Physical descriptions, biometrics, and eikonographia in Graeco-Roman papyri from Egypt by Ella Karev

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Karev, Ella, author.

Series:

Harvard Egyptological studies v. 24. (NEBIS)010586575EBI01

Harvard Egyptological studies 2352-7501 volume 24

Language:

English

Greek, Ancient (to 1453)

Subjects (All):

Identification--Egypt--History--To 1500.

Identification.

Manuscripts, Greek (Papyri)--Egypt.

Manuscripts, Greek (Papyri).

Egypt--Civilization--332 B.C.-638 A.D.

Egypt.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Leiden Boston Brill [2025]

Language Note:

In English; some passages in ancient Greek with English translation

Biography/History:

Ella Karev, Ph.D. (2022), University of Chicago, is a Senior Lecturer in Egyptology at Tel Aviv University. She is a social and economic historian of Egypt whose research focuses on enslavement as well as Greek, Aramaic, Coptic, and Demotic papyrology

Summary:

"In modern life, an identity document bearing a photograph is an indispensable feature. Yet this connection between physical appearance and legal identity is not as modern as it may seem. In Graeco-Roman Egypt, Greek texts also bore 'lexical photographs': standardised, detailed physical descriptions (eikones) of individuals including height, skin colour, hair texture, the shape of the nose and face, and other identifiers like body modifications and disabilities. For the first time, this book collects the nearly 4000 extant eikones and their role in society, bringing the images of real individuals to life within the everyday biometric system in which they acted, worked, and relied upon for identification"-- Provided by publisher

Contents:

Introduction

Identity verification, biometrics, and documentality

Descriptive eikones

Oulai

Impairments and disabilities

Ethnonyms, ethnicity, and race

Enslaved persons

Conclusions

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Print version record

Other Format:

Print version Karev, Ella. Physical descriptions, biometrics, and eikonographia in Graeco-Roman papyri from Egypt

ISBN:

9789004713123

9004713123

OCLC:

1460465001

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license