Digitisation and Indexing of Coptic Papyri (K-Tafeln) from the Collection of Papyri and Ostraca at the Leipzig University Library

The Papyrus and Ostraka Collection of the Leipzig University Library with its approx. 5,000 items also includes 590 Coptic ostracas and 220 Coptic papyri, which all are available in the Papyrusportal database. The most prominent Coptic papyrus is the Gospel of Mark from the 8th/9th Century.

Coptic papyrus frames, which were provisionally referred to as "K frames", have not yet been explored. They contain around 770 small and very small fragments. In a project from October 2020 to October 2022, they are initially to be differentiated according to their writing material (papyrus, parchment, paper). On the basis of the font, the thickness of the ink, the content and other features, fragments that can come from the same piece are then assigned to one another. In addition, an order according to origin and dialect (Sahid and Fajjum) is created for the fragments. The aim of the project will be the repositioning and joining of related fragments. With the reorganization of the fragments, inventory numbers will also be assigned, as is customary in papyrus collections worldwide.

All results are documented and recorded in the Papyrusportal, the digital verification instrument for papyri and ostraka. Coptology is provided with new sources for further research. At the end of the project, the papyri will be framed with borosilicate glass in the restoration workshop.

The German Research Foundation is funding the project of indexing of the papyrus fragments from the so called “K frames”.