Homepage Timeline A-Z index Learning

Greek ostraca in the Petrie Museum

The collection of Flinders Petrie included several hundred Greek ostraca, probably mainly from his excavations at Koptos and his purchases at Thebes and elsewhere, though the dates of acquisition remain to be established, and place of acquisition is rarely marked and must be reconstructed from the ancient written contents. In the selection of such material in various collections, mainly in England (Tait 1930), the Petrie ostraca represented the largest group. The selection provided no photographs or translation, but for each item there is a typescript version of the Greek with limited comments.

Date and Place

Tait published the ostraca in a sequence more or less by date, as follows:

1-73 Ptolemaic Period

74-398 Roman Period

399-476 Byzantine Period

Within the Roman Period group, he divided them according to the place where they seem to have been written or found, mainly on the evidence of the written contents:

74-190 Thebes

191 Elephantine

192-194 Edfu

195-219 Koptos

220-304 found at Koptos, written in Berenike or Myos Hormos (Red Sea harbours)

For most of the remainder, no place is given.

 

Contents

Most ostraca of the Ptolemaic and Roman Period are receipts, and belong to the same local level of tax-collecting operation as the bulk of ostraca in demotic, the Egyptian script used for daily economic writing during these periods. Where a substantial group of ostraca is preserved from the same time and place, they provide invaluable primary evidence for the functioning of the economy and the changes in the government of Egypt across these centuries. A particularly colourful example is provided by the group of ostraca from the excavations of Petrie at Koptos, relating to funding and supplies for trading exhibitions to Berenike and Myos Hormos, the ports of the Red Sea for trade between the Roman world and both the Arabian peninsula and India.

In the following table, for items 1-35 the number in brackets after the Tait number refers to the earlier publication by Wilcken. After no.476, Tait makes the comment 'There remain about 200 ostraca which are either illegible, or too mutilated to be of any value, or not certainly Greek, or in which I could find clue to the meaning'. Several of the ostraca published by Tait have not yet been reidentified, and for these the UC number column is left blank: these may no longer be in the collection, for example by de-accessioning or from problems with conservation or security. Nevertheless the collection remains one of the most substantial resources of its kind. A new publication is planned with the participation of the Department of Greek and Latin, University College London.

 

Tait number UC number date and category of content
1 (1381) 32461  
2 (1378) 32462  
3 (1382) 32463  
4 (1438) 32464  
5 (1379) 32465  
6 (1388) 32466  
7 (1341) 32059  
8 (1419) 32467  
9 (1386) 32468  
10 (1361) 32469  
11 (1343) 32060  
12 (1364) 32470  
13 (1467) 32471  
14 (1451) 32472  
15 (1373) 32473  
16 (1362) 32061  
17 (1478) 32474  
18 (1374) 32062  
19 (1360) 32475  
20 (1440) 32476  
21 (1369) 32477  
22 (1347) 32478  
23 (1486)    
24 (1461) 32479  
25 (1435) 32480  
26 (1442) 32481  
27 (1389) 32482  
28 (1365) 32483  
29 (1370) 32484  
30 (1433)    
31 (1463) 32485  
32 (1356)    
33 (1443) 32486  
34 (1450) 32487  
35 (1470) 32488  
36 32219 236 BC salt tax receipt
37 32489 third century BC, content uncertain
38 32490 third century BC payment
39 32491 third-second century BC payment, reference to bank at Thebes
40 32492 second century BC payment, Thebes
41 32493 second century BC payment
42 32494 about 120 BC Armant
43 31901 about 153 BC Thebes
44 32495 120 BC Thebes West
45 32496 119 BC Thebes West
46 32497 160 BC (?) Thebes
47 32498 159 or 92 BC
48 32499 first century BC?
49 32500 about 115 BC
50 32501 159 or 92 BC
51 32502 122 BC Koptos
52 32503 56 BC Koptos
53 32504 117 BC Koptos
54 32505 116 BC Armant dated to a king 20 days after he had died
55 32506 second century BC Armant
56 32507 second century BC
57 32508 242 or 217 BC
58   Ptolemaic Period, 5 lines partly illegible
59   Ptolemaic Period, illegible
60 32509 Ptolemaic Period, grain receipt
61   Ptolemaic Period, 4 lines tax-receipt? illegible
62 32510 third - second century BC memorandum
63 32511 Ptolemaic Period, order for payment
64 32512 Ptolemaic Period, list or account
65 32513 late Ptolemaic Period, list
66 32514 Ptolemaic Period, account
67 32515 late Ptolemaic Period, account
68 32516 Ptolemaic Period, account
69 32517 late Ptolemaic Period, account
70 32518 Ptolemaic Period, 7 lines partly illegible
71 32519 Ptolemaic Period, fragment, parts of 3 lines
72 32520 Ptolemaic Period, fragment
73 32521 Ptolemaic Period, fragment
74 32522 AD 80 receipt
75   AD 82 receipt
76 32063 first century AD poll-tax receipt, Thebes
77 32523 AD 38 or 42 Thebes
78 32524 first century AD receipt
79 32525 AD 15 tax receipt
80   AD 43
81 32526 AD 45 receipt, Thebes West
82   AD 41-54 receipt
83 32527 AD 63 receipt, Thebes
84 32056 AD 65 Thebes West
85 32528 AD 66 receipt, Thebes
86 32529 AD 68 receipt, Thebes
87 32530 AD 83 tax-receipt, Thebes West
88 32531 AD 93 receipt, Thebes West
89 32064 AD 93 receipt, Thebes West
90 32065 AD 95 receipt, Thebes West
91+97   AD 97 receipt
92 32570 AD 101 receipt
93 32571 AD 101 receipt, Thebes West
94 32572 AD 96 receipt, Thebes West
95 32573 AD 96-97 receipt, Thebes West
96 32574 first century AD receipt
97 joins 91 - -
98   first century AD receipt?
99 32575 AD 107 receipt, Thebes
100 32576 AD 113 receipt (acquired by Greville Chester at Karnak)
101 32577 AD 114 receipt
102 32578 AD 128 receipt
103 32579 AD 134 receipt
104 32580 AD 139 receipt
105   second century AD receipt
106 32581 AD 146 receipt
107 32582 AD 139-160 receipt
108 32583 AD 169-176 receipt, Thebes West
109 32584 second century AD receipt fragment, Thebes
110 32585 AD 134 receipt
111 32586 AD 136 receipt
112 32587 AD 111 receipt
113 32588 AD 186 receipt
114 32589 AD 19 receipt
115 32590 AD 25 receipt
116 32591 AD 154 receipt
117 32592 AD 177 receipt
118 32593 AD 159 receipt
119 32594 AD 14 receipt
120 32595 AD 180 receipt
121 32596 AD 112 receipt
122 32597 second century AD receipt
123 32598 AD 54-68 receipt
124 32599 first - second century AD receipt
125 32600 second century AD receipt
126 32601 AD 69 receipt
127 32602 first - second century AD receipt
128 32603 AD 189 receipt
129 32604 AD 188-190 receipt
130 32605 second - third century AD receipt
131 32606 second - third century AD receipt
132 32607 second - third century AD receipt
133 32608 second - third century AD receipt
134 32609 AD 184 or 216 receipt
135 32610 second - third century AD receipt
136   AD 232 receipt, Thebes
137 32611 third century AD receipt
138 32612 AD 247 receipt
139   AD 253 receipt
140 32613 second century AD receipt
141 32614 second - third century AD receipt
142 32615 Roman Period, receipt
143 32616 second century AD receipt
144 32066 AD 12 receipt, with both demotic and Greek text
145 32617 first century AD receipt
146 32618 AD 105 receipt
147 32619 AD 116 receipt, Thebes West
148 32620 AD 100-117 receipt
149 32621 AD 123 receipt
150 32622 AD 125 receipt
151   AD 154-155 receipt
152 32623 AD 154-155 receipt
153 32624 AD 152 receipt
154   AD 158 receipt
155   AD 169-192 receipt
156 32625 AD 161 receipt
157 32626 AD 161-180 receipt
158 32627 AD 163-165 receipt
159 32628 AD 169-177 receipt
160 32629 AD 179 receipt
161 32630 AD 177-180 receipt
162 32631 AD 184 receipt
163 32681 AD 184 receipt
164 32632 AD 187 receipt
165 32633 AD 189 receipt
166 32634 AD 180-192 receipt
167 32635 AD 209 receipt
168 32636 AD 210 receipt
169 32637 AD 231 receipt
170   AD 241 receipt
171 32638 third century AD grain receipt
172 32639 AD 97-105 receipt
173 32640 AD 107-170 receipt
174 32641 AD 138-139 receipt
175   AD 161-189 receipt
176 32642 AD 193 receipt
177 32643 second century AD receipt
178   second century AD receipt
179   second century AD receipt
180 32644 second century AD receipt
181 32645 AD 240-242 receipt
182 32646 AD 64 receipt
183 32647 second - third century AD receipt
184 32648 second - third century AD receipt
185 32649 AD 134 receipt
186 32650 AD 178-192 receipt
187 32651 AD 197-212 receipt, acquired at Luxor in 1887
188 32652 second century AD receipt
189 32653 AD 145 receipt
190 32654 AD 1 receipt
191 32655 AD 119 receipt, Elephantine, acquired from a M. Brockhurst
192 32656 AD 97 receipt, Edfu
193 32657 AD 98 receipt, Edfu
194 32658 AD 115 receipt, Edfu
195 32659 4 BC receipt, Koptos
196 32660 4 BC receipt, Koptos
197 32661 4 BC receipt, Koptos
198 32662 4 BC receipt, Koptos
199 32663 4 BC receipt, Koptos
200   4 BC receipt, Koptos
201 32664 4 BC receipt, Koptos
202 32665 AD 2 receipt, Koptos
203 32666 AD 3 receipt, Koptos
204 32667 AD 16 receipt, Koptos
205 32668 AD 36 receipt, Koptos
206 32669 AD 36 receipt, Koptos
207 32670 AD 39 receipt, Koptos
208 32671 AD 44 receipt, Koptos
209 32672 AD 53 receipt, Koptos
210 32673 AD 65 receipt, Koptos
211 32674 AD 102 receipt, Koptos
212 32675 first century AD receipt, Koptos
213 32676 AD 16 receipt, Koptos
214 32677 AD 110 receipt, Koptos
215 32678 AD 117 receipt, Koptos
216 32679 second century AD receipt, Koptos
217 32680 18 BC receipt, Koptos
218 32682 AD 15-36 receipt, Koptos
219 32683 AD 120 receipt, Koptos
220 32684 6 BC Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
221 32685 6 BC Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
222 32686 1 BC Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
223 32687 AD 6 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
224 32688 AD 6 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
225 32689 AD 19 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
226 32690 AD 21 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos, perhaps with Latin line
227 32691 AD 26 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
228 32692 AD 26 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
229 32693 AD 27 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
230 32694 AD 28 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
231 32695 AD 29 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
232 32696 AD 29-30 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
233 32697 AD 29 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
234 32698 AD 30 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
235 32699 AD 30 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
236 32700 AD 31-32 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
237 32701 AD 33 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
238 32038 AD 33 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
239 32702 AD 34 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
240 32370 AD 34 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
241 32703 AD 35 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
242 32704 AD 35 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
243 32705 AD 36 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
244 32706 AD 36 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
245 32367 AD 15-36 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
246 32707 AD 26 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
247 32708 AD 14-37 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
248 32709 AD 26-27 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
249 32710 AD 25 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
250 32711 AD 29 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
251 32712 AD 30-41 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
252 8580 AD 37 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
253 32713 AD 37-38 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
254 32714 AD 38 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
255 32715 AD 38-39 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
256 32716 AD 40 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
257 32372 AD 37-41 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
258 32717 AD 37-41 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
259 32718 AD 37-40 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
260 32719 AD 41 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
261 32720 AD 41 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
262 32721 AD 41 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
263 32722 AD 41-42 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
264 32371 AD 42 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
265 32723 AD 42 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
266 8581 AD 43 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
267 8582 AD 43 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
268 32724 AD 44 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
269 32725 AD 44 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
270 32726 AD 44 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
271 8583 AD 43-44 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
272 32727 AD 43-44 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
273 32728 AD 46 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
274 32729 AD 47-48 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
275 32730 AD 48 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
276 32731 AD 50 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
277 32732 AD 50 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
278 32733 AD 49-50 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
279 32734 AD 52 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
280 32735 AD 53 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
281 32376 AD 53 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
282 8584 AD 43 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
283 32737 AD 41-50 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
284 32738 AD 44 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
285 32739 AD 53 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
286 32740 AD 63 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
287 32741 AD 57 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
288 32742 AD 61 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
289 32743 AD 60-61 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
290 31917 AD 62 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
291 62000 AD 61 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
292 62001 AD 41-62 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
293 62002 AD54-68 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
294 62003 AD 69 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
295 31891 AD 6-50 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
296 62004 AD 6-50 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
297 62005 AD 41-50 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
298 62006 AD 6-50 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
299 62007 AD 6-50 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
300 62008 AD 34-62 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
301 62009 AD 34-53 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
302 62010 AD 41-68 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
303 62011 AD 37-68 Red Sea trade receipt, Koptos
304   first century AD, Koptos (with Red Sea trade receipts?)
305 62012 second century AD fragment of letter
306 62013 Roman Period
307 62014 Roman Period
308 62020 Roman Period
309 62015 third - fourth century AD
310   AD 212 (?)
311 62016 third century AD, Armant
312 62017 third century AD
313 62018 Roman Period, document describing boundaries
314 62019 Roman Period, land measurements
315 32368 = Sammelbuch 1946
316 62021 early Roman Period, namelist
317 62022 AD 118-151 decania list
318 62023 AD 132-152 decania list
319 62024 second century AD, namelist
320 62025 second - third century AD, namelist
321 62026 second century AD, namelist
322 62027 Roman Period, namelist
323 62028 Roman Period, list or account
324 62029 Roman Period, account
325 62030 second century AD, account
326   Roman Period, memorandum
327 62031 second century AD, account
328 62032 Roman Period, account
329 62033 third - fourth century AD
330 62034 AD 116-120
331 62035 Roman Period, account
332 62036 late Ptolemaic Period or early Roman Period
333 62037 third century AD, account
334 62038 Roman Period, account
335 62039 Roman Period, account
336 62040 second - third century AD, account
337   Roman Period, wages account
338 62041 Roman Period, wages account
339 62042 second - third century AD, wages account
340 62043 second century AD, account
341 62044 third century AD, tax payments account
342 62045 second - third century AD
343 62046 second - third century AD
344 62047 second century AD
345 62048 third century AD
346 62049 second - third century AD
347 62050 Roman Period, account
348 62051 Roman Period, account
349 62052 third century AD, list of names of women
350 62053 Roman Period, account
351 62054 second - third century AD
352   Roman Period, account
353 31892 Roman Period, account
354 62055 Ptolemaic Period or Roman Period
355 62056 third century AD, account
356 62057 Roman Period, account
357   Roman Period, account
358   Roman Period, account
359 62058 = Sammelbuch 1958
360 62059 Roman Period, grain account
361 62060 Roman Period, grain account
362   Roman Period, memorandum
363 62061 Roman Period, account
364 62062 Roman Period, grain account
365 62063 Roman Period, grain account
366 62064 Roman Period, grain account
367 62065 Roman Period, grain account
368 62066 Roman Period, memorandum
369 62067 Roman Period, wine account
370 62068 second - third century AD, wine account
371 62069 second - third century AD, wine account
372 62087 Roman Period, wine account
373   Roman Period, wine account
374 62070 Roman Period, wine account fragment
375 62071 Roman Period, wine account
376 62072 Roman Period
377 62073 Roman Period
378   Roman Period, decania list (?)
379   Roman Period, memorandum
380 62074 Roman Period, list of names of women
381 62075 Roman Period, list fragment
382 62076 Roman Period
383 62077 Roman Period
384 62078 Roman Period, list fragment
385 62079 Roman Period
386 62080 Roman Period
387 62081 Roman Period, list fragment
388 62082 Roman Period
389 62083 Roman Period
390   Roman Period, account
391 62084 late Ptolemaic Period or early Roman Period
392 62085 Roman Period
393 62086 Roman Period
394 62088 late Ptolemaic Period or early Roman Period
395 62380 second - third century AD
396 62090 Roman Period, account with column of months (?)
397 31890 Roman Period jar neck with stopper preserved
398 62091 wooden tablet with 10 incomplete lines
399   Iliad I, 69-82, 89-95 (Crum, Coptic Ostraca 523)
400   Iliad I, 96-103, 104-114 (Crum, Coptic Ostraca 524)
401   Iliad I, 115, 122-124(Crum, Coptic Ostraca 524 I)
402   Iliad I, ..., 58-60
403 + 472   Iliad I, 1-10, 21-28
404   Iliad I, 10-15, 28-32
405   Sayings of Menander
406 + 471 32220 + 32221 Iliad I, 116-120, 125-137 and 124-125 repeated
407 31893 literary
408 31894 + 31895 Iliad I, 13-20, 31-36
409 32222 Byzantine Period = Crum, Coptic Ostraca 525
410 31896 Byzantine Period = Crum, Coptic Ostraca 435
411 31903 Byzantine Period, school exercise
412 32901 Byzantine Period, fourth (?) century AD, school exercise
413 31900 Byzantine Period, school exercise
414 31897 Byzantine Period, Biblical, 1 John 2.12-14, 19-22
415   Byzantine Period, prayers
416   Byzantine Period
417   Byzantine Period
418 32043 Byzantine Period, tax-receipt
419 62093 Byzantine Period, tax-receipt
420 62094 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
421 32041 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
422 62095 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
423 62096 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
424 32042 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
425 62097 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
426 62098 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
427 62099 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
428 62100 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
429 62101 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
430 62102 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
431 62103 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
432 62104 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
433 62105 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
434 62106 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
435 62107 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
436 62109 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
437 62110 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
438 62111 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
439 62112 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
440 62092? Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
441 62114 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
442 62115 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
443 62116 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
444 62117 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias
445 62118 Byzantine Period, namelist
446 62119 Byzantine Period, namelist
447 62120 Byzantine or early Islamic Period, list
448 62121 Byzantine Period, namelist
449 31898 Byzantine Period, with Sayings of Menander
450 62122 fourth (?) century AD, account
451 62123 Byzantine Period = Sammelbuch 1953
452 62124 Byzantine Period, account
453 62125 late Byzantine Period or early Islamic Period, account
454 62126 late Byzantine Period, account
455 32218 Byzantine Period
456 62127 Byzantine Period = Sammelbuch 1959
457   Byzantine Period
458 62128 cf 62108 Byzantine Period
459   Byzantine Period
460 62129 Byzantine Period, namelist
461 62130 Byzantine Period
462 62131 Byzantine Period
463 62132 eighth century AD, tax-receipt
464 62133 eighth century AD, tax-receipt
465 62134 eighth century AD, tax-receipt
466 32044 eighth century AD, tax-receipt
467 32045 eighth century AD, tax-receipt
468 32039 eighth century AD, tax-receipt
469 62135 Byzantine Period ?, from Amarna
470 62136 Byzantine Period
471 see 406    
472 see 403    
473 62137 Byzantine Period, among orders to Theopemptos and Zacharias?
474   Byzantine Period
475 62138 Byzantine Period
476 62139 Byzantine Period
after 477   about two hundred ostraca not itemised by Tait

 

References