IIIᵉ siècle av. J.-C. – IVᵉ siècle
Nubia and the Middle Nile
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
Meroitic culture was associated with Napata and Meroe in the Middle Nile region. Its script had been deciphered, but the language remained incompletely understood. Research focused on inscriptions, internal linguistic structure, computer-assisted analysis, and comparison with Nubian and other African languages. Archaeological work was considered essential, particularly because a bilingual inscription might provide a decisive breakthrough.
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Le récit
Meroitic culture is presented through its written remains and the continuing effort to understand its language. The script had already been deciphered, but the language itself was still not understood in full. The principal cultural setting named in the excerpt is the world of Napata and Meroe, within the Nubian and Middle Nile region.
Research had progressed through the systematic study of inscriptions gathered during archaeological excavations. A word index had reached 13,405 units, and computer processes were being used to investigate the structure of the language. Scholars also attempted comparisons with Egyptian, Nubian, and other African languages, while acknowledging major gaps in knowledge concerning pronouns, demonstratives, prefixes, and suffixes.
Archaeological discoveries were expected to play a decisive role in future decipherment. No inscriptions had yet been found in the region between the Second and Fourth Cataracts or along several routes toward the Red Sea, Kordofan, and Darfur. The possible discovery of a bilingual inscription was regarded as especially important, while further comparison with African languages offered another path toward establishing Meroitic’s place within the continent’s linguistic history.
IIIᵉ siècle av. J.-C. – IVᵉ siècle
Nubia and the Middle Nile
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
Meroitic culture was associated with Napata and Meroe in the Middle Nile region. Its script had been deciphered, but the language remained incompletely understood. Research focused on inscriptions, internal linguistic structure, computer-assisted analysis, and comparison with Nubian and other African languages. Archaeological work was considered essential, particularly because a bilingual inscription might provide a decisive breakthrough.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Meroitic culture is presented through its written remains and the continuing effort to understand its language. The script had already been deciphered, but the language itself was still not understood in full. The principal cultural setting named in the excerpt is the world of Napata and Meroe, within the Nubian and Middle Nile region.
Research had progressed through the systematic study of inscriptions gathered during archaeological excavations. A word index had reached 13,405 units, and computer processes were being used to investigate the structure of the language. Scholars also attempted comparisons with Egyptian, Nubian, and other African languages, while acknowledging major gaps in knowledge concerning pronouns, demonstratives, prefixes, and suffixes.
Archaeological discoveries were expected to play a decisive role in future decipherment. No inscriptions had yet been found in the region between the Second and Fourth Cataracts or along several routes toward the Red Sea, Kordofan, and Darfur. The possible discovery of a bilingual inscription was regarded as especially important, while further comparison with African languages offered another path toward establishing Meroitic’s place within the continent’s linguistic history.