Oriental Institute Demotic Ostraca Online (O.I.D.O.O.)

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Introduction

The Oriental Institute Museum houses a large collection of nearly 900 Demotic ostraca, pottery sherds upon which ancient scribes recorded a wide variety of text types. The vast majority of the corpus concerns economic matters and consists of receipts, contracts, memos, and lists, but there is a small selection of other genres such as votive and astrological texts. With few exceptions, the material derives from the environs of Thebes and over half of the collection derives from the Oriental Institute excavations at Medinet Habu. Attested dates in the documents range from the early Ptolemaic Period (circa 285 B.C.E.) to the early Roman Period (circa 80 C.E.). Less than one third of the corpus has been published:

160 ostraca in Miriam Lichtheim, Demotic Ostraca from Medinet Habu, Oriental Institute Publications 80 (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957)
61 ostraca in Brian P. Muhs, Tax Receipts, Taxpayers, and Taxes in Early Ptolemaic Thebes, Oriental Institute Publications 126 (Chicago: Oriental Institute, 2005)
42 ostraca in Brian P. Muhs, Foy D. Scalf, and Jacqueline E. Jay, The Archive of Thotsutmis, Son of Panouphis: Early Ptolemaic Ostraca from Deir el Bahari (O. Edgerton), Oriental Institute Publications 146 (Chicago: Oriental Institute, 2021)
Several dozen ostraca have been published in the articles of Ursula Kaplony-Heckel and Otto Neugebauer

The OIDOO database was developed as both a scholarly research tool and a means for the publication of the unpublished Oriental Institute Demotic ostraca. It is our aim to make available all of the Demotic ostraca in this collection, both published and unpublished, to scholars worldwide in a format that will allow for complex searching and sorting criteria as well as quick and easy updating. This will be accomplished through periodic updates as additional texts are edited and entered into the database.

The principal investigator for OIDOO is Foy Scalf, in collaboration with Brian Muhs and Jacqueline Jay. Volunteer asssistance, editorial help, and data entry has been provied by NELC graduate students Theresa Tiliakos, Ella Karev, and Rebecca Wang.

Published Texts by Catalog Number

O. Edgerton (Click to Expand/Collapse)

O. Edgerton, no. 1 = Unidentified		O. Edgerton, no. 22 = OIM E19514
O. Edgerton, no. 2 = Unidentified		O. Edgerton, no. 23 = OIM E19489
O. Edgerton, no. 3 = HMNS 13.1999.040		O. Edgerton, no. 24 = OIM E19511
O. Edgerton, no. 4 = OIM E49083		O. Edgerton, no. 25 = OIM E19508
O. Edgerton, no. 5 = OIM E19503 + OIM E19509		O. Edgerton, no. 26 = OIM E19512
O. Edgerton, no. 6 = OIM E19506		O. Edgerton, no. 27 = OIM E19480
O. Edgerton, no. 7 = OIM E49084		O. Edgerton, no. 28 = OIM E19505
O. Edgerton, no. 8 = OIM E19510 + OIM E19513		O. Edgerton, no. 29 = OIM E19500
O. Edgerton, no. 9 = OIM E19490		O. Edgerton, no. 30 = OIM E19488
O. Edgerton, no. 10 = OIM E19482		O. Edgerton, no. 31 = OIM E19492
O. Edgerton, no. 11 = OIM E19494		O. Edgerton, no. 32 = OIM E19501
O. Edgerton, no. 12 = OIM E19483		O. Edgerton, no. 33 = OIM E19507
O. Edgerton, no. 13 = OIM E19481		O. Edgerton, no. 34 = OIM E19515
O. Edgerton, no. 14 = OIM E19496		O. Edgerton, no. 35 = OIM E19486
O. Edgerton, no. 15 = OIM E19485		O. Edgerton, no. 36 = OIM E19499
O. Edgerton, no. 16 = Unidentified		O. Edgerton, no. 37 = OIM E19495
O. Edgerton, no. 17 = OIM E19498		O. Edgerton, no. 38 = Unidentified
O. Edgerton, no. 18 = OIM E19491		O. Edgerton, no. 39 = OIM E19479
O. Edgerton, no. 19 = OIM E49085		O. Edgerton, no. 40 = OIM E19487
O. Edgerton, no. 20 = OIM E19493		O. Edgerton, no. 41 = OIM E19484
O. Edgerton, no. 21 = OIM E19504		O. Edgerton, no. 42 = OIM E19497

O. Taxes 1 (Click to Expand/Collapse)

O. Taxes 1, no. 1 = OIM E19158		O. Taxes 1, no. 32 = OIM E19324
O. Taxes 1, no. 2 = OIM E19290		O. Taxes 1, no. 33 = OIM E19325
O. Taxes 1, no. 3 = OIM E19291		O. Taxes 1, no. 34 = OIM E19326
O. Taxes 1, no. 4 = OIM E19292		O. Taxes 1, no. 35 = OIM E19327
O. Taxes 1, no. 5 = OIM E19293		O. Taxes 1, no. 36 = OIM E19328
O. Taxes 1, no. 6 = OIM E19294		O. Taxes 1, no. 37 = OIM E19329
O. Taxes 1, no. 7 = OIM E19295		O. Taxes 1, no. 38 = OIM E19330
O. Taxes 1, no. 8 = OIM E19296		O. Taxes 1, no. 39 = OIM E19332
O. Taxes 1, no.9 = OIM E19297		O. Taxes 1, no. 40 = OIM E19333
O. Taxes 1, no.10 = OIM E19298		O. Taxes 1, no. 41 = OIM E19334
O. Taxes 1, no.11 = OIM E19299		O. Taxes 1, no. 42 = OIM E19335
O. Taxes 1, no. 12 = OIM E19300		O. Taxes 1, no. 43 = OIM E19336
O. Taxes 1, no. 13 = OIM E19301		O. Taxes 1, no. 44 = OIM E19337
O. Taxes 1, no. 14 = OIM E19302		O. Taxes 1, no. 45 = OIM E19338
O. Taxes 1, no. 15 = OIM E19303		O. Taxes 1, no. 46 = OIM E19339
O. Taxes 1, no. 16 = OIM E19304		O. Taxes 1, no. 47 = OIM E19340
O. Taxes 1, no. 17 = OIM E19305 + OIM E19380		O. Taxes 1, no. 48 = OIM E19341
O. Taxes 1, no. 18 = OIM E19306		O. Taxes 1, no. 49 = OIM E19342
O. Taxes 1, no. 19 = OIM E19308		O. Taxes 1, no. 50 = OIM E19343
O. Taxes 1, no. 20 = OIM E19309		O. Taxes 1, no. 51 = OIM E19344
O. Taxes 1, no. 21 = OIM E19310		O. Taxes 1, no. 52 = OIM E19345
O. Taxes 1, no. 22 = OIM E19311		O. Taxes 1, no. 53 = OIM E19347
O. Taxes 1, no. 23 = OIM E19312		O. Taxes 1, no. 54 = OIM E19348
O. Taxes 1, no. 24 = OIM E19313		O. Taxes 1, no. 55 = OIM E19349
O. Taxes 1, no. 25 = OIM E19315		O. Taxes 1, no. 56 = OIM E19350
O. Taxes 1, no. 26 = OIM E19316		O. Taxes 1, no. 57 = OIM E19351
O. Taxes 1, no. 27 = OIM E19317		O. Taxes 1, no. 58 = OIM E19352
O. Taxes 1, no. 28 = OIM E19318		O. Taxes 1, no. 59 = OIM E19353
O. Taxes 1, no. 29 = OIM E19319		O. Taxes 1, no. 60 = OIM E19382
O. Taxes 1, no. 30 = OIM E19321		O. Taxes 1, no. 61 = OIM E19383
O. Taxes 1, no. 31 = OIM E19322

O. Med. Habu (Click to Expand/Collapse)

O. Med. Habu, no. 1 = MH 528		O. Med. Habu, no. 81 = MH 2641
O. Med. Habu, no. 2 = MH 508		O. Med. Habu, no. 82 = MH 4041
O. Med. Habu, no. 3 = MH 461		O. Med. Habu, no. 83 = MH 2632
O. Med. Habu, no. 4 = MH 459		O. Med. Habu, no. 84 = MH 4053
O. Med. Habu, no. 5 = MH 460		O. Med. Habu, no. 85 = MH 837
O. Med. Habu, no. 6 = MH 1723		O. Med. Habu, no. 86 = MH 2809
O. Med. Habu, no. 7 = MH 1238		O. Med. Habu, no. 87 = MH 2880
O. Med. Habu, no. 8 = MH 2365		O. Med. Habu, no. 88 = MH 521
O. Med. Habu, no. 9 = MH 462		O. Med. Habu, no. 89 = MH 2699
O. Med. Habu, no. 10 = MH 501		O. Med. Habu, no. 90 = MH 2629
O. Med. Habu, no. 11 = MH 2932		O. Med. Habu, no. 91 = MH 4081
O. Med. Habu, no. 12 = MH 2190		O. Med. Habu, no. 92 = MH 195
O. Med. Habu, no. 13 = MH 1258		O. Med. Habu, no. 93 = MH 3674
O. Med. Habu, no. 14 = MH 1490		O. Med. Habu, no. 94 = MH 120
O. Med. Habu, no. 15 = MH 2891		O. Med. Habu, no. 95 = MH 4047
O. Med. Habu, no. 16 = MH 486		O. Med. Habu, no. 96 = MH 1719
O. Med. Habu, no. 17 = MH 4269		O. Med. Habu, no. 97 = MH 522
O. Med. Habu, no. 18 = MH 512		O. Med. Habu, no. 98 = MH 2548
O. Med. Habu, no. 19 = MH 507		O. Med. Habu, no. 99 = MH 4049
O. Med. Habu, no. 20 = MH 1926		O. Med. Habu, no. 100 = MH 4050
O. Med. Habu, no. 21 = MH 119		O. Med. Habu, no. 101 = MH2638
O. Med. Habu, no. 22 = MH 1745		O. Med. Habu, no. 102 = MH 1963
O. Med. Habu, no. 23 = MH 2617		O. Med. Habu, no. 103 = MH 4052
O. Med. Habu, no. 24 = MH 2941		O. Med. Habu, no. 104 = MH 1733
O. Med. Habu, no. 25 = MH 2631		O. Med. Habu, no. 105 = MH 2658
O. Med. Habu, no. 26 = MH 4040		O. Med. Habu, no. 106 = MH 2572
O. Med. Habu, no. 27 = MH 4516		O. Med. Habu, no. 107 = MH 4056
O. Med. Habu, no. 28 = MH 117		O. Med. Habu, no. 108 = MH 1358
O. Med. Habu, no. 29 = MH 2718		O. Med. Habu, no. 109 = MH 2645
O. Med. Habu, no. 30 = MH 2587		O. Med. Habu, no. 110 = MH 2800
O. Med. Habu, no. 31 = MH 118		O. Med. Habu, no. 111 = MH 4054
O. Med. Habu, no. 32 = MH 4061		O. Med. Habu, no. 112 = MH 4015
O. Med. Habu, no. 33 = MH 502		O. Med. Habu, no. 113 = MH 891
O. Med. Habu, no. 34 = MH 140		O. Med. Habu, no. 114 = MH 1353
O. Med. Habu, no. 35 = MH 439		O. Med. Habu, no. 115 = MH 2636
O. Med. Habu, no. 36 = MH 4082		O. Med. Habu, no. 116 = MH 1768
O. Med. Habu, no. 37 = MH 2577		O. Med. Habu, no. 117 = MH 162
O. Med. Habu, no. 38 = MH 4063		O. Med. Habu, no. 118 = MH 463
O. Med. Habu, no. 39 = MH 2654		O. Med. Habu, no. 119 = MH 478
O. Med. Habu, no. 40 = MH 2640		O. Med. Habu, no. 120 = MH 4046
O. Med. Habu, no. 41 = MH 519		O. Med. Habu, no. 121 = MH 1621
O. Med. Habu, no. 42 = MH 485		O. Med. Habu, no. 122 = MH 1480
O. Med. Habu, no. 43 = MH 143		O. Med. Habu, no. 123 = MH 493
O. Med. Habu, no. 44 = MH 3015		O. Med. Habu, no. 124 = MH 3969
O. Med. Habu, no. 45 = MH 2635		O. Med. Habu, no. 125 = MH 1769
O. Med. Habu, no. 46 = MH 1444		O. Med. Habu, no. 126 = MH 4107
O. Med. Habu, no. 47 = MH 2550		O. Med. Habu, no. 127 = MH 3967
O. Med. Habu, no. 48 = MH 1430		O. Med. Habu, no. 128 = MH 1599
O. Med. Habu, no. 49 = MH 1574		O. Med. Habu, no. 129 = MH 520
O. Med. Habu, no. 50 = MH 511		O. Med. Habu, no. 130 = MH 3701
O. Med. Habu, no. 51 = MH 4546		O. Med. Habu, no. 131 = MH 2648
O. Med. Habu, no. 52 = MH 3327		O. Med. Habu, no. 132 = MH 193
O. Med. Habu, no. 53 = MH 2870		O. Med. Habu, no. 133 = MH 4011
O. Med. Habu, no. 54 = MH 3226		O. Med. Habu, no. 134 = MH 2799
O. Med. Habu, no. 55 = MH 4048		O. Med. Habu, no. 135 = MH 2933
O. Med. Habu, no. 56 = MH 1573		O. Med. Habu, no. 136 = MH 3611
O. Med. Habu, no. 57 = MH 2196		O. Med. Habu, no. 137 = MH 4258
O. Med. Habu, no. 58 = MH 2393		O. Med. Habu, no. 138 = MH 3259
O. Med. Habu, no. 59 = MH 1129		O. Med. Habu, no. 139 = MH 497
O. Med. Habu, no. 60 = MH 919		O. Med. Habu, no. 140 = MH 904
O. Med. Habu, no. 61 = MH 152		O. Med. Habu, no. 141 = MH 51
O. Med. Habu, no. 62 = MH 1858		O. Med. Habu, no. 142 = MH 4195
O. Med. Habu, no. 63 = MH 2649		O. Med. Habu, no. 143 = MH 4494
O. Med. Habu, no. 64 = MH 1441		O. Med. Habu, no. 144 = MH 2748
O. Med. Habu, no. 65 = MH 1602		O. Med. Habu, no. 145 = MH 4359
O. Med. Habu, no. 66 = MH 2594		O. Med. Habu, no. 146 = MH 1474
O. Med. Habu, no. 67 = MH 71		O. Med. Habu, no. 147 = MH 4304
O. Med. Habu, no. 68 = MH 2683		O. Med. Habu, no. 148 = MH 3634
O. Med. Habu, no. 69 = MH 4013		O. Med. Habu, no. 149 = MH 4033
O. Med. Habu, no. 70 = MH 2655		O. Med. Habu, no. 150 = MH 44
O. Med. Habu, no. 71 = MH 2633		O. Med. Habu, no. 151 = MH 509
O. Med. Habu, no. 72 = MH 504		O. Med. Habu, no. 152 = MH 530
O. Med. Habu, no. 73 = MH 4183		O. Med. Habu, no. 153 = MH 2834
O. Med. Habu, no. 74 = MH 2515		O. Med. Habu, no. 154 = MH 537
O. Med. Habu, no. 75 = MH 2647		O. Med. Habu, no. 155 = MH 3333
O. Med. Habu, no. 76 = MH 4073		O. Med. Habu, no. 156 = MH 1456
O. Med. Habu, no. 77 = MH 2639		O. Med. Habu, no. 157 = MH 480
O. Med. Habu, no. 78 = MH 1370		O. Med. Habu, no. 158 = MH 115
O. Med. Habu, no. 79 = MH 2712		O. Med. Habu, no. 159 = MH 903
O. Med. Habu, no. 80 = MH 115		O. Med. Habu, no. 160 = MH 499

All Texts by Registration Number (Click to Expand/Collapse)

MH 71 = O. Med. Habu, no. 67

OIM E19158 = O. Taxes 1, no. 1

OIM E19290 = O. Taxes 1, no. 2

OIM E19291 = O. Taxes 1, no. 3

OIM E19292 = O. Taxes 1, no. 4

OIM E19293 = O. Taxes 1, no. 5

Updates:

2021: Added transliteraitons and translations from O. Edgerton to OI collections database. Added links to OI collections database for ostraca published in O. Edgerton and O. Taxes 1.
2019: OIDOO migrated to the OCHRE platform. Launch OIDOO here (*Use Edge or Chrome Browser as Firefox may not automatically launch Java app). OCHRE and OIDOO run on Java. We strongly recommend reading the OCHRE instructions at the linke below to ensure proper installation, setup, and use.

Instructions

Visit the OCHRE hompage to the see the manual, FAQ, and Wiki instructional.

Publications

Brian P. Muhs, Foy D. Scalf, and Jacqueline E. Jay. The Archive of Thotsutmis, son of Panouphis: Early Ptolemaic Ostraca from Deir el Bahari (O. Edgerton). Oriental Institute Publications 146. Chicago: Oriental Institute, 2021.
Foy Scalf. "An Embalmer's Bowl with Demotic Inscription (Oriental Institute Museum E9115)." In Essays for the Library of Seshat: Studies Presented to Janet H. Johnson on the Occasion of Her 70th Birthday, edited by Robert K. Ritner, pp. 311–323. Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilizations 70. Chicago: Oriental Institute, 2017.
Foy Scalf. "Resurrecting an Ibis Cult: Demotic Votive Texts from the Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago." In Mélanges offerts à Ola el-Aguizy, edited by Fayza Haikal, pp. 361–388. Bibliothèque d'Étude 164 (Cairo: IFAO, 2015), 361–388.
Foy Scalf and Jacqueline Jay. "Oriental Institute Demotic Ostraca Online (OIDOO): Merging Text Publication and Research Tools." In Acts of the Tenth International Congress of Demotic Studies, edited by Mark Depauw and Yanne Broux, pp. 243–261. Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 231. Leuven: Peeters, 2014.
Foy Scalf and Jacqueline Jay. "Accounting for Life in Ptolemaic and Roman Thebes: Online Access to Ancient Archives." Oriental Institute News & Notes 200 (Winter 2009), 13–17.

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