Epigraafi

Epigraafi (epigraphy) is the scholarly study of inscriptions engraved on durable media such as stone, metal, pottery, or clay. It encompasses the collection, transcription, translation, and interpretation of inscriptions from ancient and historic periods, with the aim of reconstructing historical events, institutions, and daily life. Epigraphists examine script, language, dating, provenance, and material context, while also addressing issues of authenticity and copyist errors.

The practice spans civilizations including ancient Greece and Rome, Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, China, and Mesoamerica. Inscriptions range from monumental texts on public monuments and decrees to epitaphs and inscriptions on everyday objects such as ostraca and seals. Epigraphy thus provides direct, contemporary testimony about political structures, religion, law, economy, and social practice.

Methods used in epigraphy include field surveys, meticulous documentation through photography, drawing, and 3D scanning, and the preparation of editions and corpora. Palaeographic analysis, philology, and historical contextualization are routinely applied, often complemented by digital tools and databases.

Epigraphy is central to archaeology and history as a primary source of evidence for chronology, governance, and cultural exchange. It faces challenges such as fragmentary survival, multilingual or damaged texts, and interpretive gaps that require careful contextualization. The field distinguishes itself from palaeography (the study of handwriting) and philology, focusing on inscriptions as material, communicative artifacts embedded in their cultural setting.