Egyptian mummy unearthed with literary text on abdomen in first ever find

A discovery that challenges expectations

Ancient Egyptian burials are known for their rich use of inscriptions—tombs filled with spells, coffins decorated with hieroglyphs, and papyri placed alongside the dead to guide them in the afterlife. Texts like the  were commonly used to provide spiritual protection.

However, writing directly onto the body of a mummy, especially in a literary form rather than strictly ritualistic or symbolic text, is extraordinarily rare. In this case, researchers report that the writing appears to go beyond standard funerary spells, suggesting a more narrative or literary purpose.