> Hi Trevor,
>
> Good point about the grammar. This can be an extra tool if you are a well studied hieroglyph expert, which i am not. Of course there are some obvious signs that were used in later years but not much has changed from the NK onwards on shabtis in this respect as far to my knowledge. Can you point me to some information about this spefic topic? I do know the study of the shabti spell by Schneider of course and dating the shabtis by the version of the spell is possible (as with the Horudja shabtis).
I can give you some Egyptian grammar references if you want. I have a set of references I used when I studied it....bit rusty, must revise.
Faulkner, R.O., "A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian", 1981 ISBN 0 900416 32 7
A very good egyptian dictionary.
From the Preface "....For the purpose of this book the term "Middle Egyptian" has been taken as including texts from the Heracleopolitan period to the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty, omitting the Late Egyptian locutions which begin to appear from the reign of Amenophis II onwards...."
Bakir, A.M., "Notes on Late Egyptian Grammar", 1983 ISBN 0 85668 214 4
This is basically a grammar workbook for students. Teacher required.
Brunner, H., "An Outline of Middle Egyptian Grammar", 1979 ISBN 3 202 01 104 5
Same as Bakir. Grammar book for students. Teacher required.
Shennum, D., "English-Egyptian Index of Faulkner's Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian", 1977 ISBN 0 89003 054 5
Supplement to Faulkner.
Fischer, H.G., "Ancient Egyptian Calligraphy: A Beginner's Guide to Writing Hieroglyphs", 1983 isbn 0 87099 337 2
This last reference from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a beautiful book if you ever get a chance to look at it. Not only does it show how to write the glyphs but also shows examples of items from egyptian life used to create the signs.
I expect the above is overkill. If you look at hieroglyphic text which can be accurately dated from various dynasties XVIIIth onwards, I think you will begin to see that the way they wrote the glyphs begins to change. Some of them almost like a shorthand version of the earlier writing.
Gardiner,A., "Egyptian Grammar"
Considered even in the '80s to be outdated. Only really useful for the Sign-Lists and Vocabulary in the back of the book.
You may find other clues if you have access to the JEA (Journal of Egyptian Archaeology).
Trevor.
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