| Epigraphy |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT EPIGRAPHY | |
| historiography | |
| archaeological sub-disciplines | |
| inscriptions | |
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Epigraphy ( Greek , ''επιγραφή'' — "written upon") is the study of '''inscriptions''' or '''epigraphs''' engraved into stone or other durable materials, or cast in metal, the science of classifying them as to cultural context and date, elucidating them and assessing what conclusions can be deduced from them. A person studying this is called an '''epigrapher''' or '''epigraphist'''. SCOPE Epigraphy is a primary tool of . Since epigraphy is a science of the ''particular,'' references to epigraphic evidence appear in most Wikipedia entries discussing aspects of Ancient History . The study of ancient Handwriting , usually in ink, is a separate field, Paleography . 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. Texts inscribed in stone are usually for public view (or for the view of the god, as in the Persian the deciphered texts of " Linear B " were revealed to be largely used for economic and administrative record keeping. Informal inscribed texts are " Graffiti " in its original sense. HISTORY The science of epigraphy has been developing steadily since the 16th century. Principles of epigraphy vary culture by culture, and the infant science in European hands concentrated on Latin inscriptions at first. Individual contributions have been made by epigraphers such as Georg Fabricius (1516–1571); August Wilhelm Zumpt (1815–1877); Theodor Mommsen (1817–1903); Emil Hübner (1834–1901); Franz Cumont (1868–1947); Louis Robert (1904–1985). The Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum , begun by Mommsen and other scholars, has been published in Berlin since 1863, with wartime interruptions. It is the largest and most extensive collection of Latin inscriptions. New Fascicles are still produced as the recovery of inscriptions continues. The ''Corpus'' is arranged geographically: all inscriptions from Rome are contained in volume 6. This volume has the greatest number of inscriptions; volume 6, part 8, fascicle 3 was just recently published (2000). Specialists depend on such on-going series of volumes in which newly-discovered inscriptions are published, often in Latin, not unlike the biologists' ''Zoological Record''— the raw material of history. Greek epigraphy has unfolded in the hands of a different team, with different . Other such series include the '' Corpus Inscriptionum Etruscarum '' (Etruscan inscriptions), ''Corpus Inscriptionum Crucesignatorum Terrae Sanctae'' (Crusaders' inscriptions), ''Corpus Inscriptionum Insularum Celticarum,'' (Celtic inscriptions), ''Corpus Inscriptionum Iranicarum'' (Iranian inscriptions) and so forth. NOTABLE INSCRIPTIONS
TYPES OF INSCRIPTION
SEE ALSO
Other studies of the writing of texts include:
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