Comment by ajxs
15 hours ago
In case anyone doesn't know, Oxyrhynchus is a major source of archaeological discoveries. Particularly ancient (Ptolemaic/Roman Egypt) papyrus fragments recovered from an ancient landfill on the outskirts of the city. Notably some of the earliest-known Christian textual artefacts were found there (the actual earliest fragments came from elsewhere in Egypt). It turns out that Egypt's hot and dry climate provides the perfect environment for their long-term preservation.
> It turns out that Egypt's hot and dry climate provides the perfect environment for their long-term preservation.
Cold and dry would be just as good. It's the dryness that matters.
heat speeds up oxidation/ accelerates reactions but also decreases relative humidity for a constant moisture constant.
Only because humidity is measured relative to the vapor pressure at a given temperature. It only matters for preservation when humidity reaches 100%.
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