These Shreds, Guardians of Human Memory: Papyrus and Culture in Late Antiquity : Inaugural Lecture delivered on Thursday 7 January 2016
Papyrology, which burgeoned in the nineteenth century after the discovery of thousands of papyri in Egypt, consists in the study of Greek and Latin texts written on a transportable medium (papyrus, clay potsherds, wooden tablets or parchment). While inscriptions and literary sources can render a nor...
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Format: | Electronic Book Chapter |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Collège de France
2018
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | DOAB: download the publication DOAB: description of the publication |
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Summary: | Papyrology, which burgeoned in the nineteenth century after the discovery of thousands of papyri in Egypt, consists in the study of Greek and Latin texts written on a transportable medium (papyrus, clay potsherds, wooden tablets or parchment). While inscriptions and literary sources can render a normative, idealized and sometimes deformed image of individuals, papyri - no matter how fragmented they may be - take us into their daily lives, thus making possible the archaeology of cultural practices. Attempting to decipher "these shreds, guardians of the human memory" - to paraphrase Leonardo de Vinci - is the challenge of the papyrologist, who ceaselessly renews our knowledge of the past. |
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ISBN: | books.cdf.5807 9782722605008 |
Access: | Open Access |