pa·le·og·ra·phy 
(pā′lē-ŏgrə-fē)
(pā′lē-ŏgrə-fē)n.
1. The study and scholarly interpretation of earlier, especially ancient, writing and forms of writing.
2.
a. The documents whose writing is so studied.
b. The manner of writing in an earlier, especially ancient, document or set of documents.
pa′le·ogra·pher n.
pa′le·o·graphic (-ə-grăfĭk), pa′le·o·graphi·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj.