History in Documents and a Document in History - страница 22

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. They are found chiefly in Oriental countries, especially Egypt. They are pieces of clay or scraps of pots inscribed with colors or ink. The oldest Christian ostraca, like the papyri, are Greek and date from the fifth century; next come the Coptic and Arabian ostraca. Some of the texts not yet deciphered include several Nubian ostraca in a language spoken in the old Christian negro-kingdoms in the vicinity of Aloa on the Blue Nile. In these inscriptions Greek letters are used, with some other signs. Potsherds were often used for correspondence instead of the less durable papyrus. Sometimes the recipient wrote the answer on the back of the potsherd. Ostraca were also used for mercantile purposes, as bills, receipts, etc.

2. Answer the following questions:

1) What is an ostracon?

2) What is the origin of the word ostracon?

3) How did the term ostracism appear?

4) Why was ostraca popular?

5) What other things were used for writing?

6) Why was the use of ostraca important for Egyptology?

7) What medical care did people of Deir el-Medina got?

8) What did Brian Emery uncover in the catacombs in Saqqara?

9) What document did Bryan Emery excavate at Saqqara?

10) Who was Sebennytos and what did Bryan Emery learn about him?

11) What, when and where did Yosef Garfinkel discover?

12) What inscriptions are valuable for Early Christianity?

13) What are the oldest Christian ostraca?

14) What purposes were Christian ostraca used for?

3. Find the English equivalents in the text:



4. Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right.



5. Fill in the correct word(s) from the list below. Use the phrases to make sentences.

piece, brand, limestone, unfavorable, pottery, pilgrim, flakes, scraps, literary, voting, writing, debris

1) …………………… person

2) …………………… of pottery

3) the ………………. of pottery

4) a ………………… ballot

5) a ………………… surface

6) limestone ………………

7) ……………….. shards

8) ………………. new

9) a ………………. site

10) pottery ……………….

11) ……………….. sources

12) ……………… of pots

Revision II.

Check yourself. Can you remember these words?


Module III. Political documents

Text 1. The Code of Hammurabi

1. Study the following words and phrases:



The Code of Hammurabi is one of the few existing examples of an ancient legal code. Although it is not the oldest example of a set of laws, it is one of the better known documents from the Ancient World, and many of the principles spelled out in the document appear in modern legal codes. At one time, many copies existed, but only one has survived to the modern day. For people who would like to see the Code of Hammurabi in person, it is on display at the Louvre in Paris.

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