What question did this study set out to answer?

The main aim is to understand the variable nature of ancient Egyptian mortuary texts and their cultural implications.

April 15, 2026Open Access

Dealing with ancient Egyptian mortuary texts: why and how to study an ancient culture in the 21st century

Key Points

The main aim is to understand the variable nature of ancient Egyptian mortuary texts and their cultural implications.
Analyzing ancient Egyptian mortuary texts within their production contexts
Employing digital techniques to assess text variability
Discussing the impact of cultural changes on text adaptation
Mortuary texts represent a high degree of variability based on cultural context and production situations
Digital methods reveal patterns in text adaptation over time
Highlights the necessity for innovative approaches in studying ancient cultures

Abstract

Ancient Egyptian mortuary texts are ad-hoc, in-context productions that were in constant adaptation to changes in mentality, specific production situations, and use interests, rather than established textual units. For this reason, their variability is so high that the need for digital techniques to assess this fundamental feature is evident to anyone familiar with this material. This article briefly presents the problems, aims, and strategies proposed by the MORTEXVAR project and related projects run at the University of Alcalá.

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Authors

Carlos Gracia Zamacona

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Universidad de Alcalá

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Dealing with ancient Egyptian mortuary texts: why and how to study an ancient culture in the 21st century

Key Points

Abstract

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Connected Papers

Discussion

Authors

Actions

Institutions

References and Citations

Citation Network

Connected Papers

Discussion

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