New York University Collection of Papyri, Ostraka, and Cuneiform Tablets
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
This collection consists of ancient inscriptions and writing artifacts, including papyri, clay tablets, and ostraka. The collection contains over 2,000 papyri fragments, 86 ostraka, and two cuneiform tablets, primarily dating from the 1st-7th centuries CE. The papyri, the majority of which is in Greek, is primarily documentary in nature, and includes evidence of daily life through accounts, deeds, wills, loans, receipts, petitions, and letters. The collection also includes ostraka, cuneiform tablets, and mummy fragments as artifacts of early writing.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into four series based on format:
Series I. Papyri
Series II. Ostraka
Series III. Cuneiform Tablets
Series IV. Mummy Wrappings
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of ancient inscriptions and writing artifacts, including papyri, clay tablets, and ostraka. The collection contains over 2,000 papyri fragments, 86 ostraka, and two cuneiform tablets, primarily dating from the 1st-7th centuries CE. The papyri, the majority of which is in Greek, is primarily documentary in nature, and includes evidence of daily life through accounts, deeds, wills, loans, receipts, petitions, and letters. The collection also includes ostraka, cuneiform tablets, and mummy fragments as artifacts of early writing.
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials in this collection, which were created around 1st - 7th centuries CE, are in the public domain. Permission to publish or reproduce is not required.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; New York University Collection of Papyri, Ostraka, and Cuneiform Tablets; MSS 559; box number; folder number or item identifier; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University.
Custodial History
New York University's collection of papyri and other early writing artifacts was acquired in two installments. In 1924, about 500 items were identified by English papyrologist H.I. Bell at the excavation site of the ancient Egyptian village of Karanis. The second installment was acquired in 1932 by Professor Casper J. Kraemer, Jr., Chairman of the Department of Classics, historically referred to as the "Cairo Purchase." There is little documentation on the materials that comprise this accretion to the collection. More recently, additional items have been added to the collection through faculty in the NYU Department of Classics, including Professor Bluma L. Trell and Professor Lionel Casson. The materials in this collection were acquired in a historical context of western archaeological extraction of African and Mediterranean cultural heritage.
Other Finding Aids
Item level information on the papyri in this collection, including date estimates, language information, and photographic documentation, is available through the Advanced Papyrological Information System (APIS) database at Papyri.info.
About this Guide
Processing Information
In 2017, a papyrus conservation project was initiated to photograph and rehouse the entire NYU Special Collections papyri and ostraca collection, and carry out conservation treatment on selected fragments. The papyri were originally housed in a variety of formats including loosely in legal folders, between glass plates, mylar mats, and in mylar folders. The fragments were rehoused in two standard formats - between glass plates and in custom-made paper folders. The ostraca were originally housed in two acidic cardboard boxes, with individual fragments wrapped in either acidic disposable tissues or yellow mailing envelopes. After photography, the fragments were rehoused in custom-made blueboard boxes, fitted with individual compartments and Tyvek/polyester batting pillows for each fragment.
