> 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%.

	▲	addaon 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Is this true? Paper (and I assume papyrus) expands and contracts with varying humidity even below the saturation point, and this motion embrittles and cracks it, no? So consistent humidity is key, and "consistently dry" is much more achievable than "consistently at an arbitrary other point."