2-586-573 - © CM Dixon/Heritage Images

The Great Harris Papyrus, from Thebes, probably Deir el-Medina, Egypt, reign of Rameses IV, c1200 BC. At forty-two metres, this is one of the longest papyri still in existence from ancient Egypt. It is divided into five sections, with hieratic text and three illustrations of the king and the gods accompanied by hieroglyphic texts. The first three sections describe the donations made by King Ramesses III to the gods and temples of Thebes, Heliopolis and Memphis. Each of these sections is illustrated, the king making offerings to three of the deities from each area. Here we see the triad of Thebes (Amun, Mut and Khons). The next section deals with a number of minor temples. The final section recounts the events of the reign, and presents the chaos at the beginning of the Twentieth Dynasty (about 1186-1069 BC). The papyrus is named after AC Harris who purchased it in 1855. From the British Museum's collection.