Where did this come from? "A scrap of papyrus used in a burial has brought the Greek writer Sappho to life":
The elderly gentleman on the end of the line had material from an ancient Egyptian burial in his possession. He’d noticed that scraps of the cartonnage (the Egyptian equivalent of papier-mâché, made of recycled papyrus) bore the ghostly imprint of writing. Might these words, the stranger wondered, be of any interest? Professor Obbink, one of the world’s leading papyrologists, thought they might. Prising the layers of shredded papyrus apart, he had to hold his breath. Because here — pretty much instantly recognisable — were delicate, fragmentary lines of the elusive ancient Greek poet Sappho.So where are the other fragments from this cartonnage? Will they be published in ZFPE?
Bettany Hughes, 'Lover, poet, muse and a ghost made real', Sunday Times 2 February 2014