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Nevine al-Aref – Ahram Online
“A German-Egyptian mission at Al-Sheikh Hamad archaeological site in Tel Atribis, Sohag has unearthed a collection of 13,000 ostraca, clay vessel fragments, bearing engraved text in demotic, hieratic, Coptic, Greek and Arabic”, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Wednesday.
“This is a very important discovery because it sheds light on the economy and trade in Atribis throughout history. The text reveals financial transactions of the area’s inhabitants, who bought and sold provisions, including wheat and bread”, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Christian Latis, head of the German mission, explained; “archaeologists are now studying the ostraca to learn more about the activities of the area’s past inhabitants”.
Latis suggests that the text written on the ostraca indicates that the area may have housed a language school for teaching demotic, hieratic, hieroglyphic, and Greek writing.
“The mission uncovered a collection of ostraca, which date back to the Roman or Byzantine eras”, Mohamed Abdel-Badie, head of the central department for Upper Egypt, revealed.
Atribis was one of the ancient towns of the nine nomes of ancient Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile southwest of Sohag city.
