University of Michigan Papyrus Collection

University Of Michigan Papyrus Collection

The Papyrology Collection of the University of Michigan Library is an internationally respected collection of ancient papyrus and a center for research on ancient culture, language, and history. With over 7,000 items and more than 10,000 individual fragments, the Collection is by far the largest collection of papyrus in the country, and offers a glimpse into the everyday life and language of the ancient world. Of keen interest to historians, linguists, classicists, philosophers, archaeologists, as well as others, the collection includes biblical fragments, religious writings, public and private documents, private letters, and writings on astronomy, astrology, mathematics, and magic. The papyri span nearly two millennia of history, dating from about 1000 BC to AD 1000, with the majority dating from the third century BC to the seventh century AD.

Many of the papyri in U-M's collection were written by Greek-speaking people living in Egypt. Their use of common Greek, known as koine, is instructive as to how the ancient dialects gave way to a more standardized language. Although most examples of papyrus originate from Egypt, papyrologists generally study documents which are written in Greek—the official language of the government from the time of Alexander the Great until the Muslim conquest of Egypt.