Conserving a papyrus from the Book of the Dead of Muthepti
In the nineteenth century, papyri found in Egypt had paper or
linen backings attached to them so that they were strong enough to
be handled and examined. Many, like the fifth page of the Book of
the Dead of Muthepti shown here, were also covered in varnish to
try and make the pictures and writing stand out.
Over the years the backing on this papyri had
become dirty and crinkled and the varnish dark, which made the
colours and writing appear less vivid. So, Museum conservators
removed the backing and the varnish. To do this a temporary lining,
or ‘facing’, was put on the front to protect the fragile papyrus
during treatment. A special tissue is laid, in strips, on the
surface with an acrylic resin. These strips make it easier to put
on and take off later.
The paper backing was then removed very slowly
and carefully by a conservator using tweezers. Old backings are
dampened for a few hours before being taken off so that they peel
away more easily. The facing protects the papyrus, and its writing
and illustrations, during this wet process.
When the backing has been removed the back of
the papyrus itself was repaired using small paper strips. Repairs
are placed along any cracks and weak areas so that when the facing
is taken off they will hold the papyrus together.
The adhesive used to attach the facing to the
papyrus was dissolved by the solvent acetone, which also dissolves
varnish. This enabled the facing and varnish to be removed in one
process, improving the appearance of the papyrus considerably.
When the backing was removed, conservators
discovered a hieroglyphic sign that had previously been covered up.
It is the sign for ‘top’, and although we do not know exactly why
it was written there, the reason could simply be that it is a ‘This
way up’ sign, used by the ancient Egyptians to show which end was
which when the papyrus was rolled up.