Papyrology is the study of texts preserved on papyrus, mostly from Egypt. Papyrus is the ancient form of paper, used by the Greeks and Romans for the writing of books and documents. Papyri do not normally survive on the archaeological sites of Greece and Italy, because the ground is too wet. Systematic excavation for papyri began in the 1890s, and the finds proved revolutionary not only for the study of Hellenistic and Roman history, but also for the study of Classical and Hellenistic Greek literature.
Publication procedes at the rate of one volume per year.
Collaborators from many European countries are involved in this project.