Some educators say desks and chalkboards may soon become as obsolete as hornbooks and ink wells.

Various artifacts of daily life are also clearly Hellenistic: sundials, ink wells, tableware.

Each school room contained desks for 45 students, and was equipped with countersunk ink wells, black boards, closets, and electric bells.

A small museum displays ink wells, pens, books and personal artefacts belonging to some of the students that studied at the temple.

"Leather was used to protect precious things that had to be constantly transported, like books with miniatures or scribes' ink wells," she said.

The original two student desks with fold down seats are there, as well as ink wells and slate blackboard.

Cupboards were locked, blackboards washed, ink wells and dusters removed.

Many manufacturing facilities have come and gone, producing such products as glass mailboxes, ink wells, and brake linings.

The world of satire will surely be greatly and irrevocably diminished when the ink wells finally dry up at Ludgate House.

Some of the original bronze lamps and ink wells are still intact at the public writing desks.