DOI Artikel:
Grenfell, Bernard P.: Egypt Exploration Fund: Oxyrhynchus and its Papyri
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11503#0021
OxYRFIYNCHUS AND ITS PAPYET.
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at 9 p.m. after dinner to stow away the papyri in some empty packing-
cases which we fortunately had at hand. The task was only finished at
three in the morning, and on the following night we had a repetition
of it, for twenty-five more baskets were filled before the place was
exhausted.
This was our last great find of papyri. We had by this time tried all
the mounds of the Eoman and Byzantine periods, and dug the most
fruitful part of them. The low ground, with the exception of a patch to
the west of the large stone building, did not yield papyri, and some of
the rubbish mounds consisted entirely of ashes, while others, especially
the southern mounds, did not contain the right sort of earth for finding
papyri. We continued the excavations, however, for nearly a month
longer, being engaged in finishing less productive ground which wo had
temporarily passed over, and investigating the Arabic mounds. Our
search for Arabic papyri opened auspiciously with a large find of rolls
in the first hour, but afterwards complete Arabic papyri became very
rare, though Arabic paper was plentiful. Much of the Arabic ground
could not be dug owing to the number of burials in it.
The miscellaneous anticas other than papyri which we found were not
remarkable, nor are rubbish mounds the places for discovering complete
objects of any size or great value. Broken ostraca, chiefly Byzantine,
were frequent, complete ones (second century to Arabic) rare, except for
a find of 150 together, which are nearly all very clearly written and well
preserved. Of this find all but two or three are orders for payment
of wine to various persons connected with horses and racing, addressed
by a certain Cyriacus or Cyracus about the time of Diocletian. I give a
copy of one as a specimen.
Kvpa/cbs ®e- " Cyracus to Theon greeting.
-covi 'xa(lpeiv). 009 "Ap,/j,a>- Give Amnion the
-vi iviroKOficp rifie- groom one jar (1 jar) of wine for
-pwv e olvov Kepa/xi- five days from
-ov eV, Kepi a, $ap- Pharmouthi 1st to
-p,ov6i a eco? s\ the 6th. Signed
Kvpaicbs aea(jifiei'a)/Liai). Cyracus.'''
The coins, most of which require much cleaning before they can be
made out, are being examined by Mr. J. Gr. Milne, who reports provision-
ally that there are about 40 early empire bronze, about 100 later
empire billon, and 300 fourth century bronze and 100 Byzantine bronze,
besides many pieces whicb are worn smooth.
c
0
at 9 p.m. after dinner to stow away the papyri in some empty packing-
cases which we fortunately had at hand. The task was only finished at
three in the morning, and on the following night we had a repetition
of it, for twenty-five more baskets were filled before the place was
exhausted.
This was our last great find of papyri. We had by this time tried all
the mounds of the Eoman and Byzantine periods, and dug the most
fruitful part of them. The low ground, with the exception of a patch to
the west of the large stone building, did not yield papyri, and some of
the rubbish mounds consisted entirely of ashes, while others, especially
the southern mounds, did not contain the right sort of earth for finding
papyri. We continued the excavations, however, for nearly a month
longer, being engaged in finishing less productive ground which wo had
temporarily passed over, and investigating the Arabic mounds. Our
search for Arabic papyri opened auspiciously with a large find of rolls
in the first hour, but afterwards complete Arabic papyri became very
rare, though Arabic paper was plentiful. Much of the Arabic ground
could not be dug owing to the number of burials in it.
The miscellaneous anticas other than papyri which we found were not
remarkable, nor are rubbish mounds the places for discovering complete
objects of any size or great value. Broken ostraca, chiefly Byzantine,
were frequent, complete ones (second century to Arabic) rare, except for
a find of 150 together, which are nearly all very clearly written and well
preserved. Of this find all but two or three are orders for payment
of wine to various persons connected with horses and racing, addressed
by a certain Cyriacus or Cyracus about the time of Diocletian. I give a
copy of one as a specimen.
Kvpa/cbs ®e- " Cyracus to Theon greeting.
-covi 'xa(lpeiv). 009 "Ap,/j,a>- Give Amnion the
-vi iviroKOficp rifie- groom one jar (1 jar) of wine for
-pwv e olvov Kepa/xi- five days from
-ov eV, Kepi a, $ap- Pharmouthi 1st to
-p,ov6i a eco? s\ the 6th. Signed
Kvpaicbs aea(jifiei'a)/Liai). Cyracus.'''
The coins, most of which require much cleaning before they can be
made out, are being examined by Mr. J. Gr. Milne, who reports provision-
ally that there are about 40 early empire bronze, about 100 later
empire billon, and 300 fourth century bronze and 100 Byzantine bronze,
besides many pieces whicb are worn smooth.
c