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The Epigraphic Society is an organization dedicated to epigraphy, the discovery and translation of ancient inscriptions. It strongly supports international investigations and publications of the discoveries of ancient inscriptions. It is a non-profit organization and is intended solely for educational and scientific purposes. Papers written by members of the society on the mentioned disciplines are encouraged for publication in the society's journal, Epigraphic Society Occasional Publications.
History
editThe Society was founded in Arlington, Massachusetts on July 4, 1974 by Barry Fell of Harvard University and Norman Totten of Bentley College. Professor Fell's research initially focused on Polynesia and the society initially reflected this, but due to the large response, the society was opened to all areas of epigraphic research.
Epigraphic Society Occasional Papers (ESOP)
editThe Epigraphic Society Occasional Papers (ESOP) is the official journal of the Epigraphic Society. Fell began this journal as a way to address epigraphic topics and illuminate epigraphic problems. Prior to the death of Professor Fell, publications were released every year, now they are released only on occasion. The published journal articles can be ordered through the society's website http://www.epigraphy.org. The society welcomes articles written by scolars who are serious about the finding of newly founded historical information. The ESOP "will consider scholarly papers concerned with the interpretation of ancient or preserved scripts, symbols, and languages, as well as historical and traditional sources relating to ancient connections between cultures,religions, and philosophies/mythologies. ESOP has always excluded papers relating to psychic phenomena, dowsing, and proposed evidence of extra-terrestrial encounters."[1]
Barry Fell
editBarry Fell may have been one of the founders of the Epigraphic Society, but his research and writings were and still are greatly controversial in the world of archaeology\anthropology. Fell was a marine biologist who began research on the study of petroglyphs in Polynesia[2]. This study went on to more research in other areas of epigraphy with books and journal articles to follow.
Fell's work drew attention from skeptical archaeologists. They felt Fell ignored the "usual rules of evidence" and characterized his work as pseudoscience and pseudoarchaeology. Fell's journal entries were published more through the Epigraphic Society over peer-reviewed journals. The fact that Fell was the founder of the society left his publications to be less than admired by fellow archaeologists. Fell was an intelligent individual but his credibility is still being debated[3]. Fell's work was not well received in the world of academia[4]. Alice Beck Kehoe, for example, states that archaeologists and linguists viewed Fell's work as "romantic fantasy"[5] However, Fell is remembered in a positive light by members of the Epigraphic Society. "As a teacher, he encouraged us to follow where the evidence might lead, and not be deterred in the pursuit of scientific method if the hypotheses developed contradicted current opinion or belief structures" [6].