A poet's belongings

[system1988]

http://s1246.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 5.jpg.html

The displayed items were forbidden to be photographed unless first officially published. Last year, the items were presented to a worldwide public by Greek archaeologists and historians as well as Egert Pöhlmann (Erlangen University) and Martin West (Oxford University); and thus I can send them now.

They all originate from Athens and are being currently displayed at Piraeus Museum and are dated back to 430 BC (Peloponesian War Era).
It seems that their owner died from the plague that ravaged Athens at the time. He must have been a poet and musician:

The tomb is considered to be extremely important because of the findings; three music instruments, a triangular harpe (the only of its kind to have survived to us) , a tortoise shell (lyre "resonator") and a flute. Also, pieces of papyrus (the oldest one found in Greece), four wooden tablets covered with wax (ready for to be written on), a "pencil case", a bronze pen dip, 6 knuckle- bone games, a sharpener made of iron as well as an iron saw.

On one of the wooden waxed tablets we have managed to read the following, well known Hesiodos' s excerpt «Ολβιος όν τινα Μούσαι φίλωνται» which means "The one loved from the Muses is happy". The papyrus and the tablets are also inscribed with musical notes.


Happiness and health along with all my wishes for a Happy and Fruitful New Year to all of you! Oh, and a lot of music!

Pauline

[Alexias]

Very interesting photos, thank you. Any idea what the ink would have been made from?

[agesilaos]

Soot, glue and water.

[Alexias]

Ah, thank you!

[amyntoros]

Ah, thank you!

But you didn't ask the question I would have asked! What did they make the glue from?

[system1988]

Ah, thank you!

But you didn't ask the question I would have asked! What did they make the glue from?

I think that one of the glue ingredients was resin.

I would also like to add that the presentation took place on November 14th 2012. The triangular harp artifact is unique as it was only known to us through iconography. Usually women were the ones meant to play this instrument.

[Alexias]

System1988 beat me to it! I was going to say that I know Neolithic people used resin to fix arrowheads to the shafts etc. (and maybe flight feathers) so I looked on Wikipedia and it mentions rendering animal products such as horse's teeth. No idea how the chemistry of that works, but the simplest sort of glue must be just flour and water - which we used to use as children for papier mache.

[Xenophon]

Another very interesting post, Pauline. Please keep them coming !!

Another ancient glue, apart from resin from trees and flour-and-water, was pitch ( spearheads and suchlike were usually fastened onto the shaft with pitch, which was also used in ship-building).

The most common glue is one that is still used, made from animal hooves etc rendered down by boiling - and if you are unfortunate enough to smell this stuff, you'll appreciate more modern glues !

[amyntoros]

The most common glue is one that is still used, made from animal hooves etc rendered down by boiling - and if you are unfortunate enough to smell this stuff, you'll appreciate more modern glues !

I was teasing a little when I mentioned glue because I am familar with some processes which have been used since ancient times, the above being one of them. There was a "knacker's yard" in my town (Doncaster, England) when I was growing up and when the wind was in the right (wrong!!!) direction the smell was so awful that we had to close all the windows. For all I know, it still may be there! But seriously, I'd love to know what kind of glue was specifically used in ink. It's this kind of "small" thing which fascinates me about ancient times and I do agree with you about system 1988's posts which are invaluable. Did anyone else notice the pen? When I was young - infant into junior school - we were taught "italic" writing using a pen almost identical to the one shown in the exhibit!

Best regards,

[agesilaos]

As far as I can recall animal glue has to be heated in order to flow, which would not make it suitable for ink; fire and paper/vellum/papyrus get along like a scriptorium on fire. So I presume a resin glue thinned with something volatile like vinegar. The Romans had vegetable inks using oak-gall, but I don't think the Greeks had developed this. I can confirm the stench of animal glue, my father insisted on using it, despite more modern alternatives.