Ancient Egyptian Papyrus Reveals 3,300-Year-Old White-Out Fluid

Researchers at the Fitzwilliam Museum have discovered evidence of 3,300-year-old "white-out" used to correct an artistic error on an ancient Egyptian papyrus. While preparing for an upcoming exhibition, curators identified a modification on a copy of the Book of the Dead belonging to the royal scribe Ramose, where a mixture of calcite and huntite was applied to slim down the figure of a jackal deity.

This discovery offers a rare, humanizing glimpse into the meticulous standards and technical processes of ancient Egyptian craftspeople. By utilizing 3D digital microscopy and infrared photography, the research highlights how even sacred funerary objects were subject to aesthetic revisions, providing new insights into the material science and professional rigor of artists working in the 13th century B.C.E.