Startseite Altertumswissenschaften & Ägyptologie Instruments of Crime in Tomb Robbery Papyri
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Instruments of Crime in Tomb Robbery Papyri

  • Mohamed Helmi Essa ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 4. November 2025

Summary

The famous Tomb Robbery papyri provide a vivid example of how criminal law was practiced in ancient Egypt. Ransacking royal tombs and temples was considered a capital crime, punishable by death. In this context, the victim was represented by the state. Anything used in the commission of the crime was deemed a “criminal tool,” and criminal investigation and forensic evidence at the crime scene aimed to identify such tools. According to the texts of those papyri, “the instrumentalities of crime” used by the tomb robbers included items for opening, smashing, digging, traction, and lighting. Additionally, the robbers used tools to cover up the traces of the crime, such as setting fire to looted tombs and temples.

Published Online: 2025-11-04
Published in Print: 2025-10-30

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Heruntergeladen am 13.1.2026 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/zaes-2024-0018/pdf?lang=de
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