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E.g. BGU 3 802; P. Dryton 5; SB 22 15416; I. Fayoum 1 98; ... Click here for a complete alphabetical list of abbreviations.
While we try to provide as many editions of the text as we can, the depth of Trismegistos' information varies quite a lot according to the genre of text and its language. For Greek and Latin inscriptions and papyri, we try to cover all editions used to identify the texts. For Demotic our coverage is also almost exhaustive, but for other languages we sometimes suffice with a link to a more specialized website.
If you have doubts about abbreviation or title, you can try to the surname of the editor in the editor search field. The name of the editor is known to TM in about 95% of all editions.
As a last resort, you can go through the (non-exhaustive!) TM Bibliography which in some cases has links to texts published in that reference.
The name of the editor of the text. We use surname followed by a comma and first name, but other combinations may also work.
Editors in Trismegistos:
If editors are at the core of your interest, visit TM Editors.
The year of an edition. A search for 1972 will find all texts edited in 1972, although very likely this will not be their only edition. Ranges are also possible, e.g. 1914-1918 for texts edited in the WWI. If you are searching for editions from a specific year or range (rather than for texts), your better option is here.
Keep in mind that we have most papyrological editions and those dealing with Demotic, but only a selection of most other categories.
The place where the text is (or has been) preserved. We normally use the English name of the city followed by a comma and the local name of the collection. You may also just use the placename and a number if you looking for a specific text, e.g. Paris 10594.
Below is a list of our collections:
If collections are at the core of your interest, visit TM Collections.
Click on an info button to the right of a search field for more information about its contents.
If you want to exclude texts according to criteria, please use 'NOT' (in capitals) before the search term, e.g. 'ostracon NOT pottery' to search for ostraca that are not written on pottery.
If you want to search for multiple criteria, please use 'OR' (in capitals) to separate criteria, e.g. 'gold OR silver' to search for texts written on gold or silver.
Use the LDAB search mask with more criteria if your interest is in literary texts.
Always write your searchterm in full, as if you were using Google.
The material on which the text is written (limestone, papyrus, wood, ...) or the shape of the object on which the texts is written (stele, ring, ostracon, ...). These two types of material can be combined in a single search, e.g. 'lead tablet'.
Below is a list of raw materials:
bone
bone (animal unclear, horn?)
bone (animal unclear, horn)
bone (antler)
bone (boar)
bone (camel)
bone (cow)
bone (deer, horn)
bone (fallow deer, horn)
bone (goat?)
bone (human, rib)
bone / metal (gold)
bone or metal (bronze)
bone?
clay
clay (argil)
clay (mud)
clay (mudbrick)
clay?
cloth
cloth (cotton)
cloth (linen, embroidered)
cloth (linen)
cloth? (linen)
faience
faience / metal (bronze)
faience / metal (gold)
faience / stone (calcite)
faience / stone (limestone)
faience / stone (steatite?)
faience / stone (steatite)
faience?
glass
glass (frit)
glass (paste)
glass (red)
glass / metal (gold)
glass / metal (lead)
glass?
ivory
ivory / bone
ivory?
metal
metal (brass)
metal (bronze or copper)
metal (bronze?)
metal (bronze)
metal (copper oxide)
metal (copper)
metal (electrum)
metal (gold or silver)
metal (gold, leaf)
metal (gold)
metal (iron)
metal (lead?)
metal (lead)
metal (messing)
metal (ore)
metal (pewter)
metal (silver?)
metal (silver)
metal (tin)
metal (zinc)
metal / stone (limestone)
metal?
metal? (orichalcum)
paper
paper (rag paper)
paper?
papyrus
papyrus (double thickness)
papyrus / paper (repair)
papyrus / parchment
papyrus?
parchment
parchment (from book binding)
parchment (gold letters)
parchment (leather, calf)
parchment (leather, crocodile)
parchment (leather, sheep)
parchment (leather?)
parchment (leather)
parchment (partly purpureus)
parchment (purpureus aureus)
parchment (purpureus)
parchment / paper (some pages)
parchment?
plaster
plaster (cartonnage)
plaster (gypsum)
plaster (painted)
plaster (stucco)
plaster (tectorium)
plaster / clay / cloth (linen)
plaster / stone (limestone)
plaster?
plaster? (cartonnage)
plaster? (tectorium)
pottery
pottery (black figure)
pottery (black slip)
pottery (bucchero, black)
pottery (bucchero)
pottery (ceramic)
pottery (coarse ware)
pottery (red slip)
pottery (red-figure)
pottery (terra sigillata)
pottery (terracotta)
pottery (white slip)
pottery or stone
pottery or stone (limestone)
pottery?
pottery? or stone (limestone?)
stone
stone (agate?)
stone (agate)
stone (alabaster)
stone (albite)
stone (amber)
stone (amethyst)
stone (amphibolite)
stone (andesite)
stone (aplite)
stone (arkose)
stone (asfalt)
stone (banded-agate)
stone (basalt or diorite)
stone (basalt, green)
stone (basalt?)
stone (basalt)
stone (basanite)
stone (besimaudite)
stone (black)
stone (bloodstone)
stone (breccia, green)
stone (breccia, grey)
stone (breccia?)
stone (breccia)
stone (brick)
stone (bucchero)
stone (calcite)
stone (carnelian)
stone (carneole)
stone (carniole)
stone (cement, opus arenatum)
stone (chalcedony, green)
stone (chalcedony)
stone (chalk)
stone (chrysoprase?)
stone (chrysoprase)
stone (clay-slate)
stone (conglomerate)
stone (coral)
stone (cornelian)
stone (crystal)
stone (diabase)
stone (diorite or siliceous stone)
stone (diorite, black)
stone (diorite)
stone (dolerite)
stone (dolomite)
stone (feldspar)
stone (flint)
stone (gabbro)
stone (gem)
stone (gneiss, serizzo)
stone (gneiss)
stone (granite, Baveno)
stone (granite, black)
stone (granite, dark)
stone (granite, grey)
stone (granite, pink)
stone (granite, red)
stone (granite, white)
stone (granite?)
stone (granite)
stone (granitoid)
stone (granodiorite or diorite)
stone (granodiorite)
stone (greywacke or schist)
stone (greywacke)
stone (grit)
stone (gritstone)
stone (gypsum)
stone (haematite)
stone (hard green stone)
stone (hard white stone)
stone (hard yellow-orange stone)
stone (heliotrope)
stone (hematite)
stone (jasper)
stone (jaspis)
stone (jet)
stone (kurkar)
stone (lapis albanus)
stone (lapis lazuli)
stone (lava)
stone (leucitite)
stone (lime clay)
stone (limestone or chalk)
stone (limestone or gypsum plaster?)
stone (limestone, hard crystalline)
stone (limestone, Istrian stone)
stone (limestone, Muschelkalk)
stone (limestone?)
stone (limestone)
stone (Lybian stone)
stone (macco?)
stone (macco)
stone (magmatic)
stone (magnetite)
stone (marble or mosaic)
stone (marble, African)
stone (marble, Angera)
stone (marble, bardiglio)
stone (marble, black)
stone (marble, blue)
stone (marble, Candoglia)
stone (marble, Carrara)
stone (marble, Castracane)
stone (marble, Chium)
stone (marble, Cipollino)
stone (marble, Grechetto)
stone (marble, Greek)
stone (marble, green)
stone (marble, grey, bardiglio)
stone (marble, grey)
stone (marble, Hymettian)
stone (marble, Italian)
stone (marble, Luni)
stone (marble, Marmara)
stone (marble, Musso)
stone (marble, Naxos)
stone (marble, Numidian)
stone (marble, oriental)
stone (marble, palombino)
stone (marble, Parian?)
stone (marble, Pavonazzo)
stone (marble, Pentelican)
stone (marble, pink)
stone (marble, porta santa)
stone (marble, Proconnesian)
stone (marble, red)
stone (marble, shell)
stone (marble, Thasos)
stone (marble, Veronese, red)
stone (marble, versicolour)
stone (marble, white, Luni)
stone (marble, white)
stone (marble, yellow)
stone (marble?)
stone (marble)
stone (marl)
stone (mica)
stone (millstone grit)
stone (molasse)
stone (mosaic?)
stone (mosaic)
stone (mudstone)
stone (nepheline)
stone (nicolo)
stone (obsidian)
stone (onyx)
stone (oolite)
stone (opale)
stone (pebble)
stone (peperino)
stone (plasma)
stone (plaster)
stone (poros)
stone (porphyric marble)
stone (porphyric tuff)
stone (porphyric)
stone (porphyry, red)
stone (porphyry)
stone (prase)
stone (pyrite)
stone (pyroclastic rock)
stone (quarry-stone)
stone (quartz)
stone (quartzite)
stone (rock?)
stone (rock)
stone (sand mortar, arenatum?)
stone (sand mortar, arenatum)
stone (sandstone or quartzite)
stone (sandstone, arkose)
stone (sandstone, gritstone)
stone (sandstone, pietra serena)
stone (sandstone, red)
stone (sandstone, yellow)
stone (sandstone?, red)
stone (sandstone?)
stone (sandstone)
stone (sard)
stone (sardius)
stone (sardonyx)
stone (schist)
stone (semiprecious)
stone (serpentine, green)
stone (serpentine)
stone (serpentinite)
stone (shale)
stone (shell, egg)
stone (shell)
stone (shinstone)
stone (silex)
stone (siltstone)
stone (slate or schist)
stone (slate, black)
stone (slate, green)
stone (slate?)
stone (slate)
stone (soapstone)
stone (soft-stone)
stone (steatite or serpentine)
stone (steatite)
stone (sulphur)
stone (syenite)
stone (tafl)
stone (tesserae)
stone (Tiburtinus)
stone (tonalite)
stone (trachyte)
stone (travertine?)
stone (travertine)
stone (tuff, Alban stone)
stone (tuff, Gabine stone)
stone (tuff, nenfro)
stone (tuff, peperino)
stone (tuff?, Alban stone)
stone (tuff?, nenfro)
stone (tuff?)
stone (tuff)
stone (vicentine)
stone (volcanic, 'domite')
stone (volcanic?)
stone (volcanic)
stone / plaster
stone / wood
stone?
stone? (marble)
wood
wood (acacia bark)
wood (acacia)
wood (bamboo)
wood (bark)
wood (birch)
wood (cedar)
wood (fig)
wood (glass)
wood (larch)
wood (oak)
wood (olive)
wood (painted white)
wood (palm branch or papyrus bark)
wood (palm branch)
wood (palm leaf)
wood (plant remains)
wood (reed)
wood (silicified)
wood (silver fir)
wood (sycamore)
wood (sycomore)
wood (tamarisk)
wood (whitewashed)
wood (yew)
wood / cartonnage
wood / plaster
wood / plaster (stucco)
wood?
For an overview of the main categories with charts, visit TM Material.
It is also possible to search for the type of object on which a text is written. This information is far from standardized, as the list list below with all current entries shows:
The information is occasionally still in the original language of the database with we cooperated with to get the information.
The language in which a text was written. For Egyptian the names of the various scripts are used: hieroglyphic, hieratic, Demotic, Coptic. Dialects of Coptic are normally also specified.
You can also search for "bilingual" texts in general, or just search for a combination of two languages, e.g. "Demotic Greek". The standard boolean operator is 'AND', but you can add ' OR ' (in capitals)
A list of attested languages and combinations:
For an overview of languages in TM, visit TM Languages.
Very soon you will also be able to search for texts in specific scripts (other than Egyptian, where you always have to search for the script for the time being). Here is an overview:
Arabic script
Aramaic script
Aramaic-Palestinian script
Armenian script
Brahmi script
Camunic script
Coptic script
cuneiform script
demotic script
East Turkic Runic script
Elder Futhark (Runic) script
Futhorc (Runic) script
Etruscan script
Faliscan script
Greek script
Hebrew script
hieratic script
Latin script
Linear B script
Nocera script
North Etruscan script
North Italic script
Ogham script
Oscan script
Hebrew script
Runic script
Sabine script
South Picene script
Umbrian script
unclear script
unidentified script
unknown script
If your interest is in unusual combinations of language and script in general, you can also search for 'allographic' and get a list of examples. If you are looking for a specific subset, e.g. the Graeco-Babyloniaca, combine this with a search for language and script, in this case 'Akkadian Greek script allographic' (without adding the 'allographic' bilingual texts are also included).
The place where a text was found or written. You can use modern countries, ancient regions and provinces (see lists below), or names of ancient or modern cities (no list available because too numerous, but we should have plenty of variants for each toponym).
It is currently not possible to distinguish place of writing from find place in searches.
Egyptian nomes (and regions outside the nome system; roughly 3rd cent. BC):
Alexandria
Egypt, Arsinoite nome (Fayum)
Egypt, Arsinoite nome (Fayum), meris of Herakleides
Egypt, Arsinoite nome (Fayum), meris of Themistos
Egypt, Arsinoite nome (Fayum), meris of Polemon
Egypt, Arsinoite nome (Fayum), city area of Arsinoe
Eastern desert
Lower Egypt (L)
1st Lower Egyptian nome, Memphites (Memphis)
2nd Lower Egyptian nome, Letopolites (Ausim)
3rd Lower Egyptian nome, Gynaikopolites (Kom el-Hisn, Damanhur)
4th Lower Egyptian nome, Prosopites
5th Lower Egyptian nome, Saites (Sa el-Hagar)
6th Lower Egyptian nome, Xoites (Sakha)
7th Lower Egyptian nome, Menelaites
8th Lower Egyptian nome, Heroopolites (Tell el-Maskhuta)
9th Lower Egyptian nome, Bousirites (Abusir)
10th Lower Egyptian nome, Athribites (Tell Athrib)
11th Lower Egyptian nome, Leontopolites (Tell el-Muqdam)
12th Lower Egyptian nome, Sebennytes (Samanud)
13th Lower Egyptian nome, Heliopolites (Tell Hisn)
14th Lower Egyptian nome, Sethroites
16th Lower Egyptian nome, Mendesios (Tell el-Rub'a)
18th Lower Egyptian nome, Boubastites (Tell Basta)
19th Lower Egyptian nome, Tanites (San el-Hagar)
20th Lower Egyptian nome, Arabia (Faqus)
21st Lower Egyptian nome, Phthemphouth
Northern Sinai
Sinai
Upper Egypt (U)
1st Upper Egyptian nome (Elephantine, Kom Ombo)
2nd Upper Egyptian nome, Apollonopolites (Edfu)
3rd Upper Egyptian nome, Latopolites (Esna, Kom el-Ahmar)
4th Upper Egyptian nome, Pathyrites (Gebelein)
4th Upper Egyptian nome, Peri Thebas (Theban area)
5th Upper Egyptian nome, Koptites (Qift)
6th Upper Egyptian nome, Tentyrites (Dendera)
7th Upper Egyptian nome, Diospolites Mikros (Hou)
8th Upper Egyptian nome, Thinites (Abydos, Girga)
9th Upper Egyptian nome, Panopolites (Akhmim)
10th Upper Egyptian nome, Antaiopolites (Qaw el-Kebir)
10th Upper Egyptian nome, Apollonopolites (Kom Isfaht)
12th Upper Egyptian nome (El-Atawla)
13th Upper Egyptian nome, Lykopolites (Assiut)
15th Upper Egyptian nome, Hermopolites (El-Ashmunein)
17th Upper Egyptian nome, Kynopolites (El-Qeis)
19th Upper Egyptian nome, Oxyrynchites (El-Bahnasa)
20th Upper Egyptian nome, Herakleopolites (Inhnasya el-Medina)
22nd Upper Egyptian nome, Aphroditopolites (Atfih)
Western coast
Western desert
Western desert, Ammoniake
Western desert, Oasis Magna
Western desert, Oasis Parva
Roman regiones and provinciae (2nd century AD).
the regio Roma
Latium et Campania (Regio I)
Apulia et Calabria (Regio II)
Bruttium et Lucania (Regio III)
Samnium (Regio IV)
Picenum (Regio V)
Umbria (Regio VI)
Etruria (Regio VII)
Aemilia (Regio VIII)
Liguria (Regio IX)
Venetia et Histria (Regio X)
Transpadana (Regio XI)
* * *
the provincia Achaia
the provincia Aegyptus
the provincia Africa Proconsularis
the provincia Alpes Cottiae
the provincia Alpes Graiae
the provincia Alpes Maritimae
the provincia Alpes Poeninae
the provincia Aquitania
the provincia Arabia
the provincia Armenia
the provincia Asia
the provincia Baetica
the provincia Belgica
the provincia Bithynia et Pontus
the provincia Britannia
the provincia Cappadocia
the provincia Cilicia
the provincia Corsica
the provincia Creta
the provincia Cyprus
the provincia Cyrenaica
the provincia Dacia
the provincia Dalmatia
the provincia Epirus
the provincia Galatia
the provincia Germania Inferior
the provincia Germania Superior
the provincia Hispania Citerior
the provincia Iudaea
the provincia Lugdunensis
the provincia Lusitania
the provincia Lycia et Pamphylia
the provincia Macedonia
the provincia Mauretania Caesariensis
the provincia Mauretania Tingitana
the provincia Mesopotamia
the provincia Moesia Inferior
the provincia Moesia Superior
the provincia Narbonensis
the provincia Noricum
the provincia Numidia
the provincia Pannonia Inferior
the provincia Pannonia Superior
the provincia Raetia
the provincia Sardinia
the provincia Sicilia, Melita
the provincia Syria
the provincia Thracia
Ancient regions (3rd century BC):
the region Acarnania
the region Achaia
the region Achaia Phthiotis
the region Aemilia
the region Aeolis
the region Aethiopia
the region Aetolia
the region Africa
the region Ainis
the region Albania
the region Apulia
the region Arabia
the region Arachosia
the region Arcadia
the region Argolis
the region Armenia
the region Attica
the region Bactria
the region Bithynia
the region Boeotia
the region Bosporus Cimmerius
the region Britannia
the region Bruttium
the region Calabria
the region Campania
the region Cappadocia
the region Caria
the region Cataonia
the region Caucasus
the region Cilicia
the region Corsica
the region Creta
the region Cyclades
the region Cyrenaica
the region Dacia
the region Elam
the region Elis
the region Epirus
the region Etruria
the region Euboea
the region Galatia
the region Gallia
the region Gedrosia
the region Germania
the region Hibernia
the region Hispania
the region Histria
the region Hyrcania
the region Iberia
the region Illyricum
the region India
the region Ionia
the region Isauria
the region Isthmos
the region Italia
the region Kolchis
the region Kommagene
the region Laconia
the region Latium
the region Lemnos
the region Lesbos
the region Liguria
the region Locris
the region Lucania
the region Lycaonia
the region Lycia
the region Lydia
the region Macedonia
the region Malis
the region Malta
the region Margiana
the region Marmarica
the region Mauretania
the region Media
the region Mesopotamia
the region Messenia
the region Moesia
the region Mysia
the region Noricum
the region Numidia
the region Paeonia
the region Palestina
the region Pamphylia
the region Pannonia
the region Paphlagonia
the region Parthia
the region Persis
the region Phocis
the region Phoenicia
the region Phrygia
the region Picenum
the region Pisidia
the region Pontus
the region Raetia
the region Rhodos
the region Samnium
the region Sardinia
the region Sarmatia
the region Scythia
the region Sicilia
the region Sogdiana
the region Sporades
the region Syria
the region Thasos
the region Thessalia
the region Thracia
the region Transpadana
the region Troas
the region Umbria
the region Venetia
Modern countries:
the country Afghanistan
the country Albania
the country Algeria
the country Armenia
the country Austria
the country Azerbaijan
the country Bahrain
the country Belgium
the country Bosnia and Herzegovina
the country Bulgaria
the country China
the country Congo
the country Croatia
the country Cyprus
the country Czech Republic
the country Denmark
the country Djibouti
the country Egypt
the country Eritrea
the country Ethiopia
the country France
the country Georgia
the country Germany
the country Greece
the country Hungary
the country Iceland
the country India
the country Iran
the country Iraq
the country Ireland
the country Israel
the country Italy
the country Jordan
the country Kenya
the country Kuwait
the country Kyrgyzstan
the country Lebanon
the country Libya
the country Liechtenstein
the country Luxemburg
the country Malta
the country Moldova
the country Monaco
the country Montenegro
the country Morocco
the country Mozambique
the country Nepal
the country Netherlands
the country Norway
the country Oman
the country Pakistan
the country Poland
the country Portugal
the country Qatar
the country Republic of Macedonia
the country Romania
the country Russia
the country Saudi Arabia
the country Serbia
the country Slovakia
the country Slovenia
the country Somalia
the country South Sudan
the country Spain
the country Sudan
the country Sweden
the country Switzerland
the country Syria
the country Tajikistan
the country Tanzania
the country Tunisia
the country Turkey
the country Turkmenistan
the country Ukraine
the country United Arab Emirates
the country United Kingdom
the country United Kingdom (Guernsey)
the country United Kingdom (Island of Man)
the country United Kingdom (Jersey)
the country Uzbekistan
the country Vatican
the country Yemen
If your interest is in toponymy and places, please visit TM Places.
In principle any dated expression, but in the LDAB most texts are only dated by century. You can use '1st century BC', 'early third century AD', the former LDAB standard 'AD04 - AD05', or even 'Ptolemaic period'. Do NOT try to convert centuries to their numeric equivalents yourself, e.g. by using anything like 101-126 for early second century or 1-100 for the first century. When a more precise date is known, you can enter it as '100 - 110 AD'. Other possibilities include 'reign of Augustus', 'early Ptolemaic', 'VI AD' (for the sixth century), 'Dyn. 26', '55 - 10 BC', ...'
A list with working examples:
CE 155 Mesore 2
Mesore 2 155 AD
2 Mesore 155 AD
Mesore 155 AD
BCE 155 Mesore
BC 155 2 Mesore
BC 15
15 CE
155
9 Nov 1 AD
9 Nov 1 => 1 November 9 AD
18/3/-167
22.03.167
12/15/782
9/11/99 => 9 November 99 AD
Claudius year 2
year 2 Trajan
year 12 of Tiberius
Caligula
Ptolemy V
2nd year of Augustus
regnal year 2 of Emperor Augustus
Augustus second year
year 2
2nd year
year 2 Mesore
Mesore year 2
Tubi of year 5
Mecheir, Mechir, Mekheir, ...
year 3 Tubi day 5
year 3, Tubi, day 5
year 12, day 30 of Mesore
ḥsb.t 2.t ibd-3 Ꜣḫ.t sw 5
ḥsb.t 2.t ibd-3 Ꜣḫ.t sw 5 Ptolemaic period
ỉbd 3 šmw ḥȝ.t-sp 7
II Shemou year 2
2nd century BC
2nd c. BC
Mesore Tiberius
January Tiberius
15 Jan Augustus
15 January Augustus
Mesore Pharaoh Amasis
Mesore 6th century CE
early 2nd century
beginning of the fifth century CE
late 3rd c. BC
end of the 2nd century BCE
mid 3rd c. BC
middle of the 3rd c. BC
Thoth in the third century B.C.
BC03
AD08
VI AD
VI century AD
year 2 3rd century AD
3rd century AD year 13
Tubi reign of Claudius
Tubi rule of Augustus
Tubi during the reign of Augustus
Claudius Tubi
Mesore 5 Ptolemaic period
year 2 in the Flavian dynasty
Dyn. 25 Mesore 4
Dyn. 25 Mesore
27th Dynasty 4 Mesore
Twenty-seventh Dynasty
25th Dynasty
early Ptolemaic year 4
early Ptolemaic
Roman year 5
Roman period 5 Mesore
early third cent. BC Mesore
January Ptolemaic period
Sunday January 4th century CE
era Diocletian year 67
67th year of the era of Diocletian
67th year era Diocletian
67th year era Diocletianus
Era of the Martyrs
anno Diocletiani 56
anno martyrum 56
Indiction 5
5th Ind.
year 5 of the indiction
Indictio 1
second year of the Indiction 6th century
2nd Indiction Leonid Dynasty
Created ranges: limited to ranges of modern or ancient years, NOT YET days, months, rulers, centuries, dynasties
BC 95 - 91
15 - 7 BC
CE 45 - 56
7 - 24 AD
15 to 10 BC
from 15 until 10 BC
15 till 10 BC
BC 95 - 91 Mesore
Mesore BC 95 - 91
BC 95 - 91 Mesore 2
Caligula year 3 to 4
Claudius year 2-5
year 5 to 10 of the reign of Claudius
year 2 to 3 of Caligula
Augustus year 1-10 Mesore
Mesore 2 reign of Augustus year 2 to 12
Do not yet work:
consular dates
early 26th Dyn.
year 12 to 13 Mesore 4: the range itself has to be specific, not with several possibilities
5th to 6th century
5th to 6th century AD Mesore
7th to 2nd century BC
Dynasty 25 - 27
25th to 27th Dynasty
If your interest is in chronology, please visit TM Time.
Sometimes more than a single text occurs on a single object. According to our criteria, texts are part of the same document (and thus constitute a single entry in TM Texts) when they are intentionally related, i.e. when the scribe of a secondary text - whether or not the same person as the writer of the primary text - wanted this to be on the same object or writing surface because there was in his mind a connection with the contents of the primary text. For more details about our criteria to decide whether texts are part of the same record, click here.
We use the following terms:
If two texts occur on the same writing surface, but are not intentionally related, the object or writing surface has been reused as 'old paper', 'old stone' or whatever the material used. This can be done in many different ways: one is to erase the primary text and to inscribe it with a new one. In that case the original, effaced text is a 'palimpsest old', while the text that is written above it is a 'palimpsest new'. Another possibility is that the blank side of an object, e.g. the verso of a papyrus or the back of a marble plate, is reused. In that case the primary text is marked as 'blank side reused by', the secondary as 'reuse of blank side of'. Finally, blank space can be reused. Examples of this are described as 'blank space reused by' or 'reuse of blank space of'.
In Trismegistos, each text written on what was originally a separate object or writing surface constitutes an individual record. Sometimes, however, two or more documents (often papyri) were in a second stage joined for their users' convenience, often because their complementary contents. This type of connection is also recorded, as 'in the codex joined with' for manuscripts bound together, or as 'in the tomos synkollesimos joined with' for texts made into a roll (click here for more information).
The history of reuse can at times be very complicated (for some complex cases, click here). As a result if can be time-consuming to figure out the exact relation between various texts constituting a single document. In many cases therefore users will find the general 'other texts on the same object'. We would welcome your help in changing this into something more specific.
Finally, please note that reuse has not been the focus of Trismegistos Texts so far, and no doubt many examples are not recorded by us. Because of the expansion of TM and collaboration with partners, we also have not monitored closely whether new entries are conform with what we consider to be a single document to be recorded. Please use the information to explore and illustrate only!
The ancient collection of texts to which a papyrus or ostracon belongs, e.g. 'Zenon archive'.
TM has information about the following archives:
For an overview of archives in TM, visit TM Archives.
This field was until recently marked with a ☠️️UNDER DEVELOPMENT. This is still true, and a search for the type of text is probably for experimentation purposes at best. The user should not expect results to be even remotely exhaustive, as the terminology is not standardized, not even within a single language and genre. The situation is probably best for Greek papyrology and for Demotic, but even there much work remains to be done.