Papyrology and Epigraphy
Typographical Tips on Reading the Oxyrhynchus Papyri
When working on ancient papyri, sometimes translation isn't really a possibility. All you can do is point to letters or words that you think you can identify. Here are some of the conventional symbols and their purposes.
Aristarchus of Samothrace
Aristarchus of Samothrace headed the Library of Alexandria in the mid second century B.C.
Pictures of Oxyrhynchus Papyri
Pictures of the Oxyrhynchus papyri.
Inscriptions - Articles on Inscriptions, Epigraphy, and Papyrology
Epigraphy, which means writing on something, refers to writing on an enduring substance like stone. As such, it was impressed, inscribed, or chiseled rather than written with the stylus or reed pen applied to ordinarily decaying media like paper and papyrus. Common topics of epigraphy include epitaphs, dedications, honors, laws, and magisterial...
Squeeze
A squeeze is used by epigraphers and ancient historians to understand ancient inscriptions.
Cippus
Cippus is a column used for funerary inscriptions.
Ancient Writing - Papyrology
One of the materials on which ancient scribes wrote was the Egyptian reed called Papyrus. The study of ancient writing on papyrus is known as papyrology.
Description of the Papy List
Email list for those interested in papyrology or ancient history. Discussion not limited to English.
Papyrologists in North America
List by state or province of North American papyrologists.
Greek Papyri and Oxyrhynchus 1
Before the Egyptian papyrus horde was discovered in 1896-97, by B. P. Grenfell and A. S. Hunt of Oxford, Herculaneum had provided the largest repository of ancient texts preserved by the debris from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.
Scribes and Scholars
Some of the papyri that have been processed with photos and commentary. Many are literary, including works by Sappho, Hesiod, Alcman, Plato, and Callimachus.
Advanced Papyrological Information System
Lost works of ancient writers like Sappho and Menander have been discovered in the last century. These papyri are being made available online through a collaboration of six American universities and one European institution.
Oxyrhynchus
One of the best places to find Greek papyrus writing is Egypt. Starting with Alexander's general Ptolemy Soter, Greek was spoken (and written) there for a millennium.
A Select Bibliography of Papyrology
From University of Michigan, a collection of references on the following topics: Onomastica, Grammars, Epistolography, Journals, Palaeography, Agriculture, Chronology, Magic, Titulature, Law, Monograph Series, Abbreviations, Economy and Taxation, Codicology, General History and Handbooks and General Works on Papyrology.
Reading Roman Tombstones
"Roman tombstone inscriptions follow a set pattern, so you do not need any specialized knowledge of Latin to be able to decipher them...!"
Reading Roman Inscriptions
Follow a specifc "prescription" for reading inscriptions on Roman monuments.
American Society of Papyrologists
Homepage with information on ASP membership, publications, meetings, and some links.
Little-Known Artifacts Shed Light on Early Christianity
Christians for centuries have been drawn to relics supposedly having connections to their faith. For students of biblical history in the 21st century, however, few artifacts of Early Christianity could prove to be more enlightening than the 500,000 little-known manuscripts called the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, considered the most valuable biblical...
What Do the Abbreviations on Coins and Inscriptions Say?
Learn what they mean and how to read the abbreviations you see on ancient Roman coins and on Roman monuments and other inscriptions.