epigrafice

Epigrafice is a term used in some academic contexts to denote the study and interpretation of inscriptions, or epigraphy. It refers to the collection, transcription, dating, and interpretation of texts inscribed on durable media such as stone, metal, ceramic, papyrus, or parchment, as well as graffiti and monumental inscriptions. The field integrates philology, paleography, archaeology, history, and digital humanities to reconstruct languages, societies, and chronologies from inscribed evidence.

Etymology and usage: derived from the Greek roots epi- “upon” and graphe “writing,” the form epigrafice is found in some languages as an adjective meaning epigraphic, or as a noun to denote the discipline. In English, epigraphy is far more common, and epigrafice is considered an archaising or specialized term.

Scope and methods: practitioners document inscriptions, standardize readings, and create corpora and databases. Methods include field surveys, high-resolution photography, 3D scanning, palaeographic analysis, linguistic and philological interpretation, and contextual analysis of the material culture and historical setting. Epigraphic evidence is used to date sites, corroborate textual sources, trace administrative boundaries, and study social practices, religion, and daily life.

History: Modern epigraphy emerged in antiquity but developed as a formal discipline in the 19th and 20th centuries with critical editions such as the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum and Inscriptiones Graecae. Today, digital epigraphy and international projects expand access and analysis.

See also: Epigraphy, Paleography, Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, Inscriptiones Graecae.