Archaeologists working in the Saqqara necropolis near Memphis have announced the discovery of a pristine tomb belonging to a high official named Nefer-Ab-Ra, whose titles identify him as the overseer of papyrus production standards. The tomb remains unlooted and features exquisite reliefs depicting the grading and pressing of papyrus fibers for the royal chancellery.
Most significantly, the funerary chamber contained a sealed cedar chest holding standardized samples of different grades of papyrus, ranging from the finest 'sacred' sheets to common industrial rolls. This find provides the first direct physical evidence of the strict quality-control protocols that governed the ancient Egyptian paper industry during the Saite Period.