A synthetic study of 'scribal' Greek mathematical papyri from Egypt, (2nd c. BC - 6th c. AD) with a focus on contextualisation and cross-cultural infl

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Current plans involve the re-editing of some texts, and comparison with both documentary material (in Greek) from Egypt and examples of 'academic' Greek mathematics, as well as mathematics in Egyptian and other Near-Eastern languages. There is an intrinsic interest in any topic which does not focus on the 'heroes' of the history of science, because these figures were by definition abnormal and unrepresentative of the majority for any given subject and period. A study of this material with proper contextualization will re-examine the sharp distinctions between 'academic' and 'scribal'. It will investigate what 'Greek' and 'Egyptian' really mean beyond simply the level of the languages, insofar as different epistemological styles have often been linked to 'cultural identities'. And along the way it will have important implications for our understanding of mathematical practices, education and administration in Egypt in the Graeco-Roman period and beyond.