From Trace to Text: Highlights from the U-M Papyrus Collection September 22, 2010

This exhibit provides a behind-the-scenes look at the work of papyrologists: how they conserve scraps of often badly damaged papyri, decipher traces of ink, read and translate the resulting text, edit and interpret its contents, and make this available to both scholars and the general public. Modern technology, such as digitization and multi-spectral imaging, is aiding papyrologists in all of these efforts.

Texts on display are some of the highlights of the collection. They include a wonderful drawing of an elephant, a letter from a newly enlisted soldier to his mother, and, of course, some pages of the oldest manuscript with letters of St. Paul (one of the most famous texts of the collection).

In its 90-year history, the University of Michigan Papyrus Collection has trained more students and scholars in the field of papyrology than any other institution in North America. Founded by the visionary Francis W. Kelsey, the Papyrus Collection has been the training ground for papyrologists from around the world and home to many great resident scholars, such as Herbert and Louise Youtie, Ludwig Koenen, and Traianos Gagos, who died on April 26, 2010.

Papyrology is the field of scholarship that deciphers and studies the texts written —primarily on papyrus— by people living in the ancient Mediterranean world between 2,500 BCE and 1,000 CE. Most of these texts are found in Egypt where the climate is dry enough to preserve this fragile material. It is a highly specialized and technical field, requiring intensive training in language (Egyptian, ancient Greek, Latin, Arabic), history, and the unique set of skills necessary for reading original documents.

This Exhibit is in Honor of Traianos Gagos (1960-2010)

The exhibit is open during Audubon Room hours: Sun 1-7pm, Mon-Fri 8:30am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm.

Free and open to the public.