"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."
An overview of the field of epigraphy, its history, and its importance in understanding ancient civilizations and cultures.
Definition of Epigraphy: Epigraphy is the study and interpretation of inscriptions or written texts found on various surfaces, including stone, metal, ceramics, and parchment.
Types of Inscriptions: There are various types of inscriptions, including funerary, commemorative, dedicatory, public, private, and religious.
Epigraphic Materials: Epigraphs can be found on a wide variety of materials, such as stone, metal, clay, papyrus, parchment, and other available materials.
Historical Significance: Epigraphy provides important insights into the historical, cultural, linguistic, and artistic aspects of a specific time and place.
Epigraphic Techniques: There are different methods and techniques used in the study of epigraphy, including photogrammetry, rubbings, facsimiles, photographic negatives, and digital imaging.
Linguistic Analysis: The study of epigraphy involves a substantial linguistic analysis of the different languages, scripts, and writing systems used in the inscriptions.
Interpretation and Translation: Understanding the meaning of epigraphs requires interpretation and translation of the texts, taking into account the context, language, and historical significance.
Preservation and Conservation: The preservation and conservation of epigraphs require specific techniques and strategies to prevent damage and protect the inscribed surfaces from environmental factors.
Applications of Epigraphy: Epigraphy has broad applications in various fields, such as archaeology, history, art history, linguistics, religious studies, and anthropology.
Examples of Epigraphs: There are several famous and important examples of epigraphs, such as the Rosetta Stone, the Behistun Inscription, and the inscriptions found in the ancient Maya civilization.
Historical epigraphy: This type of epigraphy focuses on the study of inscriptions from a historical perspective to understand the cultural, social, and political aspects of the past.
Linguistic epigraphy: This type of epigraphy focuses on the study of inscriptions from a linguistic perspective to understand the language, script, and writing systems used in the past.
Archaeological epigraphy: This type of epigraphy focuses on the study of inscriptions as material objects for archaeologists to understand the context, use, and meaning of inscriptions in situ.
Religious epigraphy: This type of epigraphy focuses on the study of inscriptions that reveal religious beliefs, practices, and rituals of past civilizations.
Genealogical epigraphy: This type of epigraphy focuses on the study of inscriptions that assist genealogists in tracing family histories.
Numismatic epigraphy: This type of epigraphy focuses on the study of inscriptions on coins, medals, and other currency to understand political and economic aspects of past societies.
Epigraphic palaeography: This type of epigraphy focuses on the study of writing styles and techniques used in inscriptions.
Epigraphic ethnography: This type of epigraphy focuses on the intersections between epigraphy and ethnography, using inscriptions to understand the cultural practices and beliefs of past civilizations.
Epigraphic sociology: This type of epigraphy focuses on the study of the social interaction and relationship between people recorded in inscriptions.
Digital epigraphy: This type of epigraphy focuses on the use of digital technologies to record, archive and disseminate inscriptions for wider access and easier study.
"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."