Foreword to digitalEPIGRAPHY

Written by W. Raymond Johnson, Director of the Epigraphic Survey

This is just the latest of several forewords I have written for Krisztián Vértes and the Epigraphic Survey’s collaborative digital drawing manual Digital Epigraphy, but this one marks a gigantic technological leap forward. The first edition of our groundbreaking digital drawing manual made its mark in 2014 as the first book in the history of the Epigraphic Survey and the Oriental Institute to be published in completely electronic formats, eBook and PDF, available as a free download from the Oriental Institute Publications web page.

But in late 2017 when Krisztián and I were discussing the second and third editions, we realized that our original conceptions of both later editions were already starting to feel out of date. It became clear that the data, technological developments, and new information that we needed to communicate in this manual were happening too quickly for even a totally electronic publication. So when Krisztián proposed an open-ended webpage format for the manual that could be updated instantly and whenever necessary, I knew with all my heart that this was the answer.

Hence digitalEPIGRAPHY was conceived, reconfigured and developed by Krisztián during the last year, and launched on November 1, 2018. The limits of the hard-copy book, and even the electronic book, have now been removed, and we have a manual with no boundaries, where information can be communicated instantly, and where the conversation can now be more than one way.

You, the reader, now have the opportunity and the means to converse back with us through the website with your thoughts, questions, feedback, and additional information for sharing and discussion. Our site is here for you to help us create the best epigraphic recording possible, and I hope that you will take full advantage of this opportunity, and this website. So .. welcome to digitalEPIGRAPHY, the website.

Enjoy, and let us hear from you.

W. Raymond Johnson

Director, Epigraphic Survey

Chicago House, Luxor, Egypt