DOI Artikel:
Griffith, Francis Ll.: Progress of Egyptology: archaeology, hieroglyphic studies, etc.
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12054#0020
II.-PBOGEESS OF EGYPTOLOGY.
A.—ARCHAEOLOGY, HIEROGLYPHIC STUDIES, ETC.
There is perhaps no very important event by which the past twelve months
have been rendered remarkable and promising beyond others; but attention
may be drawn to the great progress now being made in the department of
demotic studies. The publication of a very large collection of facsimiles
of demotic documents by the Berlin Museum, accompanied by another,
though smaller, publication of the Strassburg collection, cannot but
exercise a strong influence in attracting attention to this hitherto very
obscure subject. The papyrologist (i.e.. the student of Greek papyri) now
joins hands with the demotist in research, and inquires the opinion of the
latter on many matters that interest both. It must be confessed that the
demotist's opinion is not always accepted with the confidence with which it
is given; but the demotist remembers that, though he is enjoying the new
experience of feeling firm ground beneath his feet, there still lie before
him wide fields to explore, and much hard work must be accomplished
before he can deem himself master of his subject. Demotic was the common
writing of the Egyptians contemporary with Herodotus and Diodorus;
and that which can reveal to us the real thoughts of the Egyptian nation
when paganism was falling, and the mind of the civilized world was
opening towards Christianity, is by no means to be despised. At the
present rate of progress, two or three years at most will be required to put
us in full possession of the key to the mysteries of demotic in such wise
that new texts will be read with ease, and the results confidently accepted.
The Institut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale at Cairo, under the
direction of M. Chassinat, as briefly announced last year, has founded a
Bulletin for the publication of short papers by its members. A large
proportion of the first two numbers is occupied with Mohammedan Egypt,
but there are also some interesting papers on earlier subjects. Of the
A.—ARCHAEOLOGY, HIEROGLYPHIC STUDIES, ETC.
There is perhaps no very important event by which the past twelve months
have been rendered remarkable and promising beyond others; but attention
may be drawn to the great progress now being made in the department of
demotic studies. The publication of a very large collection of facsimiles
of demotic documents by the Berlin Museum, accompanied by another,
though smaller, publication of the Strassburg collection, cannot but
exercise a strong influence in attracting attention to this hitherto very
obscure subject. The papyrologist (i.e.. the student of Greek papyri) now
joins hands with the demotist in research, and inquires the opinion of the
latter on many matters that interest both. It must be confessed that the
demotist's opinion is not always accepted with the confidence with which it
is given; but the demotist remembers that, though he is enjoying the new
experience of feeling firm ground beneath his feet, there still lie before
him wide fields to explore, and much hard work must be accomplished
before he can deem himself master of his subject. Demotic was the common
writing of the Egyptians contemporary with Herodotus and Diodorus;
and that which can reveal to us the real thoughts of the Egyptian nation
when paganism was falling, and the mind of the civilized world was
opening towards Christianity, is by no means to be despised. At the
present rate of progress, two or three years at most will be required to put
us in full possession of the key to the mysteries of demotic in such wise
that new texts will be read with ease, and the results confidently accepted.
The Institut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale at Cairo, under the
direction of M. Chassinat, as briefly announced last year, has founded a
Bulletin for the publication of short papers by its members. A large
proportion of the first two numbers is occupied with Mohammedan Egypt,
but there are also some interesting papers on earlier subjects. Of the