Ostraca

An Ostraca or Ostracon, plural Ostraka, is a shard of broken Pottery bearing an inscription, which was written during the Ancient World.

In Ancient Egypt, the Deir el-Medina Medical Ostraca provide a record of prescribed treatments and magical charms during the period of the New Kingdom (16th-11th century BCE).
Also in Ancient Egypt, the Saqqara Dream Ostraka are 65 texts consisting of divine inspirations written by a scribe who worked as an early therapist next to the God Toth’s Sanctuary.
In Ancient Athens, the vote to exile an individual was made by citizens writing his name on an Ostrakon and if the majority of pieces counted were against him, he would be exiled for ten years. This became known as Ostracism.
The Ostraka found at Myos Hormos record the Red Sea Trade during the Roman Empire (1st century BCE-5th century CE).