In 1862, an American antiquities dealer was in an Egyptian marketplace, squinting at a scroll. The scroll was written in hieratic, a type of ancient Egyptian cursive, and the dealer, Edwin Smith, wasn’t fluent enough to decode the text.
Smith sensed the scroll had great value, and he also suspected the merchant selling the ancient text didn’t recognize its value. Smith purchased the papyrus and returned to buy additional pieces he later identified as a continuation of the scroll.
Now known as the Edwin Smith Papyrus, this ancient text has given scholars a greater understanding of medical practices in ancient Egypt.
Edwin Smith Papyrus Origins
The exact origins of the Edwin Smith Papyrus aren’t known, but scholars believe that it likely came from a tomb in the Theban Necropolis, a burial site in Luxor. Based on the writing style, scholars initially thought it dated back to 1650-1550 B.C.E. However, some researchers have also argued that it may be a copy of a text created during an earlier time.
