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ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS

Artefact ID1088
TM IDTM 642460
Findspot (DEChriM ID)-   ()
ClassTextual
MaterialPapyrus
Writing mediumSheet/roll
Text contentDocumentary
LanguageGreek
Description

Harrauer and Pintaudi 2009-2010, AnalPap 21-22, no. 2 (verso): Fragment of a reused official (?) letter

Fragment of a letter starting without any salutations, which underlines the business or official character of the writing. It mentions a protokometes but details cannot be determined due to the gaps in the text.

On the verso of this letter (which was written against the fibres), at the top of the page, were written a staurogram and the Christan cryptogram ΧΜΓ running along the fibres, but in a different hand, as if someone started a new letter there but abandoned the idea. Perpendicular to this line and parallel with the fibres, is indeed another text, written by a third hand, of which only a few traces remain (only the word pittakion).

The editors note that the hand of the first text, showing perfect control, presents affinities with the writing style of Herakleopolis although a few features prevent a reliable attribution.

Selection criteriaChristian symbols/gestures/isopsephy
Date from375
Date to450
Dating criteria

The text on the recto was palaeographically (but securely) dated to late 4th c. in ed. pr. When the letter was reused on the back cannot be determined but the association of the staurogram with ΧΜΓ points toward the 5th c. (VS).

Absolute/relative dateRelative date
Archaeological context-
Accession number

Vienna, Nationalbibliothek G 16212

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Editio princeps

• Harrauer, Hermann and Pintaudi, Rosario. 2009-2010. "Neue Protokometen." Analecta Papyrologica 21-22, no. 2 (p. 86-87). 

Authors
Valérie Schram, 2021
Suggested citation
Valérie Schram, 2021, "Artefact ID 1088", 4CARE database - Fourth-Century Christian Archaeological Record of Egypt, https://4care-skos.mf.no/artefacts/1088
External links
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