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ARTEFACT IDENTIFIERS

Artefact ID1755
TM IDTM 73142
Findspot (DEChriM ID)72   (Ǧazīrat Aswān)
ClassTextual
MaterialCeramic
Writing mediumOstracon
Text contentDocumentary
LanguageGreek
Description

O. Bodl. 2 2556, O.Tait Bodl. II 2556: Alphabetic Word List
The remains of four words on four lines include the name Μάρκο[ς] on line 2: 
λάξ[ος] | Μάρκο[ς] | νέος | ξανθος
Clarysse 2018 describes the ostracon as “pink pottery covered by a brick-red surface layer”. Due to its alphabetic order, a complete list would have included 10 lines preceding and 10 lines following (possibly in a second column or on a second ostracon) the present four words. It was likely an exercise similar to SB 12 10769 (3rd/4th c. CE) and P. Bingen 17.

Selection criteriaChristian onomastics
Date from350
Date to399
Dating criteria

Palaeography; initially assigned to the 2nd/3rd c., Clarysse 2018 dated it to the late 3rd/4th c. or later. He compares the writing to P.Vindob. G 19815 (~350–399 CE).

Absolute/relative dateRelative date
Archaeological context

Excavated (?) at Elephantine (Ǧazīrat Aswān), see Tait/Préaux 1955. Previously housed at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, now at the Ashmolean Museum.

Accession number

Oxford, Ashmolean Museum Bodl. Gr. Inscr. 1856

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Editio princeps
• Clarysse, Willy. 2018. “A Greek Ostracon With Alphabetic Word List.” In Language, Grammar, and Erudition: From Antiquity to Modern Times. A collection of papers in honour of Alfons Wouters, edited by Pierre Swiggers. Orbis Supplementa 44. Leuven/Paris/Bristol: Peeters. 49-52.

Additional bibliography
• Tait, John Gavin and Claire Préaux. 1955. Greek Ostraca at the Bodleian Library at Oxford. Volume II. Ostraca of the Roman and Byzantine Periods. London: Egypt Exploration Society. 430, No. 2556

Authors
Victoria G. D. Landau, 2023
Suggested citation
Victoria G. D. Landau, 2023, "Artefact ID 1755", 4CARE database - Fourth-Century Christian Archaeological Record of Egypt, https://4care-skos.mf.no/artefacts/1755
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