What's New and Updated?

Updates for the years 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

27th February 2010

An Early Arabic Inscription From Petra Carrying Diacritic Marks, Mid-6th / Beginning Of 7th Century CE. This is a one-word Arabic inscription. It was engraved in a piece of wood that was found carbonized with an archive of Greek papyri found in a Byzantine church in Petra. The archaeological context suggests the 2nd quarter of the 6th century to the beginning of the 7th century CE as the date of the piece of charcoal. The palaeographical analysis postulated the same period as a date for the inscription. This fact is of a special significance, since the inscription carries diacritic marks, and becomes thus to be the earliest evidence for the use of the diacritic marks in the Arabic script.

This is added in the section The Arabic & Islamic Inscriptions.

26th January 2010

Addition of Transitional Fals Issue From The Time Of Umayyad Caliph ʿAbd al-Malik, 66 AH / 685 CE. Two standing figures, facing, wearing long robes and Arab head-dress adorned with six-pointed stars. Their right hand is on their swords. Between them, on three steps, a pointed staff with globe. Obverse margin: bism Allāh ʿAbd Allāh ʿAbd al-Malik Amīr al-Muʾminīn ("In the name of God. The slave of God ʿAbd al-Malik, Commander of the Faithful"). Although the coins bears no mintmark, the kufic inscription leaves no doubt that it was an official issue of the Umayyad caliph. Clive Floss is of the opinion that this type apparently represents the caliph ʿAbd al-Malik and his brother ʿAbd al-Azīz, who were jointly proclaimed as successors to their father Marwan in 684/85 CE.

This is added in the section The Islamic Coins.

3rd January 2010

We have already seen the modifications made in the Arab-Byzantine "three standing imperial figures" gold solidus (i.e., dīnār) as a result of removal or mutiliation of the crosses and the addition of a kufic legend. Not all Arab-Byzantine imitations of Byzantine prototypes went this far. The Arab-Byzantine One And Two “Standing Imperial Figures” Dīnārs From The Time Of Umayyad Caliph ʿAbd al-Malik, 72-74 AH / 692-694 CE show that some of the imitations were confined only to removal or mutiliation of the crosses, keeping everything else almost the same.

This is added in the section The Islamic Coins.