Hieratic Ostracon Recording a Royal Name and a List of Names

New Kingdom, Ramesside

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 122

Ostraca (plural for ostracon) are potsherds used as surfaces on which to write or draw. The term is used, by extension, to refer to chips of limestone, which were employed for similar purposes. Despite their humble appearances, ostraca bear a wide range of images and texts, including administrative documents, literary texts, and depictions of royal and divine figures. The texts were mostly written with reed pen and ink of two colors, red and black, and inscribed in Hieratic, the cursive script of ancient Egypt throughout most of its periods. This ostracon records the name list of workmen amd a few absences.

Hieratic Ostracon Recording a Royal Name and a List of Names, Limestone, ink

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Hieratic Ostracon Recording a Royal Name and a List of Names, Limestone, ink
Hieratic Ostracon Recording a Royal Name and a List of Names, Limestone, ink

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