1903-04 Oxyrhynchus

Type of fieldwork: 
Excavation
Season summary: 

The excavations were sponsored by the Graeco-Roman branch and thus were concerned with recovering papyri from the Graeco-Roman period rather than objects or material from different time periods.

The excavation season last from 4th Dec 1903-25th February 1904. Excavation focused on an area to the south of the temple, first excavated in 1897 with little notable papyri being recovered, and to the north of the temple, also first excavated in 1897, which yielded 3rd and 4th century CE papyri. The excavation then went northward clearing more areas which had been excavated in 1897, and further to the northwest of the site.

The excavators note inscribed objects such as lead magic spells, wooden tablets and stamps and 70 ostraca. Finds that were recovered include statue heads, mosaic glass, coins, tolkens, dice, beads, amulets, reed pens, lamps, terracotta figurines, brushes, combs, and bronze, iron and wooden implements.

91 tin boxes of papyri were sent to Oxford. 

 

Relevant archive holdings: 
London, Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology

Archive Documents

Distribution Notes: 

The papyri that were recovered were sent to Oxford for further study.

A set of inscribed wax tablets, one of the lead magical spells, an inscribed piece of glass, ostraka were retained by the Cairo Museum. A gold bracelet, a gold diadem, and a wooden tondo of a male, a bronze vase on three legs, wooden figure of Serapis, and an inscibed clay mould were kept by the Cairo Museum. 

 

Relevant publications: 

Catalogue of Egyptian antiquities : found by Prof. Flinders Petrie at Ehnasya, Dr. Naville & Mr Hall at Deir el Bahri and Drs Grenfell & Hunt at Oxyrhynchus (Egypt Exploration Fund), Mr Loat at Gurob and drawings from tombs at Saqqara by Misses Murray, Hansard & Mothersole (Egyptian Research Account), 1904 ; exhibited at University College, London, July 4th to 30th. 1904. London.

Grenfell, Bernard P. and Arthur S. Hunt 1904. Graeco-Roman branch. Excavations at  Oxyrhynchus. Archaeological Report (Egypt Exploration Fund) (1903-1904), 14-17.

Johnson, William A. 2012. The Oxyrhynchus distributions in America: papyri and ethics. Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 49, 209-222.

Related excavations: 
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