Studies in ancient cryptography Research Papers (original) (raw)

Among the spellings commonly described as " enigmatic, " we may differentiate between two spelling modes: " alienated " spellings, which are still comparatively easily readable based on the knowledge of standard orthographic sign functions, and " cryptographic " spellings, for the interpretation of which the knowledge of the generative principles or a cipher table, like the " crypto-alphabet, " is required. A thorough semiotic analysis of the generative principles of enigmatic spellings reveals that the iconicity of the involved graphemes is often less relevant than one might have expected (e.g., in the principles of Generic classifiers, Meronymic sign exchange, Graphic similarity, Onomatopoeia, Conceptual association). As opposed to the principle of Generic classifiers, the principle of Free categorial exchange is less well attested in the Amduat and the Book of Caverns, and therefore probably a less convincing explanation for supposed readings in other enigmatic texts without available plaintext. The principle of Graphic similarity seems to demand that the shapes of the signs are very similar, not just vaguely similar (or just being consuming a comparable space of a quadrat). A cryptic Egyptian ciphertext string [BIRD-BIRD-BIRD-QUADRUPED-LOCUST] found in Caverns is explained as a signifier for 'cryptogram,' in which we have one of the rare semiotic cases of a signifier that is motivated by its referents, i.e., that has a direct connection to its referents (not only an indirect connection via the concept referred to). Furthermore, the string well represents the signs as well as the encryption principles of the " crypto-alphabet. " As to the function of enigmatic spellings in the Netherworld Books of the New Kingdom, we need to differentiate between two types of usage: the alienated or cryptographic spelling of creatures' names plus additional attestation of the respective plaintexts in Amduat and Caverns, on the one hand, and the cryptographic spelling of the full text in, e.g., the Enigmatic Netherworld Books scenes, on the other hand. For the former case, it is suggested that the " special " way of spelling names can be understood as a conceptual metaphor for the " special " ontological status of the creatures referred to (" ontological specialness metaphor "). For the latter case, fully cryptographic texts, it is suggested that this points to a sociological phenomenon: the shaping of identity of a narrow in-group of educated priests. At the same time, the cryptographic spelling may here as well be interpreted as an " ontological specialness metaphor " – in this case, however, referring to the " special " ontological status of the described netherworld realms as a whole.