Reisner Papyrus

The Reisner Papyri date to the reign of Senusret I, who was king of ancient Egypt in the 19th century BCE. The documents were discovered by G.A. Reisner during excavations in 1901–04 in Naga ed-Deir in southern Egypt. A total of four papyrus rolls were found in a wooden coffin in a tomb.

• The Reisner I Papyrus is about 3.5 meters long and 31.6 cm wide in total. It consists of nine separate sheets and includes records of building construction with numbers of workers needed, carpentry workshops, dockyard workshops with lists of tools. Some segments contain calculations used in construction. The sections of the document were given letter designations by W.K. Simpson. Sections G, H, I, J and K contain records of the construction of a building, usually thought to be a temple. Section O is a record of worker's compensation. The records span 72 days of work.
• The Reisner II Papyrus: the Accounts of the Dockyard Workshop at This in the Reign of Sesostris I was published by W.K. Simpson in 1965. This papyrus contains accounts dating to years 15–18 of Senusret I. There are three administrative orders from a vizier.
• The Reisner III Papyrus: the Records of a Building Project in the Early Twelfth Dynasty was published by W. K. Simpson in 1969 for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Further research at this point indicated that the papyri may have come from a slightly earlier period.
• The Reisner IV Papyrus: the Personnel Accounts of the Early Twelfth Dynasty was published by W.K. Simpson in 1986.