Working on Unprovenienced Coptic Manuscripts

Abstract

In the last few years, some researchers have expressed concerns about the publication of antiquities whose
previous owners cannot be determined—they stress the importance of both the archaeological findspot
(“provenience”) and the chain of ownership (“provenance”). The present article focuses on a specific category
of antiquities, i.e., Coptic manuscripts, and it addresses the possible implications of the 2022 “IACS Resolution
on the Ethical Handling of Cultural Heritage”. Firstly, after defining a few terms and outlining the debate, the
article presents the differences between two types of Coptic manuscripts, i.e., literary and documentary. Sec
ondly, it addresses the criteria that allow provenience to be traced back even if the exact findspot is unknown.
Thirdly, the article lists the details one can retrieve even without knowing provenience. The article ends with
suggestions on how to pursue the debate on the handling of unprovenienced objects.