papyrology
PAY-pee-OL-uh-jee
Definition
The academic study of ancient papyrus documents, particularly those found in archaeological contexts like the Herculaneum library.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek word 'papyros' (the plant used to make writing material) and the suffix '-logia' (study of). The term emerged in the late 19th century to describe the discipline of deciphering and analyzing ancient documents written on papyrus.
In the news
The article highlights the collaborative role of the papyrologist Federica Nicolardi, whose expertise was essential for interpreting the ancient Greek text recovered from the fragile, carbonised scrolls.
Eighteenth-century scholars destroyed hundreds of Herculaneum scrolls trying to prise them open, because the eruption that buried the library had carbonised the papyrus shut — and in June a crowdsourced team that started as amateur contestants read an e
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com