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Epigraphy
Epigraphy studies inscriptions on their physical supports. A carved word is both a text and a trace on an object; reading requires attention to material, damage, layout, editorial reconstruction and historical setting.
Epigraphy
Object and context
Epigraphy studies inscriptions together with their physical supports, find contexts, scripts and historical uses. Before transcribing, record the object’s material, dimensions, surface, breakage, reuse and known provenance. An inscription moved into a museum may no longer sit where it was first displayed.
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A reading check
Worked question
An inscription has a broken edge. The editor prints three letters in brackets that make a familiar formula. What does that tell you about the stone?
Show the analysis
The bracketed letters are a restoration proposed for missing surface; they are not strokes now visible on the object. Check the edition key, surviving traces, the formula and any parallel copies before judging how secure the completion is.