अभिलेख पत्थर अथवा धातु जैसी अपेक्षाकृत कठोर सतहों पर उत्कीर्ण किये गये पाठन सामाग्री को कहते हैं। प्राचीन काल से इसका उपयोग हो रहा है। शासक इसके द्वारा अपने आदेशो को इस तरह उत्कीर्ण करवाते थे, ताकि लोग उन्हे देख सके एवं पढ़ सके और पालन कर सके। आधुनिक युग में भी इसका उपयोग हो रहा है।

Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the writing and the writers. Specifically excluded from epigraphy are the historical significance of an epigraph as a document and the artistic value of a literary composition. A person using the methods of epigraphy is called an epigrapher or epigraphist. For example, the Behistun inscription is an official document of the Achaemenid Empire engraved on native rock at a location in Iran. Epigraphists are responsible for reconstructing, translating, and dating the trilingual inscription and finding any relevant circumstances. It is the work of historians, however, to determine and interpret the events recorded by the inscription as document. Often, epigraphy and history are competences practised by the same person. Epigraphy is a primary tool of archaeology when dealing with literate cultures. The US Library of Congress classifies epigraphy as one of the auxiliary sciences of history. Epigraphy also helps identify a forgery: epigraphic evidence formed part of the discussion concerning the James Ossuary.