Ostracon of the Satire des Métiers
This limestone fragment is covered in hieratic writing, the everyday version of hieroglyphs. The text is part of the Satire of Trades or Teaching of Khety, which contrasts the hardships of manual professions with the higher standard of the literate scribe. This ostracon records paragraphs 3 to 5 of this text.
When it was donated to the museum in 1867 it was not recorded where in Egypt it had been found. Recent research has proven it is from the ancient craftsmen’s village of Deir el-Medina where many ostraca like this have been discovered. Fragments of stone were a common waste product from the craft work in the village and were a good alternative writing material to wood and papyrus which were much rarer.
When it was donated to the museum in 1867 it was not recorded where in Egypt it had been found. Recent research has proven it is from the ancient craftsmen’s village of Deir el-Medina where many ostraca like this have been discovered. Fragments of stone were a common waste product from the craft work in the village and were a good alternative writing material to wood and papyrus which were much rarer.
Object Summary
- Accession Loan No.
- A432
- Category
- Antiquities
- Collection Class
- Foreign archaeology
- Collection Area Region
- North Africa
- Material
- stonelimestonepigment
- Common Name
- ostracon of the Satire des Métiers
- Simple Name
- text
- Period Classification
- New Kingdom (Dynasties 18-20) - 1650-1070 BC
