Scientists discover Ancient Egyptians painted over mistakes in their work

Have you ever used anything to correct a mistake in your schoolwork?

Well, scientists have discovered Ancient Egyptians used a special paste to cover up mistakes in their artwork.

The discovery was made at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, where experts were preparing an Egyptian scroll for an exhibition.

They found that a white pigment had been applied around the painting of a jackal - to change the shape of the animal.

The team has since spotted the paste used on other ancient Egyptian documents that are on display in the UK and abroad.

The discovery was made on an ancient scroll, dated between 1290 and 1278BC, which was going on display at the Made in Egypt exhibition at Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum.

Experts noticed the unusual white paint on the artwork and decided to take a closer look.

Using a 3D digital microscope and a special technique called infrared reflectography, which can see through layers of paint, they were able to spot the correction hidden underneath.

The white paste turned out to be a mixture of two minerals called huntite and calcite.

A touch of yellow pigment had also been added, to help it blend in with the pale colour of the papyrus.

Helen Strudwick, from the museum, said she has since spotted "ancient correction fluid" on other Egyptian documents on display in London's British Museum and Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

"When I've pointed it out to curators, they've been astonished. It's the kind of thing you don't notice at first."