Largest collection of ancient Egyptian ‘notebooks’ discovered

CAIRO – 8 February 2022:  Archaeologists have discovered the largest collection of ancient Egyptian "notebooks" that have been found since the beginning of the 20th century in the city of Athribis, in central Egypt.

Researchers have cataloged more than 18,000 inscribed pottery, and some of these inscriptions appear to have been written by students.

Fragments of inked pottery are known as "ostraca." These remains of broken jars and other vessels were used in ancient Egypt on a daily basis as they were much cheaper and more accessible than papyrus. 

Part of the discovery - social media

The pottery fragments were often used to detail shopping lists, record deals, copy literature, and teach students how to write and draw, according to the Science Alert website.

In fact, a large number of the notebooks found at the archaeological site of Athribis appear to be the remnants  of an old school.

Over a hundred Athribis writing methods are revealed in repeated writing exercises, with the same letters being written over and over, front and back.

Most of the notes were written in the Demotic language, which was an administrative text used during the reign of Ptolemy XII (known today as Cleopatra's father), who ruled from 81 to 59 BC and again later from 55 to 51 BC.