AJA Open Access

January 2021 (125.1)

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Excavating and Conserving Europe’s Oldest Books: A Papyrus from Mangalia on the Black Sea (P. Callatis 1)

By Richard Janko, Sorin M. Colesniuc, Mihai Ionescu and Ion Pâslaru

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Unless otherwise noted in the caption, images are by the author. Images are not edited by the AJA to the same level as those in the published article.

Fig. 1. Derveni papyrus, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, lines 1–14 of fr. B12 of column 62, showing theta with diagonal crossbar in line 3. Ht. of letters 2.2–2.5 mm (infrared photograph by G.A. Ware, using Principal Component Analysis for Brigham Young University Ancient Textual Imaging, 2006; courtesy Photographic Archive, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki; © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports—Fund for Archaeological Revenues).

Fig. 2. Detail of Derveni papyrus, lines 12–14 of fr. B12 of column 62. Ht. of letters 2.2–2.5 mm. The lacuna in the top row is an unfortunate result of the photographing process; the τ there is visible in the original (digital microphotographs by R. Janko, montage by G. Ryan; courtesy Photographic Archive, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki; © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports—Fund for Archaeological Revenues).

Fig. 3. Fragments of Vergina papyrus 1 from Tomb II. Archaeological Museum of Vergina. Ht. of Σ 3 mm (R. Janko; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Vergina; © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports—Fund for Archaeological Revenues).

Fig. 4. Menu for 14 April 1912, recovered from the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic and conserved with parylene. Private collection (© Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd).

Fig. 5. Cover slabs of the Tomb of the Papyrus, Callatis, as found. Length of slabs ca. 2.8 m (D. Pippidi in Colesniuc 2013, 12).

Fig. 6. Cist of the Tomb of the Papyrus, Callatis, as found. Length of interior of cist 2.05 m (C. Preda in Colesniuc 2013, 13).

Fig. 7. Michail Alexandrovich Alexandrovsky, left (V. Kruglikov, in Minayev 1968).

Fig. 8. The Tomb of the Papyrus as incorporated into the Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia (S. Colesniuc).

Fig. 9. Callatis papyrus Box 2 (M. Ionescu; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 10. Callatis papyrus Box 3 (M. Ionescu; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 11. Callatis papyrus fr. 3 recto in ordinary light; compare print fig. 14, fr. 3 recto under infrared light. Ht. of fragment 4.8 cm (M. Ionescu; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 12. Callatis papyrus fr. 25 verso, showing multiple lines of writing superimposed from different layers (montage of infrared microphotographs by R. Janko, reversed by digital processing; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 13. Callatis papyrus fr. 30 verso, with writing in mirror image reversed by digital processing (montage of infrared microphotographs by R. Janko; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 14. Callatis papyrus fr. 3 verso, showing upper margin and writing reversed by digital processing (infrared microphotograph by R. Janko; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 1. Derveni papyrus, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, lines 1–14 of fr. B12 of column 62, showing theta with diagonal crossbar in line 3. Ht. of letters 2.2–2.5 mm (infrared photograph by G.A. Ware, using Principal Component Analysis for Brigham Young University Ancient Textual Imaging, 2006; courtesy Photographic Archive, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki; © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports—Fund for Archaeological Revenues).

Fig. 2. Detail of Derveni papyrus, lines 12–14 of fr. B12 of column 62. Ht. of letters 2.2–2.5 mm. The lacuna in the top row is an unfortunate result of the photographing process; the τ there is visible in the original (digital microphotographs by R. Janko, montage by G. Ryan; courtesy Photographic Archive, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki; © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports—Fund for Archaeological Revenues).

Fig. 3. Fragments of Vergina papyrus 1 from Tomb II. Archaeological Museum of Vergina. Ht. of Σ 3 mm (R. Janko; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Vergina; © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports—Fund for Archaeological Revenues).

Fig. 4. Menu for 14 April 1912, recovered from the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic and conserved with parylene. Private collection (© Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd).

Fig. 5. Cover slabs of the Tomb of the Papyrus, Callatis, as found. Length of slabs ca. 2.8 m (D. Pippidi in Colesniuc 2013, 12).

Fig. 6. Cist of the Tomb of the Papyrus, Callatis, as found. Length of interior of cist 2.05 m (C. Preda in Colesniuc 2013, 13).

Fig. 7. Michail Alexandrovich Alexandrovsky, left (V. Kruglikov, in Minayev 1968).

Fig. 8. The Tomb of the Papyrus as incorporated into the Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia (S. Colesniuc).

Fig. 9. Callatis papyrus Box 2 (M. Ionescu; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 10. Callatis papyrus Box 3 (M. Ionescu; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 11. Callatis papyrus fr. 3 recto in ordinary light; compare print fig. 14, fr. 3 recto under infrared light. Ht. of fragment 4.8 cm (M. Ionescu; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 12. Callatis papyrus fr. 25 verso, showing multiple lines of writing superimposed from different layers (montage of infrared microphotographs by R. Janko, reversed by digital processing; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 13. Callatis papyrus fr. 30 verso, with writing in mirror image reversed by digital processing (montage of infrared microphotographs by R. Janko; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).

Fig. 14. Callatis papyrus fr. 3 verso, showing upper margin and writing reversed by digital processing (infrared microphotograph by R. Janko; courtesy Archaeological Museum of Callatis, Mangalia).