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{{short description|Old Egyptian map of mines}}
{{Infobox artefact
| image = TurinPapyrus1.jpg
| created = {{circa}} 1150 BCE by Amennakhte
| location = [[Turin]], [[Piedmont]], Italy
| discovered_place = [[Ottoman Egypt]]
| discovered_date = before 1824
| caption = Fragments of Turin papyrus
| size = length: 2.1 meters<br>width: 41 cm
}}
[[Image:TurinPapyrus2.jpg|thumb|300px]]
The '''Turin Papyrus Map''' is an [[ancient Egypt]]ian [[map]], generally considered the oldest surviving map of topographical interest from the ancient world. It is drawn on a [[papyrus]] reportedly discovered at [[Deir el-Medina]] in [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], collected by [[Bernardino Drovetti]] (known as [[Napoleon]]'s Proconsul) in Egypt sometime before 1824 and now preserved in [[Turin]]'s [[Museo Egizio]]. The map was drawn around 1150 BCE by the well-known Scribe-of-the-Tomb Amennakhte, son of Ipuy. It was prepared for [[Ramesses IV]]'s quarrying expedition to the [[Wadi Hammamat]] in the [[Eastern Desert]], which exposes [[Precambrian]] rocks of the [[Arabian-Nubian Shield]]. The purpose of the expedition was to obtain blocks of ''bekhen''-stone ([[Greywacke|metagraywacke]] [[sandstone]]) to be used for statues of the king.

== Description ==
The map shows a 15-kilometre stretch of Wadi Hammamat and has depictions of this [[wadi]]'s confluence with wadis Atalla and el-Sid, the surrounding hills, the ''bekhen''-stone quarry, and the [[gold mine]] and settlement at Bir Umm Fawakhir. It also includes numerous annotations (written in the [[hieratic]] script) identifying the features shown on the map, the destinations of the wadi routes, the distance between the quarry and mine, the location of gold deposits in the hills, and the sizes of the ''bekhen''-stone blocks quarried. The top of the map is toward the south and the source of the [[Nile River]]. As currently{{when|date=May 2025}} reconstructed in the [[Turin Museum of Natural History|Turin Museum]], the map measures 2.8 m long by 0.41 m wide. A new reconstruction was proposed by Harrell and Brown in 1992, leading to a reduced length of 2.1 m.<ref>Harrell, J.A. and V.M. Brown, 1992a, "The world's oldest surviving geological map – the 1150 BC Turin papyrus from Egypt", ''Journal of Geology'' 100 (1992), pp.3–18.</ref><ref>Harrell, J.A. and V.M. Brown, 1992b, "The oldest surviving topographical map from ancient Egypt (Turin Papyri 1879, 1899 and 1969)", ''Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt'' 29 (1992), pp.81–105.</ref><ref name="Klemm">{{cite book |last1=Klemm |first1=Rosemarie |last2=Klemm |first2=Dietrich |title=Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia |date=2013 |publisher=Springer |location=Heidelberg |isbn=9783642225079 |pages=132–136, 144}}</ref>

Besides being a [[topographic map]] of surprisingly modern aspect, the Turin Papyrus is also a [[geological map]] (the earliest known) because it accurately shows the local distribution of different rock types (with black and pink hills), the [[lithology|lithologically]] diverse wadi [[gravel]]s (with brown, green and white dots), and it contains information on quarrying and mining. The draughtsman clearly and carefully distributed distinctive features in accordance with the reality of a particular area, adding clarity by the use of legends and contrasting colors. In this respect, the Turin Papyrus may be regarded as the earliest known [[Geographic information system|Geographic Information System]].<ref name="HarrellTurin">Harrell, James A. "Turin Papyrus Map from Ancient Egypt", ''Research on the Archaeological Geology of Ancient Egypt'', Accessed Feb 24, 2018, http://www.eeescience.utoledo.edu/Faculty/Harrell/Egypt/Turin%20Papyrus/Harrell_Papyrus_Map_text.htm.</ref><ref>McMahon, David M., "The Turin Papyrus Map The Oldest Known Map with Geological Significance", ''Earth Sciences History'' 11 no. 1 (1992): 9–12.
*Carmeni, U., "La Mappa delle Miniere del Museo Egizio di Torino. Come entrare nel suo spazio e come interpretarlo", conference edited by A.C.M.E., Torino, 2013</ref>

The location of the map on the ground has been identified and has been shown to be accurate.

The verso of the papyrus is inscribed with unrelated texts, in particular a letter addressed directly to [[Ramesses VI]] and pertaining to a cult statue of his setup in the temple of [[Hathor]] in [[Deir el-Medina]]. The letter asks that a certain man be put in charge of the daily offerings presented to the statue of the king. The request seems to have been granted as the grandson of the author still held the title of "High Priest of Ramesses VI".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hovestreydt|first=Willem|title=A Letter to the King Relating to the Foundation of a Statue (P. Turin 1879 vso.)|journal=Lingua Aegyptia|volume=5|year=1997|pages=107–121|publisher=Widmaier Verlag|location=Hamburg}}</ref>

== The map in origami history ==
Among [[origami]] enthusiasts, the map has been considered as the earliest known example of folding. According to origami historian [[David Lister (origami historian)|David Lister]], the map was mentioned by Profs. [[Koryo Miura]] (inventor of the [[Miura fold]]) and Masamori Sakamaki, from the [[University of Tokyo]], in a meeting of the International Cartographic Association in 1980 as an example of early map folding.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.britishorigami.info/academic/lister/egypt.php|title = An Ancient Egyptian Map|date = 2005|access-date = July 19, 2015|website = The Lister List|publisher = British Origami Society|last = Lister|first = David}}</ref> However, the vertical creases on the papyrus may not be folding marks, as believed by Miura and Sakamaki. Harrell notes that "The map was rolled up when discovered and subsequently handled, and this explains the especially poor preservation of the rightmost portion in Figure 3, which formed the outer abraded surface of the scroll.".<ref name="HarrellTurin" />

== See also ==
* [[List of ancient Egyptian papyri]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://collezioni.museoegizio.it/en-GB/material/Cat_1879_1969_1899 The Turin Papyrus Map catalogue entry] at the Museo Egizio
*[http://www.eeescience.utoledo.edu/Faculty/Harrell/Egypt/Turin%20Papyrus/Harrell_Papyrus_Map_text.htm Prof. Harrell's description of Turin Papyrus, with figures]
*[http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/mining.htm Mining in Ancient Egypt]
*[http://www.henry-davis.com/MAPS/Ancient%20Web%20Pages/AncientL.html Ancient maps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050620083128/http://www.henry-davis.com/MAPS/Ancient%20Web%20Pages/AncientL.html |date=2005-06-20 }}

[[Category:Maps]]
[[Category:Egyptian papyri containing images]]
[[Category:Geologic maps]]
[[Category:Museo Egizio]]
[[Category:19th-century archaeological discoveries]]
[[Category:Ramesses IV]]
[[Category:Mining in Egypt]]
[[Category:History of mining]]
[[Category:12th-century BC maps]]
[[Category:Archaeological discoveries in Egypt]]

Turin Papyrus Map - Revision history

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