Ostracon

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An ostracon (Greek: ostroka) is a piece of pottery (or stone), usually broken off from a vase or other earthenware vessel. In archaeology, ostraca may contain scratched-in words or other forms of writing which may give clues as to the time when the piece was in use. The word is derived from Greek ostrakon, meaning a shell or a shard of pottery used as a voting tablet. The plural of ostracon is ostraca. (It is also common for ostraca to be used as the singular for ostracon.)

In Ancient Greece, the voting public would write or scratch the name of a person in the shard of pottery. When the decision at hand was to banish or exile a certain member of society, citizen peers would cast their vote by writing the name of the person on the piece of pottery; the vote was counted and if unfavorable the person was put out of the city, thus giving rise to the term ostracism.

Contents

1 Egyptian limestone ostraca

1.1 Saqqara Dream Ostraca

2 Biblical period ostraca
3 New Testament Ostraca
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Egyptian limestone ostraca

In Egypt, limestone quarries are numerous, though they were used extensively and rendered less productive. The quarrymen were also part of the group of "tomb inscribers" at Deir el Medina (adjacent to the Valley of the Kings), and Amarna period City Akhetaten. They were semi-educated, talented, and productive. In Egypt, everything was used for ostraca: pottery shards, limestone, other stone types, etc., but limestone shards, being flaky and of a lighter color, were a common type.

The "themes" covered on ostraca are often considered "heretical" by modern observers. On the ostracon, the individual was able to express themselves. Often the pictures had a statement, or sentences to accompany the theme. The statements are in a variety of scripts, some succinct, short statements, some not.

Saqqara Dream Ostraca

From 1964-1971, Bryan Emery excavated at Saqqara in search of Imhotep's tomb; instead, the extensive catacombs of animal mummies were uncovered. Apparently it was a pilgrim site, with as many as 1-1/2 million ibis birds interred (as well as cats, dogs, rams, and lions). This 2nd-century BC site found extensive pottery debris from the site offerings of the pilgrims.

Emery's excavations uncovered the "Dream Ostraca", created by a scribe named Hor of Sebennytos. A convert to the god Thoth, he lived adjacent to Thoth's sanctuary at the entrance to the North Catacomb and worked as a "proto-therapist", advising and comforting clients. He transferred his divinely-inspired dreams onto ostraca. The Dream Ostraca are 65 Demotic texts written on pottery and limestone. (See Reeves.)

Biblical period ostraca

Famous ostraca for Biblical archaeology have been found at:

New Testament Ostraca

Some Christian texts are preserved upon ostraca. In the late 19th century were found in Upper Egypt 20 ostraca, probably from the 7th century, written in Greek and Coptic.

The ostraca are of different sizes and shapes. The more extant is Luke 22:40-71, which runs over 10 pieces. The ostraca contain from 2 to 9 verses each, and cover ; Mark 5:40-41 (Mark 9:3); Mark 9:17-18, Mark 9:22; Mark 15:21; Luke 12:13-16; Luke 22:40-71; John 1:1-9; John 1:14-17; John 18:19-25; John 19:15-17. There is one ostracon with the inscription "St. Peter the evangelist", perhaps in allusion to the Gospel of Peter.

A Coptic Sa'idic ostracon preserves the Pericope Adulterae found in John 7:53-8:1, which is otherwise omitted in the Sa'idic New Testament. A Christian hymn to Mary, similar to the canticles of Luke, and some Christian letters have also been found.

References

Parkinson, Richard. Cracking Codes, the Rosetta Stone, and Decipherment, Richard Parkinson, with W. Diffie, M. Fischer, and R.S. Simpson, (University of California Press), c. 1999.
Reeves, Nicholas. Ancient Egypt, The Great Discoveries, A Year-by-Year Chronicle, Nicholas Reeves, (Thames and Hudson, London), c 2000. (Specifically, "1964-71: The Sacred Animal Necropolis, Saqqara"; and "1964-65: A Statue Finds Its Face".)

External links

[Ostraca]

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