Papyrology
/ˌpæp.ɪˈrɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The study of ancient texts written on papyrus.
Did you know?Papyrology emerged as a modern scholarly field in the 19th century after massive caches of papyrus documents were unearthed in Egypt, turning trash heaps and tombs into archives of everyday ancient life.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
πάπυρος (papyros)
“Papyrus reed; also the writing material made from it”
Late Latin
Latin
papyrus
“Papyrus; papyrus sheet or document”
19th Century
English
papyrology
“The academic study of papyrus texts and documents”
Modern English
English
papyrology
“The study of ancient texts written on papyrus”