A sign for dates

In the line for day ten, we find this triangular sign. It is not a hieroglyphic or hieratic sign, but a sign invented by our writer. It is a schematic representation of a date. Sweet dates were a beloved food staple in ancient Egypt, consumed by itself or used to sweeten bread and beer. The families living at Deir el-Medina received regular supplies of units of dates, and our writer made a point of carefully recording these deliveries (Figs. 1 – 2).

Sometimes, he even specified for which part of the crew the deliveries were meant. In the organization of the work, the crew was divided into two halves, called the ‘right side’ and the ‘left side’. Apparently, this division was also used when distributing commodities. On the ostracon, our writer has indicated that the unit of dates delivered on day ten was destined for the ‘left side’ of the crew. He did so using an A-shaped sign, written just above the sign for dates. Again, this is a self-invented sign, not a hieroglyphic or hieratic sign. In fact, we do not really understand why the A-shape represents the ‘left side’, but to our writer, its meaning was crystal clear.

What other signs did he invent?