A Nastro Inscriptions from Roman Catacombs

!‘A nastro’ inscriptions from Roman Catacombs

(in progress)

The project’s aim is an online edition (using the Epidoc standard) of the corpus of ‘a nastro’ (ribbon) inscriptions from the Roman Catacombs, prepared by the Dipartimento di Studi classici e cristiani (University of Bari), under the stewardship of Antonio Felle and Anita Rocco. ‘A nastro’ inscriptions are epitaphs drawn with a pointed tool in the fresh mortar spread all around the perimeter of the loculi’s closures, and between elements (tiles, stone slabs) that are part of it. Such inscriptions -- like papyri and graffiti -- are particularly precious as they provide rare evidence for writing features and their spread in Late Antiquity. The corpus will include inscriptions already published in Inscriptiones Christianae Vrbis Romae, Nova Series and now in the Epigraphic Database Bari, and particularly unpublished ones. Whenever possible, photos and/or apographs will be included.