Cataloging of the collection began in 1992 and was completed in ???. The library catalog records were produced according to the US MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging) format, the international standard for all automated library cataloging and specifically the Archival and Manuscript Control (AMC) format, a subset of the US MARC format. Though using this standard for ancient manuscripts subjects them to rules that were originally devised with more recent manuscripts in mind, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

The AMC format provides a clear structure for entering the data. What one puts in a record follows the widely-used Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR 2)[7] and, more particularly, Archives, Personal Papers and Manuscripts (APPM),[8] which customizes these rules for describing archives and manuscripts. This also dictates the use of standard reference tools such as the online Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF), the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)[9] and the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT),[10] and it therefore presents an opportunity to bring a measure of uniformity to cataloguing papyri.

Below is an example of a complete record[16] with the AMC tags and explains the steps taken in producing it after each line of information. 

040 NDD $e appm $c NDD

The 040 field identifies the library holding the item (NDD=Duke University Libraries), the source of the AMC format (APPM=see n. 8), and the library cataloguing the item.

046 q $b 176 $d 165

The 046 field indicates a B.C. date, in this case a range that b(egins) in 176 and (en)d(s) in 165 B.C. The date is q(uestionable) because it can be either date. Note that e.g. the second century B.C. would be "q $b 199 $d 100" and the second century A.D. "q $b 100 $d 199."

049 NDDB $d [ $v = items ] $v 1

The 049 field identifies the Special Collections Library within the Duke University Libraries system as well as the number of items described in the record (here always=1). For papyrologists it seems most useful if all the items are described separately in some detail. One could conceivably put all the papyri in one big box and describe them in one very general record, but there is no point in doing that.

099 P.Duk.inv. 314

The 099 field contains the local call number, in the case of a papyrus collection the inventory number. Because this number will only show up in the catalog of the Duke University Libraries, it is repeated in one of the 500 fields for the convenience of those who access the records in OCLC. If there are two unrelated texts on the same papyrus one has to make two records and distinguish the texts by adding (a), (b) or, if the texts are on recto and verso, R, V to the inventory number. Otherwise the information would get confused.

100 Theambesis $c (Daughter of Onnophris from Oxyrhyncha, Egypt), $d 2nd cent. B.C.

The 100 field identifies the author (=auctor intellectualis, not the scribe) of the text, in this case a woman named Theambesis. To create an "authority" for a woman from the ancient world not included in LCNAF is the documentary papyrologist's sweet revenge on those who know only of Sappho. It was not really necessary to add the c-subfield with additional information on Theambesis, because she is the only one in the database with that name. But it seemed helpful, especially in case another Theambesis shows up in another text. The d-subfield gives a broad indication of Theambesis' d(ate) rather than the exact date when she fl(ourished), either 176 or 165 B.C., which we cannot decide at present.

245 Petition, $f Year 6, Thoth 22 [176 B.C., October 27 or 165 B.C., October 24]

The 245 field gives the title of the "work" concerned (in this case a statement of the nature of the text) and an indication of the time at which it was written. The conversion of the date is given in [ ] because it is not unequivocal. For a provisional list of titles for papyrus documents see the list of titles.

300 1 $f item: $b papyrus, mounted in glass; $c 32 x 13 cm.

The 300 field gives standardized information about the physical properties of the item concerned. Dimensions are given as Height x Width. Width is left out if 0.5 Height < Width < Height.

500 Actual dimensions of item are 31.6 x 13.0 cm.

The 500 field has fewer restrictions in the way it is formulated and more detailed information about physical properties of the item can be given. Some of it could be helpful in identifying pieces of the same papyrus in other collections and it seemed best not to be too stingy with information of this sort.

500 44 lines.

Text on the verso is included in the overall line numbering of the piece.

500 Written along the fibres on the recto with the reply in a different hand; written along the fibres on the verso in different hands, each line inverse to the other with the address in large letters.
500 Upper margin of 3 cm.; lower margin of .5 cm.; left margin of 2 cm.; small right margin.
500 Extracted from mummy cartonnage with P.Duk.inv. 313 and P.Duk.inv. 315-323.
500 P.Duk.inv. 314 was formerly P.Duk.inv. MF84 2.

The temporary inventory numbers are being replaced with permanent ones.

The 510 field contains information about publication or citation of the item, but there is nothing to report in this case.

520 Papyrus petition from Theambesis, also known from P.Duk.inv. 316, wine seller and daughter of Onnophris from Oxyrhyncha in the Arsinoites (modern name: Fayyum), Egypt, to a strategos and hipparches, a high civil and army official in the region. Theambesis repeats her complaint that Heliodoros failed to repay a loan, and she asks the official again to tell Chairephanes, the epistates or local police officer, to get Heliodoros. In a postscript the official orders the police officer to get both Heliodoros and Theambesis. Dated to Thoth 22, year 6 (October 27, 176 B.C. or October 24, 165 B.C.).

The 520 field gives a brief description of the content of the text. Transliterations of ancient geographical and personal names stay as close to the original as possible. Thus one will find Ioannes, not John. Things Roman will clearly be marked as such (praefectus). In case of doubt alternatives will be entered. In the subject headings listed below it is not always possible to transliterate because of the existing rules. Arsinoites e.g. would appear there as Fayyum.

530 Item available as digitized image. Consult repository for details.

Digitized images of the papyri are made with a colour scanner. Presently 200 of these images are available online.

541 Purchased in 1984.

The 541 field indicates the source of acquisition and the date of entry in the collection.

545 Theambesis spelled her name as Thaambesis on another papyrus, P.Duk.inv. 316.

The 545 field contains biographical or historical information. Among other things it indicates how the name in the text relates to the "authority" established for it. In P.Duk.inv. 316 Theambesis' name is spelled Thaambesis. The 100 field, however, reads Theambesis as here, because that is the "authorized" form.

546 In Greek.

The 546 field indicates the language of the item.

555 Descriptive database available in repository.

The 555 field refers to the FilemakerPro database created by the undersigned with a more detailed description of the item.

600 Heliodoros $c (From Oxyrhyncha, Egypt), $d 2nd cent. B.C.
600 Chairephanes $c (Epistates from Oxyrhyncha, Egypt), $d 2nd cent. B.C.

The 600 field contains names of persons connected with the text but not its author.

650 Grievance arbitration $z Egypt $y 332-30 B.C.
650 Loans, Personal $z Egypt $z Oxyrhyncha (Extinct city) $y 332-30 B.C.
650 Loans $x Law and legislation $z Egypt $y 332-30 B.C.
650 Strategi, Greek $y 332-30 B.C.
650 Egypt $x Officials and employees $z Fayyum $y 332-30 B.C.
650 Women sales personnel $z Egypt $z Oxyrhyncha (Extinct city) $y 332-30 B.C.
650 Wine and wine making $z Egypt $z Oxyrhyncha (Extinct city) $y 332-30 B.C.
650 Police $z Egypt $z Oxyrhyncha (Extinct city) $y 332-30 B.C.
650 Complaints (Civil procedure) $z Egypt $y 332-30 B.C.

The 650 field contains the subject headings derived from the LCSH. They provide a variety of access points to the record. The addition of (Extinct city) to Oxyrhyncha is according to LCSH, which does not appear to know extinct villages. It saves us from calling Karanis a village, I guess. The broad time frame according to the y-subfield is the Ptolemaic period. The existing heading Strategi, Greek does not permit a geographical delimitation.

655 Documentary papyri $z Egypt $z Oxyrhyncha (Extinct city) $y 332-30 B.C. $2 aat.
655 Petitions $z Egypt $z Oxyrhyncha (Extinct city) $y 332-30 B.C. $2 aat.

The 655 field indicates the genre of the text. The 2-subfield indicates that the genre headings are taken from AAT (see n. 10). For a list see the list of genres. The genre headings are broader than the titles used for individual texts in the 245 field.

The 700 field contains an added entry for the (possible) author of a text. Here it has no use, but e.g. in the case of the so-called "Comoedia Dukiana" Archippus would find a place in this field.

Originally authored by Peter van Minnen and Suzanne Corr on 5/10/95
Revised 06/2004