Photo: © Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky

Fragment E of P. Hamb. Gr. 184, comprising five soldiers’ receipts written in six different hands and illustrating differences in writing proficiency and ink composition.

This project investigates the material composition, production, and use of written artefacts associated with the Roman army.

Its corpus includes papyrus documents, ostraca, wooden and wax tablets, metal tablets, inscribed vessels, amulets, and related objects from military contexts across the Roman Empire. These artefacts preserve important evidence for administrative practices, scribal habits, literacy, and the everyday life of soldiers and the communities surrounding them.

Research on Roman military writing has long concentrated on textual content. The material aspects of these artefacts, by contrast, have received comparatively little attention. Recent studies have nevertheless shown that scientific analysis can provide important new information on ink composition, recycling practices, writing techniques, and the circulation of documents. Against this background, the project asks how far material choices varied according to region, period, document type, and cultural context. Particular attention is given to multilingual and multicultural documents, in which different conditions may have influenced the selection and use of writing materials.

Methodologically, the project combines imaging and analytical techniques, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), infrared reflectography (IRR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy, using the equipment of the CSMC mobile laboratory. Where sampling is possible, these analyses are complemented by methods available in the CSMC high-performance laboratory and at DESY, including X-ray diffraction, SEM-EDS, and synchrotron-based techniques. All investigations follow established protocols developed at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures and are conducted in close cooperation with the relevant research groups. A central case study is the archive of the veteran Lucius Iulius Serenus, preserved in Hamburg, including the 4.33-metre roll P. Hamb. Gr. 184, a receipt roll dated to 179 CE. The roll contains at least 44 different hands and offers an exceptional basis for investigating ink variation, erasures, corrections, and possible differences in writing practice. In addition to the inks, the papyrus sheets themselves are examined in order to better understand the material production of military documents. The project further extends to selected papyri and other artefacts from Roman military contexts. In parallel, the project addresses other forms of writing in Roman military environments, including ostraca, tablets, inscriptions on vessels, and amulets. The comparative approach is intended to develop a broader dataset across artefact types, regions, and periods. In this way, the project contributes to a better understanding of material production, written communication, and the role of writing in Roman military life.

People

Project Lead:

• Olivier Bonnerot

Duration

• 2026–2028