the royal architect Kha and his wife Merit.
The manuscript contains 33 magical spells, many of which are accompanied by illustrations, for guiding, protecting, and resurrecting the deceased in the afterlife.
The Kha Papyrus
The artifact was discovered in the tomb of the royal architect Kha and dates back to the New Kingdom, specifically between 1425 and 1353 BCE. It was unearthed by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1906 as part of the Italian Archaeological Mission and has since proven to be in excellent condition.
The analysis
From Monday, February 26, for 3 weeks, the artifact will undergo analysis as part of a project conducted by the Egyptian Museum with the support of the Mobile Laboratory MOLAB of E-RIHS (European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science) in collaboration with the ISPC CNR groups in Catania, Florence, Milan, Perugia, and Rome.
Following preliminary analyses, thanks to Raman spectroscopy - a non-invasive technique - it will be possible to examine the composition of pigments used in the papyrus and distinguish between original materials and those added later. This will deepen understanding of past restoration measures and inform future conservation efforts.
Subsequently, additional analyses will be conducted using XRF mapping (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy): the specific goal in this case is to investigate what is no longer visible, such as preliminary drawings, changes in vignette coloring, erasures, and any scribe errors.
Further analyses will be carried out using the HIROX microscope to study the painting's texture in detail, the painting technique employed, color blending, and particularly the glittering effect.
The study
The name of the owner benefiting from the formulas typically appears frequently after the title and at the end of chapters. However, on the papyrus of Kha, the space intended for the name is empty in some chapters. Therefore, it seems that the Book of the Dead was prepared before being destined for Kha, leaving the space for the name of what would later be its owner blank. Only when the manuscript was adapted for Kha was his name inserted, although not in all instances. The later insertion of the name is evident in the second column of Chapter 1: the titles and names of Kha and Merit have a very wide spacing because the scribe had to fill the entire column. Furthermore, magnification reveals that the names are written over another erased text, of which some ink traces are still visible, suggesting that the manuscript was initially intended for someone else.
Even to the naked eye, a change in the program of decoration is noticeable; for example, the initial scene presents the god Osiris in mummy form from the chest down, but under the white neck, a decoration is glimpsed. The god's body was originally covered with feathers or flowers. Ongoing analyses will be crucial to clarify whether this is a change in taste linked to the reuse of the papyrus for Kha.
Despite numerous studies and analysis projects on the artifact, a comprehensive study of Kha's Book of the Dead has not been undertaken to date. The latest publication is by Susanne Töpfer and can be purchased HERE.
The initiated project is crucial for delving into the history of the artifact and the written text. In parallel with diagnostic investigations, philological editing of the text will be initiated, including transliteration, translation, and commentary.
The research will be pivotal in shedding light on the scribal practice of ancient Egypt, which is still relatively unknown. Furthermore, papyrology increasingly contributes to defining the "biography of objects," allowing for the reconstruction of contexts and stories based on the materiality of the artifacts.
info@museitorino.it
011 44 06 903
From Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
