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Collections / Itineraries / Egyptian Collection: Writing in Ancient Egypt

Contract in demotic script

In this papyrus written in demotic script, dated to the XII year of Ptolemy IV, a character named Chello acknowledges having been paid for the sale of land. The contract was drawn up and signed by a notary named Petamenophis, also known from other documents, while on the reverse there is the autograph signing of sixteen witnesses.

More info

Demotic script appears at the beginning of the 26th dynasty (664-630 BC). The hieroglyphic characters continue to be used for monumental inscriptions, while are written in hieratic only religious texts (hieratic means holy) and demotic becomes the writing of public administration and private documents.

Provenance: Thebes; Palagi Collection (Nizzoli)
Datation: Ptolemaic Period. 12th year of Ptolemey IV (210 BC)
Material: papyrus
Dimensions: h cm 31,5; la cm 101,5
Inventory #: EG 3172

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