LIST
I. Background & Physical Properties
II. Contents
III. Information on Publications
III. System & Image Metadata
IV. Information on Cataloging
DESCRIPTION
I. Background & Physical Properties
Inv. No., Section/Side, Publ./Side
Gives in a uniform manner the collection name and inventory number.
In addition to the P. Mich., other papyri are now housed in Ann Arbor and are still to be distinguished through their (former) collection name, such as the Cornell papyri (ca. 200 pieces), Amherst, Fayum or papyri that came to the possession of the collection under different inventory entries, such as the papyri earmarked as addenda from the redistribution of papyri by the British Musem, or those that belonged once to the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. For instance: P.Mich.inv. 1234; O.Mich.inv. 33; P.Corn.inv. II 11.
If more than one unrelated fragments were given a same inventory number (as it is often the case in the Michigan collection), different records are created for the different fragments, which are distinguished by the letters a, b, c, etc. being added in the Section/Side field. If a single sheet of papyrus bears two different texts on the front and on the back, these are marked with the standard abbreviations R(ecto) and V(erso). (according to usual nomenclature) in the same Section/Side field; moreover, the Publ./Side field gives information on the publication status of both sides - whether they are published together, or separately, or whether one side (typically Verso) is left unpublished.
Processing Number
Unique serial number for the record. Automatically generated by the database to ensure it is unique. Used for accurate linking to the record online, etc.
Library
Gives the place where the papyrus is actually housed - Ann Arbor or Cairo for the P. Mich., Ann Arbor for some other collections (P. Cornell, P. Amherst, ...).
Location
Gives the exact location of the papyrus in the collection (shelf, locker), for easy retrieval. This field is not for public use.
Connections
Identifies whether the Michigan papyrus is connected with another known papyrus, either within our collection or in collections worldwide. This gives important information to study the story of the collections (time of purchase, composition, ...), which can help in placing the single papyri into context.
Material
Identifies the writing surface. In addition to papyri, the Michigan collection has had in its possession several thousands of ostraca (most of them returned to Cairo by now, but still a few remaining at Ann Arbor), as well as wooden tablets, wax tablets, lead tablets, and parchments. Because of the diversity of the collection, such a field becomes a necessity. The following standard abbreviations are used:
Ost(racon), Pap(yrus), Wood(en tablet), WT (Wax tablet), Lead (Tablet), Par(chment)
Items
Identifies the number of separate fragments that fall under this inventory number (as subdivided in the Section/Side field: if the Items field has 2 for P.Mich. Inv. Nr. 214 a, this means there are 2 related fragments recorded as Inv. Nr. 214 a, but also additional fragments, numbered b, c, ..., which were recorded under the same Inv. Nr. 214).
Extend Genre*
A calculated field generated automatically based on values in the Material, Items and Size fields. Used primarily for display in the APIS central database at Columbia University.
Size
Gives the dimensions of the papyrus (in the order W[idth] x H[eight]).
Lines
Gives the number of lines of the papyrus, with distinction between recto and verso and eventually between columns.
Mounted
Shows whether or not the papyrus (or other material) is under a glass mount.
Negative
Shows whether a negative of the text is available in Ann Arbor.
Negative in Copenhagen
A provisional field, added to show whether a negative of a papyrus returned to Cairo is available from the International Photographic Archive in Copenhagen.
Conservation status
Gives information on the conservation of the papyrus (damage, fragments, ...; origin if papyrus extracted from mummy cartonage or reused from a roll). In the case of published papyri, this is mainly taken from the edition.
Notes on preservation
Gives in-house technical observations on the features of the papyrus which have hampered the imaging process or the measures that were taken to prepare the piece for imaging.
Physical properties
Gives some information on any physical characteristic of the papyrus (margins, creases, overlap of sheets [kollesis], ...). In the case of published papyri, this is mainly taken from the edition.
Palaeographic Description
Gives information on the writing and the arrangement of the text: type of script (cursive, semi-cursive, calligraphic), script direction compared to fiber direction, number of texts (1, 2, palimpsest?), columns and column numbers, number of hands, including subscriptions and endorsements. In the case of published papyri, this is mainly taken from the edition.
Due to lack of an uniform language to describe this aspect of papyri, searches with key-words in this field could be of less value. A list of standard vocabulary should be developed in the next months.
Publication status
Shows whether the papyrus is published, assigned, described or unpublished.
For Acquisition field (which we wanted to be kept with the related Provenance field), see below, under II.
II. Contents
Date
Describes in modern equivalents the date on which the text was composed. (Note: Egyptian or other month names are available in the translation of the text).
Date1*, Date2*
Together values from these fields represent the text's date range in strictly numeric form. Introduced for use with the APIS central database, but clearly has potential for broader use. Example: If Date is "IInd century B.C." Then Date1 is "-199" and Date2 is "-100"
Origin
Identifies the place where the papyrus was composed (not found), as far as this information is provided by the text itself and its context. The information should follow the order: village or city (ancient name of the site), smaller administrative unit (meris, toparchy), larger administrative unit (nomos), province (which always is Egypt). - Geographic names are given in transliteration, according to the Greek orthography prevailing in A. Calderini - S. Daris, Dizionario dei nomi geografici e topografici dell’Egitto greco-romano (Milano, 1935-): thus, for instance, Arsinoiton polis, not Arsinoe. See transliteration rules for place and person names.
Provenance
Identifies the place where the text was found (not composed). The information follows the same order and the same orthographic conventions as the Origin field does. See transliteration rules for place and person names.
Acquisition
Identifies the means through which the papyrus was acquired, as well as the year in which this happened: if purchased, the name of dealers and donors (if available) are given. For the many texts coming from the University of Michigan excavations at Karanis between 1924 and 1936, the excavation locus, which can be very useful tool for those who research the actual findspot of the papyri and the vicinity, is entered here (see also databases of materials at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology).
An entry in the field may look thus:
Nahman, 1925 or 26-B17-A/A(2)
The latter indicates that the papyrus was excavated in 1926 and then the label gives the exact findspot in the order: construction (B), room (17), layer (A), number of object in the inventory (A(2)).
Language
The language(s) in which the document has been composed: Arabic, Aramaic, Coptic (with different dialects), Demotic, Greek, Latin, Hieratic, Hieroglyphic.
Language Code*
A calculated (automatically generated) field that converts values in the Language field to codes. The codes are used in the APIS central database at Columbia University.
Genre
Indicates whether the text is literary or documentary
Author
In the cases of literature or subliterature, this field contains the name of the author (if known) in standard orthography, e.g. Euripides, Sophocles (Standard spellings of names can be found in the TLG Canon). - In the case of documents, the name of the intellectual author, not the one of the scribe, is entered here. So for instance if a loan is made by X and is addressed to Y, then X will be entered in this field. See transliteration rules for place and person names.
Type of Text/Title of Work
Follows a standard vocabulary of descriptions, starting from general divisions and going to more specific: private, public, business, contract, loan, letter, receipt, contract, agreement, prefectorial decree, official correspondence, petition, receipts, tax list, etc.
Title Statement
An auto-generated field that combines the Type of Text/Title field with the Date field for display purposes. If the Type of Text/Title field is empty, the INV. No. field is used. This field primarily serves the APIS central database.
Content
Gives a brief description, or a more extensive summary, of the story that the texts gives to us. - For published papyri, a direct link to the electronic publication will be provided where available.
Subject headings
(Subjective) list of the subjects to which the papyrus is related: for instance, Agriculture, Army, Taxation, Woman, ...
Persons
List of all the persons named in the papyrus. Titles of these persons are also given here in transliteration (while they are given in translation in the Translation field, allowing users to make search on both forms of the titles). See transliteration rules for place and person names.
Geographica
List of all geographical names or expressions appearing in the papyrus. See transliteration rules for place and person names.
Translation
Gives, when possible, a translation of the text, usually taken from the latest publication, but adapted to the corrections suggested after it.
III. Information on Publications
First editor Series and vol. Year Pages or number [with link to the text of P.Mich when available] Photo
This group of fields identifies the first edition of a text (including for papyri that have been discussed in conferences or other works, but not fully published - then, see Notes field). In the Series and vol. field, the standard papyrological abbreviations are used (e.g. P.Mich. XIII 661). - These fields are presented in a way coherent to the needs of the MARC-format.
Preferred Citation*
Automatically generated based on values in the other First Publication fields for the purposes of display.
SB
Gives concordance between the preceding first publication and the Sammelbuch griechischer Urkunden aus Aegypten.
Corrections
Shows reference to the corrections to the edition, as recorded by the Berichtigungsliste (with the lines of the papyrus which are actually corrected); gives also some new corrections.
Republ editor Republ series Republ year Republ page/no [with link to the text of P.Mich when available] Republ photo
This group of fields gives bibliographic reference for a Michigan papyrus that is re-edited. - These fields are presented in a way coherent to the needs of the MARC-format.
Republication Citation*
Automatically generated based on values in the other republication fields for the purposes of display.
Republ SB
Gives concordance between the preceding re-publication and the Sammelbuch griechischer Urkunden aus Aegypten.
Republ Corrections
Shows reference to the corrections to the re-edition, as recorded by the Berichtigungsliste (with the lines of the papyrus which are actually corrected); gives also some new corrections.
Further republications
Gives bibliographic reference for a Michigan papyrus that is re-edited for the second time at least. - This field is presented in a way coherent to the needs of the MARC-format.
Further republication: corrections
Shows reference to the corrections of further editions, as recorded by the Berichtigungsliste (with the lines of the papyrus which are actually corrected); gives also some new corrections.
Further republication: SB
Gives concordance between the further editions and the Sammelbuch griechischer Urkunden aus Aegypten.
Further Replication Note*
Automatically generated based on other further republication fields. Used primarily for display in the APIS central database.
Bibliography
Gives a (as complete as possible) bibliography for the papyrus, except the editions and reeditions.
Assignments Assignment date Research status
These fields contain information about the scholar to whom editorial rights of the papyrus have been given, as well as information about scholars that have previously worked but have given up their rights.
These fields are not for public use.
Electronic Editor Electronic publication: date Revision history
These fields show who (and when) made the information about an unpublished papyrus available in this database.
Notes
Includes any other possibly useful information.
IV. System & Image Metadata
Most of the following fields are self-describing.
Image source
Shows what was scanned: either the original, or a reproduction (photograph, slide, negative).
Image arrangement
In order to facilitate viewing the images, especially in the case of larger images which are broken up into multiple 600 dpi patches, this field indicates the pattern of break up, for instance a b c or a c
b d
Extent of the image (kylobites)
Full Size Front R1-R2
A repeating field for holding recto full-size image filename values.
Full Size Back R1-R2
A repeating field for holding verso full-size image filename values.
600 DPI Front R1-R8
A set of repeating fields that together represent a matrix. Used for holding 600 DPI image filenames. Recto.
600 DPI Back R1-R8
A set of repeating fields that together represent a matrix. Used for holding 600 DPI image filenames. Verso.
Availability/System requirements
Scanning Medium
Gives information on the scanner used.
Time to scan
Scanner initials
Indicates the name of the person who scanned the text.
Creation of image
Gives information on the office in charge of creating the image (Collaboratory for the Humanities).
Institution
Gives information on the institution sponsoring the imaging and the source of the grant providing financial support for the project.
Date scanned
IV. Information on Cataloging
Cataloger initials
Date Cataloged
Check
Provisional, in-house field, aimed to allow catalogers to know easily what has been checked and what is still to be checked.
Date Created
This field is populated automatically with the date the record is created.
Date Modified
This field is populated automatically with the lsat date the record is modified.
DDBDP Perseus Linking
Perseus URL
Data for the Perseus URL field are auto-generated from DDBDP citations in the PerseusURL.fp5 file. This data is stored in a separate file, but linked in to the main file. It is kept separate because of the potentially transient nature of the citations (e.g., if the Duke Database moves out of the Perseus System, the citations will no longer be of use.) This is the primary link to translations in the Duke Databank. The Perseus URL field is currently the only field used in Michigan's public access system for linking to the Duke Databank.
DDBDP_P, DDBDP_O*
These two fields represent manually entered Duke Databank citations. These fields primarily serve the APIS central database.
DDBDP_P*, DDBDP_O*, DDBDP_P_REP*, DDBDP_O_REP*, DDBDP_P_FUR*, DDBDP_O_FUR*
Currently these fields represent an automated attempt at creating additional links to the Duke Data Bank for republished items. These fields primarily serve the APIS central database.
* field was added in 2002 primarily for use in the APIS central database.
Transliteration rules for place and personal names:
*Latin names are given in Latin*
Note
Restricted fields do not appear on the WWW. The fields that appear there are only those needed for research. All other fields are available locally in "staff" mode.