Medium, Procedures and Conventions
A Framework for Analyzing the Materiality of Documents on Papyrus
Abstract
This essay aims to expand the understanding of the materiality of ancient documents on papyrus by analysing the impact that medium, procedures, and conventions had on the production of written artifacts. Building upon Bateman’s production constraints – canvas, production technology, and consumption milieu – this study offers a dynamic investigation of the material and visual aspects of administrative documents from the Roman period. Relying on systematic data collection, this analysis will show how seemingly insignificant material and layout features can reveal crucial aspects of the dynamics of production and use of ancient documents, enriching our understanding of past societies and their writing technology.
Submitted: May 21, 2024 | Accepted: Jan. 13, 2024 | Published April 24, 2025 | Language: en
Keywords Writing technology • Materiality • Administrative papyri • Height • Documentary roll
Copyright © 2025 Serena Causo. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
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