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Ostracon inscribed with identity marks

Every craftsman at Deir el-Medina had a personal symbol, used to mark his family's objects or tools. Some of these identity marks were taken from hieroglyphs, while others appear to be fictional geometric symbols. These signs are often found on ostraca (fragments of limestone or pottery) organised in lists, perhaps as a form of accounting.

Provv. 1374
Clay
13 cm x 9.5 cm
1292–1077 BCE
New Kingdom
Nineteenth – Twentieth Dynasty
Egypt, Luxor / Thebes, Deir el-Medina
Excavation Ernesto Schiaparelli, 1905
57532
Museum / Floor 1 / Room 06 DEM / Showcase 05
  • Haring, Ben J. J.-Haring, Ben, From Single Sign to Pseudo-Script: an Ancient Egyptian System of Workmen's Identity Marks (Culture and history of the ancient Near East 93), Leiden; Boston 2018.
    Tipo=Monografia SottoTipo= Autore=Haring, Ben J. J.-Haring, Ben Titolo=From Single Sign to Pseudo-Script: an Ancient Egyptian System of Workmen's Identity Marks Sottotiolo= In= Collana=Culture and history of the ancient Near East Opera=93 Luogo=Leiden; Boston Anno=2018 Menzionato= Illustrazione=
  • López, Jesús (a cura di)-López, Jesús, Ostraca ieratici (n. 57450-57568). Tabelle lignee (n. 58001-58007) (Catalogo del Museo Eg. di Torino - Serie II. - Collezioni 3/4), Milano 1984, p. 34, tav 173a.
    Tipo=Monografia SottoTipo=Monografia o Opere Autore=López, Jesús (a cura di)-López, Jesús Titolo=Ostraca ieratici (n. 57450-57568). Tabelle lignee (n. 58001-58007) Sottotiolo= In= Collana=Catalogo del Museo Eg. di Torino - Serie II. - Collezioni Opera=3/4 Luogo=Milano Anno=1984 Menzionato=p. 34 Illustrazione=tav 173a
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