The distribution of the Dadanitic inscriptions according to their content and palaeographical features

Authors

  • María del Carmen Hidalgo-Chacón Díez

Keywords:

Dadanitic inscriptions, Ancient North Arabian, epigraphy, palaeography

Abstract

The Dadanitic inscriptions are found in the oasis of al-ʿUlā and Madāʿin Sāliḥ (north-west Saudi Arabia). They have been incised or carved in the rock-face as well as on stones (stelae). The inscriptions can be classified by their content as follows: votive inscriptions, which are dedicated to a god, the majority to the Dadanititc chief deity Ḏġbt; funerary inscriptions, most of which have been recorded close to the tombs in Jabal al-Khuraybah; royal inscriptions, which make reference to the place name Ddn (modern alʿUlā), mlk ddn, or to the group name Lḥyn, mlk Iḥyn; and finally the dated inscriptions, which present a series of royal and governor years. In spite of this it is impossible to offer a chronology of the inscriptions. Regarding the palaeography, we can find inscriptions recorded in a formal or an informal script, inscriptions which contain a mixture of letter-forms, and carved inscriptions in which the last lines are incised. The content of the inscriptions and to some extent their palaeography differs considerably from place to place, especially in al-ʿUlā. The purpose of this paper is to present the geographical distribution of known inscriptions within these two oases with regard to their philological and cultural content and palaeography.

References

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Published

01/06/2015

How to Cite

Hidalgo-Chacón Díez, M. del C. (2015). The distribution of the Dadanitic inscriptions according to their content and palaeographical features. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 45, 139–149. Retrieved from https://archaeopresspublishing.com/ojs/index.php/PSAS/article/view/1274

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