DOI Artikel:
Griffith, Francis Ll.: Progress of Egyptology: archaeology, hieroglyphic studies, etc.
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11174#0027
14
Progress of Egyptology.
The Congress of Orientalists held at Paris in September last was very
successful. M. Maspero was the mainspring of its organization, and
M. Naville was president of the Egyptian section. Some interesting
papers are reported by Ofpoed (P.S.B.A. xix. 305). The next Congress
is to be opened on the Capitol at Rome, in October, 1899.
The "fourth remodelled edition " of Baedeker's handbook for Egypt
has appeared in English. It is now in one volume. The corresponding
German edition was published last year, and a French edition has
completed the series. The English version has been carefully brought
up to date so as to include the latest discoveries, and presents some
considerable alterations from the German. Edited as it is by Prof.
Steindorff of Leipzig, its archaeology is excellent. On the vexed
questions of transliteration and vocalization, Steindorff is a leading
light. It may be doubted whether English travellers will like his method
of rendering proper names from hieroglyphs, though the forms he gives
are scientifically interesting. It is reviewed by Piehl [Sphinx ii. 42),
and by Max Muller [Or. Litt. Zeit. 143) ; the latter notices that changes
have been introduced into these proper names even between the German
and the English editions !
The preliminary work for the great Dictionary has given prominence
to sundry practical questions. In A. Z. (xxxvi. 18), Pietschmann gives
rules for abbreviating references to monuments or publications, in
quotations such as are required not only in the Dictionary itself, but
also for all scientific work in Egyptology. It is very desirable to have
a method that can be generally adhered to. Pietschmann's system,
which agrees closely with that observed in the Berlin school for some
time past, seldom introduces mere initials and is intelligible enough to
every Egyptologist. There is one serious difficulty about it. The
citation of an original monument under its proper designation is often
very useful; but if this alone is given without reference to the volume,
page, or plate of any work in which the monument is published, it must
be embarrassing to these not well acquainted with the bibliography who
wish to verify the passage quoted; an index of published monuments
would remove the difficulty, and perhaps before long it may be forth-
coming.
Those interested in the preservation of the monuments of Egypt
should not fail to read an important paper by Borchardt in the Sitzungs-
Progress of Egyptology.
The Congress of Orientalists held at Paris in September last was very
successful. M. Maspero was the mainspring of its organization, and
M. Naville was president of the Egyptian section. Some interesting
papers are reported by Ofpoed (P.S.B.A. xix. 305). The next Congress
is to be opened on the Capitol at Rome, in October, 1899.
The "fourth remodelled edition " of Baedeker's handbook for Egypt
has appeared in English. It is now in one volume. The corresponding
German edition was published last year, and a French edition has
completed the series. The English version has been carefully brought
up to date so as to include the latest discoveries, and presents some
considerable alterations from the German. Edited as it is by Prof.
Steindorff of Leipzig, its archaeology is excellent. On the vexed
questions of transliteration and vocalization, Steindorff is a leading
light. It may be doubted whether English travellers will like his method
of rendering proper names from hieroglyphs, though the forms he gives
are scientifically interesting. It is reviewed by Piehl [Sphinx ii. 42),
and by Max Muller [Or. Litt. Zeit. 143) ; the latter notices that changes
have been introduced into these proper names even between the German
and the English editions !
The preliminary work for the great Dictionary has given prominence
to sundry practical questions. In A. Z. (xxxvi. 18), Pietschmann gives
rules for abbreviating references to monuments or publications, in
quotations such as are required not only in the Dictionary itself, but
also for all scientific work in Egyptology. It is very desirable to have
a method that can be generally adhered to. Pietschmann's system,
which agrees closely with that observed in the Berlin school for some
time past, seldom introduces mere initials and is intelligible enough to
every Egyptologist. There is one serious difficulty about it. The
citation of an original monument under its proper designation is often
very useful; but if this alone is given without reference to the volume,
page, or plate of any work in which the monument is published, it must
be embarrassing to these not well acquainted with the bibliography who
wish to verify the passage quoted; an index of published monuments
would remove the difficulty, and perhaps before long it may be forth-
coming.
Those interested in the preservation of the monuments of Egypt
should not fail to read an important paper by Borchardt in the Sitzungs-