Inscriptions are omnipresent and Epigraphy as a discipline becomes ever more important for the study of political history as well as the understanding of socio-economic connections, religious ideas and other fields of interest in the humanities. How, when and why did societies produce inscriptions and create distinct epigraphic cultures worldwide? This Handbook provides an authoritative overview across the world, from antiquity to early modern times. The Handbook of Epigraphic Cultures includes the following volumes: Vol. 1: East, Central, South and Southeast Asia Vol. 2: West Asia, Africa Vol. 3: Europe, America, Indices