Egyptian Mathematics - Sources

Sources

Our understanding of ancient Egyptian mathematics has been impeded by the reported paucity of available sources. The sources we do have include the following texts generally dated to the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period:

  • The Moscow Mathematical Papyrus
  • The Egyptian Mathematical Leather Roll
  • The Lahun Mathematical Papyri
  • The Berlin papyrus was written around 1300 BC
  • The Akhmim Wooden Tablet.
  • The Reisner Papyrus dates to the early Twelfth dynasty of Egypt and was found in Nag el-Deir, the ancient town of This.
  • The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus (RMP) dates from the Second Intermediate Period (circa 1650 BC), but its author, Ahmes, identifies it as a copy of a now lost Middle Kingdom papyrus. The RMP is the largest mathematical text.

From the New Kingdom we have a handful of mathematical texts and inscription related to computations:

  • The Papyrus Anastasi I is a literary text from the New Kingdom. It is written as a (fictional) letter written by a scribe named Hori and addressed to a scribe named Amenemope. A segment of the letter describes several mathematical problems.
  • Ostracon Senmut 153 is a text written in hieratic.
  • Ostracon Turin 57170 is a text written in hieratic.
  • Ostraca from Deir el-Medina contain computations. Ostracon IFAO 1206 for instance shows the calculations of volumes, presumably related to the quarrying of a tomb.

Read more about this topic:  Egyptian Mathematics

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