Sorry, no ... epigraphy and paleography are the study of inscriptionsThat doesn't decrease my interest too much, though it is disappointing. (And I *did* think that Linear A and some other scripts/glyphs with very small sample sizes were not yet deciphered...)
(things incised on hard objects like walls) and documents (things
written with ink etc. on soft materials like paper, parchment, papyrus)
respectively. Very few scripts remain undeciphered; you'd just have to
be in the right place at the right time to come across a new one.The epigrapher is on the archeological expedition in order to interpret
and make copies of whatever inscriptions happen to turn up -- and the
rule seems to be that if you have an epigrapher, you don't find any
inscriptions but if you find some inscriptions you don't have an
epigrapher on hand to deal with them.
But since I'm also interested in comparative studies of writing systems, both ancient and current, I would think that I could study this while waiting (ha!) for some new unknown script to show itself. Actually, I had thought that comparative writing systems was an integral part of deciphering scripts and glyphs, based on the assumption that the more writing systems you know, the easier it will be to decipher an unknown one. Maybe not.
But I think now that knowing that comparative epigraphy and paleography (correct terminology, I hope?) also interest me may help you all as you consider what dept would be best for me to apply to. So far I have been told to go into History, Language, and that no dept actually exists for what I want.
However, to give credit where it is due, it's true I have already been given some very good advice from this list as well as the Epigraphy list as to what subjects will help me on the path to this goal and it's much appreciated! Among them are linguistics, history, math, and the many geo-'s. I assume I'll need archaeology and anthropology as well?
Still, a specific dept to apply to *would* be useful...
:)
thx!
Cathy--
Something deeply hidden had to be behind things.~ Albert Einstein (autobiographical handwritten note)