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Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 48 (2011) 47-49
Apprenticeship Contract for Carpentry
Chris Eckerman University of Oregon
Abstract
Edition of P.Mich. inv. 4238, the first apprenticeship contract for car pentry.
P.Mich. inv. 4238 H x W = 10.5 x 7.5 cm Theadelpheia,
Acquired in 1925 28 August, AD 128
There is a 1 cm upper margin; the right side has no margin since the writing runs to the edge of the sheet. The left side is heavily abraded. The papyrus
breaks off at the bottom. Lacunae and abrasion show that the text was rolled
or folded into three sections (there are horizontal folds between 11. 6-7 and
15-16). The verso (1) is blank.
This lacunose contract is of particular interest since no other apprenticeship contracts for TeKtOVtKI have been published. The contract was drawn up
on the last day of the year, and the apprenticeship was to start on the following day and run for a year. If the reading in 1. 7 is correct, the master was the
nephew (age 25) of the father (age 42) of the apprentice boy. This seems so far
unique. On apprenticeship contracts on papyrus, see M. Bergamasco Aegyptus
75 (1995) 95-167, with reference to previous discussion.
- ["EToog Sto]6ex[dT] o AntoxpdTopoc
[Kai apoc Tpatavo] A~ptavoV ctFaaT[oi]
[ qvbg Katoa]pgig[u i].tayo tytov qy [v]
[O]ffat [X]<pgla TT~ g Os ig oo epiS[o(g)]
5 [tob Apa] y9i[T]ov vo o. i46rTo Atods
[ ca. 6 Wg] F-r~v TeacepdxovTa &5o
[ ca. 8 ]..... tWt - avto <|t[6]kXpt [6 ca. 5 ].... 6g tiiTv iKO yTeyt
[ ca. 10 ] dpt[[T]gp4-Tbv na[o]TO
10 [vibv ca. 5 iX]n'[p6vov] vtavvva
[[ubo T]r~g yoo[qviag]oT o E&aotTO[]
[ qvbg Tovc]ig5y [T] g TptoiKpeToo
[stoog] A~p;vov Kai apog Tov Kopiou
