"Epigraphy (from Ancient Greek ἐπιγραφή (epigraphḗ) 'inscription') is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the writing and the writers."
A guide to the basic terminology used in epigraphy, including terms for different types of inscriptions, specific parts of inscriptions, and other related concepts.
Epigraphy: Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing and historically relevant records.
Inscriptions: Inscriptions are engraved or written records created by ancient people on various surfaces.
Writing systems: Writing systems are the methods and rules for representing language in written form.
Language: Language is the system of communication used by a particular country or people.
Paleography: Paleography is the study of ancient writing scripts and styles.
Lexicography: Lexicography is the study of dictionaries, including the creation, history, and usage of them.
Numismatics: Numismatics is the study of currency, including coins, tokens, and paper money.
Archaeology: Archaeology is the study of human cultures and societies through the analysis of artifacts, structures, and other physical remains.
Anthropology: Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures through the analysis of human behavior, beliefs, and customs.
History: History is the study of past events and developments.
Epistolary: Epistolary is the study of letters or written correspondence.
Iconography: Iconography is the study of the meaning and interpretation of images and symbols.
Mythology: Mythology is the study of myths and legends, including their origins and cultural significance.
Art history: Art history is the study of visual arts and their historical context.
Religious studies: Religious studies is the academic study of religion, including its beliefs, practices, and institutions.
Linguistics: Linguistics is the scientific study of language, including its structure, syntax, and meaning.
Philology: Philology is the study of language and literature, including their historical development and interpretation.
Epithets: Epithets are descriptive phrases or names that are used to identify or describe a person, place, or thing.
Papyrology: Papyrology is the study of ancient texts written on papyrus, including their interpretation and significance.
Classical studies: Classical studies is the study of the civilizations and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world, including Greece and Rome.
Inscription: Text engraved, written or carved on a durable material like stone, metal, or wood.
Epitaph: An inscription in memory of a deceased person.
Stele: A monument made of stone or wood that often bears inscriptions or designs.
Ostracon: A pottery fragment used for writing or drawing.
Glyptic: The art of carving on gems.
Palaeography: The study of ancient writing systems and the decipherment of old texts.
Archaeography: The study of historical documents and their relationship to the people who created them.
Lithography: The process of printing from a stone or metal plate with a design that has been cut or etched into it.
Numismatics: The study of coins, banknotes, and medals as historical artifacts.
Codicology: The study of written texts, manuscripts, and books as physical objects.
Iconography: The study, description, and interpretation of images and symbols used in art, literature, and other forms of communication.
"Specifically excluded from epigraphy are the historical significance of an epigraph as a document and the artistic value of a literary composition."
"A person using the methods of epigraphy is called an epigrapher or epigraphist."
"For example, the Behistun inscription is an official document of the Achaemenid Empire engraved on native rock at a location in Iran. Epigraphists are responsible for reconstructing, translating, and dating the trilingual inscription and finding any relevant circumstances."
"Epigraphy is a primary tool of archaeology when dealing with literate cultures."
"Epigraphy also helps identify a forgery: epigraphic evidence formed part of the discussion concerning the James Ossuary."
"Epigraphy overlaps other competences such as numismatics or palaeography."
"The media and the forms of the graphemes are diverse: engravings in stone or metal, scratches on rock, impressions in wax, embossing on cast metal, cameo or intaglio on precious stones, painting on ceramic or in fresco."
"Not all inscribed texts are public, however: in Mycenaean Greece, the deciphered texts of 'Linear B' were revealed to be largely used for economic and administrative record keeping."
"The study of ideographic inscriptions may also be called ideography."
"The German equivalent Sinnbildforschung was a scientific discipline in the Third Reich, but was later dismissed as being highly ideological."
"Epigraphic research overlaps with the study of petroglyphs, which deals with specimens of pictographic, ideographic, and logographic writing."
"The study of ancient handwriting, usually in ink, is a separate field, palaeography."
"Epigraphy also differs from iconography as it confines itself to meaningful symbols containing messages, rather than dealing with images."
"...classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts..."
"...and drawing conclusions about the writing and the writers."
"The US Library of Congress classifies epigraphy as one of the auxiliary sciences of history."
"Informal inscribed texts are 'graffiti' in its original sense."
"The character of the writing, the subject of epigraphy, is a matter quite separate from the nature of the text, which is studied in itself."
"When compared to books, most inscriptions are short."