inscriptionbased

Inscriptionbased is a term used to describe analyses, interpretations, or methodologies that rely primarily on inscriptions as the foundational evidence. The word is formed from inscription, referring to texts inscribed on durable materials such as stone, metal, or ceramic, and the suffix based, indicating that the method or conclusion depends on these sources rather than on other forms of data like narrative accounts or artifacts alone.

In scholarly usage, inscriptionbased approaches are common in archaeology, epigraphy, and ancient history. They involve extracting information from inscriptions to establish dating, identify individuals or institutions, reconstruct events, or clarify social structures. In philology and linguistics, inscriptionbased work treats inscriptions as primary linguistic data, informing lexical, syntactic, or semantic analyses, especially for ancient or lesser-known languages. In numismatics and art history, inscriptions can enable attribution of objects to rulers, communities, or religious contexts, making inscription-based evidence crucial for interpretation.

Strengths of inscriptionbased methods include direct access to contemporary or near-contemporary textual data, explicit identifiers (names, titles, dates), and the ability to corroborate other sources. Limitations arise from fragmentary survival, linguistic evolution, scribal conventions, dating uncertainties, and potential biases in what was chosen for inscription. Translational challenges, ideographic or formulaic conventions, and contextual loss require critical evaluation and often corroboration with non-inscriptional evidence.

See also: epigraphy, epigraphic evidence, paleography, numismatics, archaeology, historical linguistics.