Palaeographic Study of Early Writing in Egypt

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Leuven: Peeters, 2010. - 800 p. [Orientalia Lovanensia Analecta 195] The present study is a modified version of a doctoral thesis defended at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium on 25 October, 2007. The author wishes to express her sincere gratitude to several colleagues who have given generously of their time and advice. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE INDEX OF CHARTS, TABLES, AND FIGURES PART I: TEXT INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY 1.1. Early Dynastic research in the past and general objectives 1.2. Methodology 1.2.1. Chronological limits 1.2.2. Body of evidence 1.2.3. Collecting the sources 1.2.3.1. Database 1.2.3.2. Collecting original objects 1.2.4. Representing the hieroglyphs in the palaeographic tables 1.2.5. List of used abbreviations in the palaeographic tables CHAPTER 2: THE SOURCES 2.1. Inscriptions on vessels 2.1.1. The content of the inscriptions 2.1.1.1. The earliest inscriptions on pottery (from the Naqada niAl-B period) 2.1.1.2. Pottery inscriptions from the First Dynasty First half of the First Dynasty Second half of the First Dynasty 2.1.1.3. Pottery inscriptions from the reign of Netjerikhet 2.1.1.4. Inscriptions on hard stone vessels The deposit below the Step Pyramid at Saqqara The remaining group chronologically reviewed 2.1.2. Vessel shapes and used materials in relation to different types of inscriptions 2.1.2.1. Inscriptions on pottery 2.1.2.2. Inscriptions on stone vessels Incised stone vessels Stone vessels inscribed with ink 2.1.3. Chronological and regional distribution 2.1.3.1. Chronological distribution 2.1.3.2. Regional distribution 2.2. Labels 2.2.1. Presentation of the sources 2.2.2. Used materials in relation to different types of inscriptions 2.2.3. The disappearance of labels 2.3. Sealings 2.3.1. Clay Sealings/Sealings 2.3.2. Seal impressions 2.3.3. Cylinder Seals/Seals 2.4. Stelae 2.5. Inscriptions on architectural remains 2.6. Statues 2.7. Rock inscriptions 2.8. Other CHAPTER 3: CHRONOLOGY AND DATING CRITERIA 3.1. Early Dynastic chronology 3.2. Dating criteria 3.2.1. The “Umm el-Qa‘ab problem” 3.2.2. The deposit below the Step Pyramid at Saqqara 3.2.3. The elite tombs at Saqqara North 3.2.4. Remaining written sources without a royal name 3.3. Unused sources CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION OF THE PALAEOGRAPHIC TABLES 4.1. Discussion of the individual signs 4.2. Composite forms 4.3. Introduction and appearance of signs CHAPTER 5: PALAEOGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD 5.1. Sign forms in a chronological framework 5.1.1. The formal development of individual signs 5.1.2. Groups of signs sharing common chronologically significant features 5.2. Chronological interpretation of the style characteristics 5.3. Conclusions BIBLIOGRAPHY PART II: PALAEOGRAPHIC TABLES PART III: FIGURES