Mapping epigraphic methodological literature through citation networks

Riccardo Valente

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2026, 37.1, 399-406; doi: 10.19282/ac.37.1.2026.21

Abstract

The boundaries of epigraphy have long remained the subject of implicit assumptions rather than explicit methodological reflection. While the discipline is traditionally associated with the study of inscriptions, the range of objects, media, practices, and analytical approaches encompassed by epigraphic research has expanded considerably over time, raising questions about the field’s conceptual limits and internal coherence. This article investigates how methodological literature has contributed to defining and negotiating the scope of epigraphy. Drawing on citation network analysis, the study examines a corpus of methodological contents that have shaped discussions on the nature, aims, and objects of epigraphic inquiry. By reconstructing patterns of citation and intellectual influence, the article identifies major clusters of scholarship, highlights key reference works, and explores the relationships among different methodological traditions. Rather than treating disciplinary boundaries as fixed or self-evident, the network perspective reveals them as the product of ongoing scholarly interactions and debates. The results suggest that epigraphy is characterized by a plurality of methodological orientations that converge around a shared concern for inscribed texts.

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