Piece of papyrus with hieroglyphic inscription, Egyptian, 1400-1200 BC.

This fragment is from Egyptian 'Book of the Dead', a collection of chapters made up of magic spells, formulae and so on, that were illustrated and written on papyrus. These papyri were commisioned by the deceased before their death to act as a guidebook, something that would help them navigate hazards and grant the aid of the gods, during their journey into the Underworld.