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Scribal Palette

School supplies in ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– definitely look a little bit different than what my students and I use every day π“ŽŸπ“‡³! This piece is a scribal palette π“ π“ˆ–π“‰”π“†“π“ž which we’re used by scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ! Scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ held an important place in ancient Egyptian society because they were the few that were literate! While scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ are famous for their work in tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“ͺ and temples π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰π“ͺ they had other exciting responsibilities as well – such as recording taxes. Scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ were also the only profession that we’re not drafted into the army because they were that important to the functioning of Egyptian society!Β 

A scribal palette

A typical scribal palette π“ π“ˆ–π“‰”π“†“π“ž was usually in a long rectangular shape made of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺. In some cases, the palettes π“ π“ˆ–π“‰”π“‚§π“žπ“ͺ were made of ivory π“‹π“ƒ€π“…±π“ŒŸ. At one end, there were indented circles to hold the black π“†Žπ“…“ and red π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“…Ÿ ink that the scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ used to write, and the other end had a place for them to hold the reeds 𓇋𓇋𓇋/sticks that they used to write with! The jars that you see in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 are water jars π“Ž›π“ŽΏπ“‹΄π“π“Œπ“¦ that the scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ used to use to clean off their reeds 𓇋𓇋𓇋 while switching between inks while writing! 

While this particular scribal palette is π“ π“ˆ–π“‰”π“†“π“ž dated to the Second Intermediate Period – New Kingdom (c. 1635–1458 B.C.E), there are also examples at the MET from the Middle Kingdom that look extremely similar to this one! Through time, the style of the scribal palette π“ π“ˆ–π“‰”π“†“π“ž hasn’t changed at all! 

There are two 𓏻 ways to write β€œscribal palette” in hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ: π“ π“ˆ–π“‰”π“†“π“ž and π“ π“ˆ–π“‰”π“‚§π“ž! Both would have sounds like β€œmnhD” since both β€œπ“†“β€ and β€œπ“‚§β€ are phonograms with a hard β€œd” sound like in the name β€œDjoser.” 

There were also many different types of scribes π“Ÿπ“€€π“ͺ in ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, and their roles were usually designated by titles written on funerary objects π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‹΄π“π“π“Š­ such as stelae π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έπ“¦! 

π“ž – Scribe

π“Ÿπ“€€ – Scribe

π“‡“π“ž – King’s Scribe / Royal Scribe / King’s Secretary

π“žπ“Žπ“› – Scribe of Accounts 

π“žπ“ŠΉπ“‰—π“π“‰ – Scribe of the Temple

π“žπ“Ž˜π“Ž›π“²π“‹π“« – Scribe of the Offering Table

π“žπ“‰’ – Scribe of the Treasury