On 5 February 2026, the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens hosted a lecture by Prof. Agnieszka Wojciechowska (University of Wrocław) entitled Writing Culture and Epigraphic Culture in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt. The talk examined written practices in Egypt from the fourth century BCE to Late Antiquity, focusing on papyri, ostraca, inscriptions, and other written media.
The presentation centered on three case studies: Alexandria, the Fayum, and Thebes. These regions revealed contrasting patterns of writing shaped by local conditions, with Alexandria reflecting a Greek urban context, the Fayum standing out for the scale of documentary production, and Thebes showing the continued importance of ostraca and Egyptian scripts. The data highlighted long-term shifts in language use and documentary habits.
In conclusion, the lecture attracted a wide audience, both online and at the headquarters of the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens. It was followed by a lively discussion focusing on regional diversity, language use, methodological challenges, and the visual aspects of inscribed material objects in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt.
