The Deir el-Medina Database

P. Berlin P 10497

Other nos.: -

Description: Light brown papyrus, 2 fragments: (a) 38.5 x 23.5 cm, (b) 11 x 3.5 cm (= upper right corner of recto); original measures ca. 43 x 23.5 cm, rolled up and folded three times horizontally. Black ink, recto (H/V) 23 lines, verso (V/H; larger characters and wider line spacing) 11 lines, top recto = bottom verso. Damaged; cracks, holes; large fragment missing in upper half right (recto); middle of recto 1-5 lost, beginnings of recto 6-11, 15-19 and verso 1-10 lost; writing effaced at places.

Classification: letter

Keywords: cattle - death - donkey - goat - junior - house - nursing - vegetables

Provenance: Acquired by H. Schäfer in Luxor in 1909.

Publication: Sabek, ZÄS 129 (2002), 75-84, pls. XV and XVI (photographs, transcription, transliteration, translation, commentary); G. Burkard, H. Fischer-Elfert, Aegyptische Handschriften 4 (Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland XIX, 4), Stuttgart 1994, 67-68, no. 93 (description; transcription and transliteration of recto 1 and verso 10)

Dates mentioned: -

Dates attributed: mid-Dyn. 20 - Dyn. 21 (Burkard, Fischer-Elfert); second half Dyn. 20 (Sabek)

Contents: Male person (cf. recto 18: Sri ) writes to a woman (chantress?) about the deceased wet-nurse Inry (his mother? cf. verso 10), who has raised three children in the addressee's house. The writer, once a member of the same household and herd of the addressee's cattle, has left (or has been sent away) for some reason. He now wishes to return, promising to do his best for the children.

Terminology: Incomplete: [...] m anx wDA snb Hs.w.t [...] (recto ~2#); r nty [...] (recto 12; see Remarks)

Names/Titles: an. ( mni.w ; recto 17); an. ( Sma.y.t ; f.; recto ~1#; see Remarks); Inry ( anx n niw.t ; mna.t ; f.; recto 12, 13, verso 1, 3, 8); PA-HA.t.y-a (or an. ( pA HA.t.y-a )? recto 4, 16; see Remarks); Nfr.t (f.; recto 22?); 6A-nfr.t ( anx n niw.t ; f.; verso 10)

Remarks: Terminology: Sabek, ZÄS 129 (2002), 79 (note to recto 12) reads r nty [ Hr Dd ] (sic). Names, Titles: Sabek, ZÄS 129 (2002), 77, note 31, regards Sma.y [...] (recto 1) as a masculine title; "singer", however, is commonly written Sma.w ( Wb IV, 478, 12 ff.). For PA-HA.t.y-a (proper name) or pA HA.t.y-a "the mayor" see Davies, Who's Who , 53, note 677; Sabek, ZÄS 129 (2002), 78, note 32. The writing with or without determinative is unconclusive (see the refs. given by H. Ranke, Die aegyptischen Personennamen I , Glü ckstadt , 1935 , I, xxii, 115, no. 12; II, Glückstadt - Hamburg, 1952, 354).

Record last updated 2024-05-01

	P. Berlin P 10497
Other nos.:	-

Description:	Light brown papyrus, 2 fragments: (a) 38.5 x 23.5 cm, (b) 11 x 3.5 cm (= upper right corner of recto); original measures ca. 43 x 23.5 cm, rolled up and folded three times horizontally. Black ink, recto (H/V) 23 lines, verso (V/H; larger characters and wider line spacing) 11 lines, top recto = bottom verso. Damaged; cracks, holes; large fragment missing in upper half right (recto); middle of recto 1-5 lost, beginnings of recto 6-11, 15-19 and verso 1-10 lost; writing effaced at places.
Classification:	letter
Keywords:	cattle - death - donkey - goat - junior - house - nursing - vegetables
Provenance:	Acquired by H. Schäfer in Luxor in 1909.
Publication:	Sabek, ZÄS 129 (2002), 75-84, pls. XV and XVI (photographs, transcription, transliteration, translation, commentary); G. Burkard, H. Fischer-Elfert, Aegyptische Handschriften 4 (Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland XIX, 4), Stuttgart 1994, 67-68, no. 93 (description; transcription and transliteration of recto 1 and verso 10)
Dates mentioned:	-
Dates attributed:	mid-Dyn. 20 - Dyn. 21 (Burkard, Fischer-Elfert); second half Dyn. 20 (Sabek)
Contents:	Male person (cf. recto 18: Sri ) writes to a woman (chantress?) about the deceased wet-nurse Inry (his mother? cf. verso 10), who has raised three children in the addressee's house. The writer, once a member of the same household and herd of the addressee's cattle, has left (or has been sent away) for some reason. He now wishes to return, promising to do his best for the children.
Terminology:	Incomplete: [...] m anx wDA snb Hs.w.t [...] (recto ~2#); r nty [...] (recto 12; see Remarks)
Names/Titles:	an. ( mni.w ; recto 17); an. ( Sma.y.t ; f.; recto ~1#; see Remarks); Inry ( anx n niw.t ; mna.t ; f.; recto 12, 13, verso 1, 3, 8); PA-HA.t.y-a (or an. ( pA HA.t.y-a )? recto 4, 16; see Remarks); Nfr.t (f.; recto 22?); 6A-nfr.t ( anx n niw.t ; f.; verso 10)
Remarks:	Terminology: Sabek, ZÄS 129 (2002), 79 (note to recto 12) reads r nty [ Hr Dd ] (sic). Names, Titles: Sabek, ZÄS 129 (2002), 77, note 31, regards Sma.y [...] (recto 1) as a masculine title; "singer", however, is commonly written Sma.w ( Wb IV, 478, 12 ff.). For PA-HA.t.y-a (proper name) or pA HA.t.y-a "the mayor" see Davies, Who's Who , 53, note 677; Sabek, ZÄS 129 (2002), 78, note 32. The writing with or without determinative is unconclusive (see the refs. given by H. Ranke, Die aegyptischen Personennamen I , Glü ckstadt , 1935 , I, xxii, 115, no. 12; II, Glückstadt - Hamburg, 1952, 354).