Oldest Map of the Underworld Discovered

Engravings – Oldest map

Engravings related to ancient Egyptian coffin has been discovered in a burial channel in the necropolis of Dayr al-Barsha. This amazing artwork discovered had been identified as the oldest copy of a map for the soul to gain eternal life. The burial channel comprises of a coffin which had been discovered in 2012.

 It has now been discovered to be in existence about 4000 years back. This Oldest map had been discovered by a professor in the Department of Archaeology at KU Leuven together with the director of the archaeological project in Middle Egypt, Harco Williams. The Book of Two Ways’ was considered to assist the dead in navigating through the scene of blazing lakes and knife manipulating demons to make it to `Rostau’ or the kingdom of Osiris.

The people were of the belief that if one lay on the body of Osiris, they would not die. The oldest map has now been resolved that the engravings discovered on the side of the coffin are considered to be one of the oldest found by man.

Djehutinakht I – `Overlord to the Hare Nome’

As per the reports of Ancient Origins, earlier to this discovery, the people were of the opinion that the coffin had been home to Djehutinakht I. He was an ancient ruler governing the region between the 21st and 20th century BC and an ancient Egyptian `Overlord to the Hare nome’. He had been mentioned in the inscriptions.

However, as per the latest study, it has been suggested that the coffin had been occupied by the body of an exclusive female known as Ankh. The map for the dead has been imprinted in two panels made of wood. Though varieties have been discovered on various other coffins this is considered to be the oldest in antiquity. The inscription discovered on the wooden panels is said to be a mixture of hieroglyphs together with symbols that the Ancient Egyptians are familiar with `The Book of Two Ways’.

It portrays two winding lines with instructions of two routes leading the dead to the Ancient Egyptian god of the dead, in the afterlife. Besides this, spells are also mentioned in the text to assist the dead in warding off evil during the path to their destination.

 According to Dr. Foy Scalf of the University of Chicago as informed to The Times, he states that in several manners, the Book of Two Ways could be described as the first illustrated book in ancient times. He further added that it offered the first illustrated guide to sacred geography.

Few Artefacts

Copies of the archaic text, inscribed for Middle Kingdom officials together with their subordinates, had also been discovered on papyri, mummy masks on tomb walls as well as in other coffins. .In some news, it had been disclosed that the grave raiders had looted £700,000 of gold from the tomb of Pharaoh and were speared as punishment.

 It is one of the few artifacts located in the tomb where several grave raiders had ransacked the grave numerous times during their visits ages ago. This antique book is said to be a fragment of a bigger work considered as the coffin texts.

This comprises of 1,185 spells, together with incantations and religious inscriptions pertaining to the afterlife. This is also said to be a fragment of `The Book of the Dead’. `The Book of the Dead’ considered to be an Egyptian manuscript, is around 20 meters in length. It has magical spells that are inscribed on papyrus.

These have been specially made by the members of the families on the death of their loved one. The intention was to guide them during their journey to their final destination after death to the next world.

No Record/History

The opening of the tomb had given rise to fears of the Ancient Egyptian ‘Curse of the Pharaohs’. The apparent spell considered by some was said to be cast on any person who would disturb the mummy of the Ancient Egyptian beings.

Scientists hope to use the discovery to uncover more of the text's secrets. Not much is related about the Book of Two Ways and its origin. There is no record of when and who had written the same and its details are limited. Scholars and archaeologists have still not been capable of explaining when the engravings could have been written.

Moreover, there is also a risk of making cultural assumptions with regards to the ancient ideas with the prevailing mind-set of the 21st century. The Book of Two Ways, irrespective of its interpretation, is considered to be conveying a message of how death and the life after that seem to play an important role in the cultural mind of a human being. However researchers have some hope of coming across related samples in the near future. They are hoping to utilize the findings to reveal more secrets of the texts they have excavated.