B5235 - Laboratory of Papyrology (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the workshop, students will be familiar with the methodological and practical problems of using sources on papyrus, tablets, ostraca and other similar materials, their different media, their classification and conservation; they will be familiar with the techniques of heuristics, edition and analysis of sources from a textual and material point of view, and will be able to carry out comparative analyses of different types of documents; they will be able to use and apply the tools, including digital ones, of bibliographical research and the compilation of collections and corpora, and will be aware of the implications of digital research infrastructures. They will be able to organise and collect complex information in a coherent way. They have digital skills, they are able to process, catalogue and exploit sources, metadata and the results of scientific research relevant to the disciplines studied, in accordance with the principles of open science, and to promote historical memory, taking into account the specificities of the various means of communication, dissemination and teaching. They will be able to update their knowledge and research methods through opportunities for comparison and learning according to their abilities and inclinations and through the tools developed by the scientific community, using analogue and digital resources and independently consulting historiographical texts in original languages other than Italian.

Course contents

The seminar introduces the fundamental methods and knowledge required to draft an edition of Greek texts on papyrus and other materials.

A solid knowledge of Ancient Greek is required for participation.

Unpublished papyri of various genres, textual types, and historical periods will be deciphered, transcribed, and contextualized. Additionally, selected published papyrus texts presenting textual challenges or potential connections to other fragments will be reexamined.

Special attention will be given to the study of the papyrological collection of the Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna (BUB).

Due to its practical nature, the course requires regular attendance.

Readings/Bibliography

• H. C. Youtie, The Papyrologist: Artificer of Fact, GRBS 4, 1963, 19–32 = Scriptiunculae I, Amsterdam 1973, pp. 9–23.
• E. G. Turner, The Papyrologist at Work, Durham, N.C. 1973.
• R. S. Bagnall (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2009, pp. 3–58; 216–255; 358–394.

Additional bibliographical material and images will be uploaded to VIRTUALE by the instructor.

Teaching methods

The course is conducted in seminar format and includes individual and group exercises, hands-on activities, library research and computer-based work.

Assessment methods

Each student will be assigned a papyrus to study from various perspectives (philological, linguistic, historical, etc.), in alignment with their research interests.

Assessment will be based on both an oral presentation and a written report. Evaluation criteria include the independence of the work, methodological rigor, command of content and current scholarship, and the ability to express ideas clearly and precisely.

Teaching tools

Online databases, digital images and bibliographical instruments, and direct (autoptic) examination of original papyri.

Students with learning disorders or disabilities are encouraged to contact the relevant university office responsible as soon as possible:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students .

The professor will evaluate the appropriateness of the proposed adjustments in light of the course objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Fabian Lothar Walter Reiter