University of Cincinnati
09/01/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/01/2026 10:32
An expert pieced together this Roman document like a puzzle
An expert pieced together this Roman document like a puzzle
National media highlight UC Classics' translation of ancient Roman text
3 minute read September 1, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print Story Like
Yahoo! News and other national news outlets highlighted the efforts of a University of Cincinnati ancient Roman law expert to piece together and translate a text from tatters recovered from the deserts of Egypt after 1,600 years.
UC Assistant Professor Matthijs Wibier worked with the Penn Museum to piece together the fragments of a double-sided text for his translation.
UC Classics Assistant Professor Matthijs Wibier pieced together and translated an ancient Roman legal text from tattered fragments that survived the sun and wind of the Egyptian desert for more than 1,600 years. Photo/Penn Museum
The text called the Penn Parchment does not appear in other known books from ancient Rome. He said the text likely is from a small compilation of imperial laws from the later fourth century that was distributed for official use by tax officials or for private use by landowners or their attorneys.
"We don't have a book like this that we know of, which makes it the first of its kind," Wibier said. "I don't think it contained thousands of laws like most of the Roman codes we know. I think it was a book that traveling officials could put in their pocket."
Made from animal skin, the 50 fragments come from a collection of other Egyptian antiquities at the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The museum obtained the fragments from an antiquities dealer in Egypt in 1911.
With the help of the museum, Wibier pieced together the page like a puzzle from the seven largest fragments. Together, their uneven borders give them the appearance of an island archipelago.
These pieces add to our understanding of imperial law under two emperors, Constantius II and Julian the Apostate, who ruled between 337 and 363.
Translating even fragmentary texts is extremely valuable because precious few books from that period survive intact. Scholars must rely on damaged or partial manuscripts to recreate them. And these laws, in turn, tell scholars about daily life, society and the economy in ancient Rome, from the priorities of the government to how private conflicts were resolved.
Featured image at top: UC Classics Assistant Professor Matthijs Wibier pieced together fragments of an ancient text like a puzzle to discover the double-sided page likely was from a Roman law book. Photo/Connor Boyle/UC Marketing + Brand
More UC Classics in the news
A bust of Homer on display in UC Classics' Blegen Library. Photo/Lisa Ventre/UC
- Archaeology News: 1,600-year-old Roman law book reveals how taxes and public duties worked
- Discover Magazine: 1,600-year-old scraps turn out to be lost Roman law book
- Nautilus Magazine: An expert pieced together this roman document like a jigsaw puzzle
- Greek Reporter: 1,600 year old parchment reveals unknown Roman laws
- Ancient Origins: 1,600-year-old Roman law parchment reveals lost tax code
UC College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor Matthijs Wibier pieced together an ancient Roman legal text from tattered scraps to translate several imperial laws dating back to the fourth century. Photo/Connor Boyle/UC Marketing + Brand
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