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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.

Suppl. 6945
Clay
6.6 cm x 5 cm x 2.5 cm
1292–1077 BCE
New Kingdom
Nineteenth – Twentieth Dynasty
Egypt, Luxor / Thebes, Deir el-Medina
Excavation Ernesto Schiaparelli, 1905
57353
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=
  • Lopez, J., Ostraca ieratici n. 57320-57449, Catalogo del Museo Egizio di Torino (Catalogo del Museo Eg. di Torino - Serie II. - Collezioni 3/3), Milano 1980, p. 18, tavv. 104 e 104a.
    Tipo=Opere biblioteca SottoTipo= Autore=Lopez, J. Titolo=Ostraca ieratici n. 57320-57449 Sottotiolo= In=Catalogo del Museo Egizio di Torino Collana=Catalogo del Museo Eg. di Torino - Serie II. - Collezioni Opera=3/3 Luogo=Milano Anno=1980 Menzionato=p. 18 Illustrazione=tavv. 104 e 104a
Museo Egizio