Jul 11th 2019

The cat, the mouse, and the boy: A topsy-turvy world?
Thursday, July 11, 2019, 12:15 pm–1:00 pm
Free (registration not required)
Oriental Institute Museum

The significant number of painted ostraca from Deir el-Medina, a royal workmen’s village established for the construction of royal tombs on the west bank of Thebes during the New Kingdom Period, has intrigued many scholars. They are created by the royal workmen during their leisure time, as practice pieces, quick sketches of daily life scenes, or depictions of nature. Among them is a group with images of anthropomorphized animals engaged in various and sometimes nonsensical tasks. The OI painted ostracon (OIM E13951) depicts exactly such a scene. Join Rebecca Wang, a graduate student in Egyptology, for a discussion of the symbolic meaning of the scene, its socio-cultural milieu, and what this ostracon can tell us about scribal education, leisure and daily life in this ancient community.

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