An ostracon (plural ostraca) is a piece of broken rubble, stone, or pottery that has been repurposed as a writing or drawing surface. These waste fragments were typically used by scribes and artists for recording small notes, messages, or preliminary drawings which would not be worth the use of expensive dedicated writing materials (e.g. paper, parchment, or vellum).

The word comes from the Ancient Greek ὄστρακον ("ostrakon"), meaning a pottery sherd. However, ostraca can also be pieces of broken masonry (often limestone due to its brittle nature, common around tombs and construction sites), stone, or any other solid piece of debris.

Using this tag

• This tag should not be used for hard surfaces that were intended for writing, like fired clay tablets, which have subsequently shattered.
• This tag should not be used for broken pottery which has not been repurposed for writing - use the sherd tag instead.

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