Turin King List

The most comprehensive ancient list of Egyptian pharaohs can be found in the so-called Royal Canon of Turin. It is the most extensive (and also most accurate) list of Egyptian kings, and was created by the Egyptians themselves some 3,200 years ago. It is a poorly preserved hieratic papyrus roll from the reign of Ramesses II. It is also known as the Turin King List, and is without a doubt the most significant king list of Ancient Egypt and was uncovered in 1824 by Jean-Francois Champollion in the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Italy.

It was discovered and purchased in Egypt around 1820, but two-thirds of the fragile papyrus was destroyed due to poor transport conditions from Egypt to Italy. It did not help that it was placed in a large box with many other papyri for transport to Italy. Whether due to handling or exposure to moisture during the transport, it crumbled into several hundred tiny fragments, and mingled together in one big box with many other papyri. Many of the fragments were obviously never found, as they were probably reduced to dust.

The remaining papyrus underwent its third reconstruction in the summer of 2022. Only minor adjustments and additions were made to older reconstructions, as most of the fragments were already in the correct positions. As of April 2026, no publication of the reconstruction has yet been announced. We have waited for decades, so a few months or years more is nothing...