Britannica Sources used in this answer

How can an inscription’s language provide clues about its age?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Neo-Assyrian clay tablet from the 7th century BC inscribed with dense cuneiform writing, known as the Flood Tablet from the Epic of Gilgamesh, displayed in the British Museum. — epigraphy The Flood Tablet, 11th cuneiform tablet in a series relating the Gilgamesh epic, from Nineveh, 7th century bce; in the British Museum, London.

In the study of epigraphy, an inscription’s language and script serve as vital indicators for determining its age. Historians and epigraphers analyze these features through several methods:

Paleographic Analysis: The specific style of writing and the form of the characters often allow for paleographic dating. By identifying "scribal hands" or characteristic letter shapes—such as the "Old Hittite ductus" or specific variations in Greek letter forms—experts can place an inscription within a particular period.1
Linguistic Evolution: Changes in the language itself, including shifts in dialects or the adoption of new alphabets, provide chronological markers. For example, the official adoption of the Ionic alphabet in Athens in 403 BCE serves as a clear chronological watershed for dating inscriptions.1
Internal Evidence: The text may contain internal clues, such as references to a king’s reign, the tenure of a specific magistrate, or synchronisms with known historical events, which help anchor the inscription in time.1
Comparative Study: When the underlying language is understood, comparing the text to known idioms or using bilingual keys—like the Rosetta Stone—allows scholars to date the record based on the linguistic context of the era.21