Parthian ostraca: distribution, Function and contents

Ostraca are important written sources that were used in the Parthian period. Parthian ostraca were discovered from different parts of the Parthian empire and from the Nisa, Tureng Tepe, Nippur, Qūmis, Qaleh Zahak, Assur, Tel Tuneinir, Dura eropus, Takhchar Abad, Tel rezvan-e ramshir and other sites. These documents are written in Aramaic, Greek and Parthian languages and scripts. The author seeks to answer these questions: What was the function of ostraca in the Parthian period? What information about the Parthian period can be obtained from the ostraca texts? How was the distribution of ostraca during the long period of the Parthians? In Parthian period, ostraca have been used for economic documents (receipt and payment of goods, labeled goods and employee's salary), letters (Nisa and Nippur(, lists of personal names and school exercise (Nisa(. Parthian ostraca are particularly interesting for Scientists because these bear king's name, genealogy of early Parthian’s kings, financial and economic system (taxes, weights and products), religion (waqf, Zoroastrian calendar, temples and names of gods) and also administrative system (administrative and occupational levels). Parthian ostraca were being used in administrative, religious and military buildings, for about hundreds years of 3rd century BC to 3rd century AD. Indeed, it can be said that, the most of the documents related to first century BC and were discovered from east of Parthian empire. In the present research, the author attempt to take a step to confirm the importance of the Parthian Ostraca and review the function, distribution and the text.Keywords: Ostraca, Parthian Period, Nisa, Letter, Economic texts.