Turin Royal Canon

Glossaries

Term	Definition
Turin Royal Canon	The Turin Royal Canon is a papyrus from the 19th Dynasty of Egypt, listing the kings of ancient Egypt up until the Second Intermediate Period. The Turin Royal Canon is a key document for studying the chronology of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Discovered in Thebes in 1822 and now housed in the Egyptian Museum of Turin, the papyrus was written during the 19th Dynasty, most likely under the reign of Ramses II. This document serves as a registry of the kings of Egypt, detailing not only their names but also the length of their reigns. The Turin Royal Canon is especially valuable because it covers a wide period, from the Old Kingdom to the Second Intermediate Period. It also includes lesser-known or obscure rulers, providing information that is not found in other historical records. Although the papyrus is largely damaged, the surviving fragments have allowed Egyptologists to reconstruct a significant portion of the succession of Egyptian rulers. It is often compared with other historical documents, such as the Abydos King List, to better understand dynastic chronology. However, the accuracy of certain sections of the canon is debated, particularly due to the fragmented condition of the papyrus and uncertainties about some less-documented periods. Nonetheless, it remains a primary source for the study of ancient Egyptian royal succession and history.

Term

Definition

The Turin Royal Canon is a papyrus from the 19th Dynasty of Egypt, listing the kings of ancient Egypt up until the Second Intermediate Period.

The Turin Royal Canon is a key document for studying the chronology of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Discovered in Thebes in 1822 and now housed in the Egyptian Museum of Turin, the papyrus was written during the 19th Dynasty, most likely under the reign of Ramses II. This document serves as a registry of the kings of Egypt, detailing not only their names but also the length of their reigns.

The Turin Royal Canon is especially valuable because it covers a wide period, from the Old Kingdom to the Second Intermediate Period. It also includes lesser-known or obscure rulers, providing information that is not found in other historical records. Although the papyrus is largely damaged, the surviving fragments have allowed Egyptologists to reconstruct a significant portion of the succession of Egyptian rulers. It is often compared with other historical documents, such as the Abydos King List, to better understand dynastic chronology.

However, the accuracy of certain sections of the canon is debated, particularly due to the fragmented condition of the papyrus and uncertainties about some less-documented periods. Nonetheless, it remains a primary source for the study of ancient Egyptian royal succession and history.