Culture
Of all the ancient civilizations, Ancient Egypt was, perhaps, the most mysterious one. Though a range of facts concerning the household and traditions of the people of Ancient Egypt remain buried under the sands of time, several facts about the culture in question can be considered relatively well-known. Particularly, the rigid societal structure and the social roles, which the citizens had to comply with, deserve to be mentioned.
While women were supposed to carry out housekeeping and childrearing functions, men took part in the political and economic life of the state. In addition, the architectural wonders of Ancient Egypt, specifically, the pyramids are considered the trademark of its culture. In other words, the culture of Ancient Egypt is marked by its grandeur, innovativeness, adherence to time honored traditions and a polytheistic religion that allowed for a strong link to nature.
Item Description
The above-mentioned factors define the characteristics of the Ebers Papyrus to a considerable degree. For example, the decision to transcribe the information concerning ochre clays on papyrus can be considered as innovative at the time, yet also supportive of the existing healthcare traditions of the state. The elaborate artwork, which was used to record the information regarding herbal knowledge, was created with the help of black and red ink and the material made from a papyrus plant (Picture 1).
The length of papyruses varies, some of them reaching ten meters (Tait 184). The Ebers Papyrus, in its turn, is around 20 m long (Hallmann-Mikołajczak par. 1). Despite the seeming simplicity of papyrus production, the technique was lost over time, and it was only after long and complex studies that Egyptologists rediscovered the secret of papyrus in 1940s (Tait 184). The word itself is traditionally translated into English as “that which belongs to the house” (Dunn par. 2), symbolizing the bureaucracy of Ancient Egypt.
Therefore, the papyrus in question, as well as the material in general, allows for making assumptions concerning not only cultural, but also political, social and other aspects of life in Ancient Egypt.
Formal Qualities
As far as the formal qualities of the artwork are concerned, one must mention that the Ebers Papyrus can be described as a unique artwork with a range of features that are characteristic of the time period that it belongs to. For instance, the line of the papyrus is rather uneven; the text lacks geometrical precision in its format, which adds a certain charm to the artifact. The value of the artifact, in its turn, can be considered as medium; while the background for the information written in the papyrus is rather light, the text itself incorporates dark (black) and semi-dark (reddish) parts, therefore, creating a delicate balance.
The artifact is mostly represented by rectangular forms. The choice of forms can be explained by the tradition in the Ancient Egyptian calligraphy. In addition, the angular elements add to the weight of the paper, therefore, making it all the more impressive. In fact, the pictorial script, which was used in the process of creating the artifact under analysis, would later on be used as the basis for developing not only the Roman, but also the “basis of the Arabic alphabet” (Uko and Champion 63).
A closer look at the text will reveal that the space between the specified elements also serves a specific purpose, i.e., outlining the key elements and splitting the sentences into segments that get unique messages across. The same can be said about the color; the black and red ink used for writing the text contrasts the relevant information and the background one. Finally, the texture of the papyrus can be described as similar to that one of a piece of parchment.
Comparison
Although the Ebers Papyrus and the Book of the Dead may seem quite different in terms of their use and origin, the similarities between the two are, nevertheless, quite obvious. Also belonging to the Egyptian culture and originating from the same era that the Ebers Papyrus did, the specified artifact also has a major significance as a specimen of the Egyptian culture.
In contrast to the Ebers Papyrus, the Book of the Dead is split into several separate texts, which are accompanied by graphic illustrations. Herein the key difference between the two lies, as the Ebers Papyrus is rather homogenous. Additionally, the two discourses under analysis are strikingly different in terms of their purpose. To be more exact, they are the polar opposites; whereas the Ebers Papyrus was compiled in order to create a guide for curing people, the Book of the Dead addresses the traditions related to the deceased, i.e., funerals and the related rituals.
The structures of the texts in question are rather specific as well. To be more exact, in the Book of the Dead, the text is arranged in a more rigid manner, with clearer and more accurate lines. In addition, more space is provided for both the text and the pictures in the Book of the Dead; compared to the latter, the Ebers Papyrus is packed with information tightly, with little to no air left between the paragraphs.
The content of the first artifact is also far from being similar to the second one. Whereas the Ebers Papyrus describes the ideas that were considered innovative at the time and, therefore, provided detailed instructions on treating various diseases, the Book of the Dead deals with the traditions related to burials and the associated events.
One must admit, though, that there are several similarities between the two artifacts. First and most obvious, papyrus is used in both cases as the medium. Moreover, both items represent the Egyptian culture and its traditions in a very graphic manner.
To be more specific, both the Book of the Dead and the Ebers Papyrus mention a range of elements of the Egyptian mythology. The Book of the Dead renders the key places and characters from the Ancient Egyptian myths regarding the afterlife. Particularly, Osiris is mentioned often as the god of afterlife in the Book of the Dead quite a lot of times. The Ebers Papyrus, in its turn, though having little to no mythological characters in it, can be seen as an interpretation of the role of people in the natural cycle.
Although having little to do with modern concept of medicine and belonging to the civilization that is no longer in existence, the Ebers Papyrus is a crucial artifact. It is essential to understanding the specifics of the Ancient Egyptian culture and traditions. Creating premises for an extensive analysis of Ancient Egypt, the Ebers Papyrus is worth studying in depth.
Works Cited
Dunn, Jimmy. Historical Papyrus. n. d. Web.
Dwarf Egyptian Papyrus Plant 2014. Web.
Hallmann-Mikołajczak, Adam. Abstract. Ebers Papyrus. The Book of Medical Knowledge of the 16th Century B.C. Egyptians. 2004. Web.
Tait, John. “.The Book of the Fayum: Mystery in a Known Landscape.” Mysterious Lands. Ed. David O’Connor. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis, 2012. Print.
Uko, Peter J. and Thomas C. Champion. The Wisdom of Egypt: Changing Visions through the Ages. London, UK: Cavendish Publishing, 2003. Print.