The Use of Classifiers in the New Kingdom. A Global Reorganization of the Classifiers System?

Classifiers and the system of classifiers in Ancient Egyptian is a subject that has recently been explored by a number of excellent publications (cf. bibliography). Therefore it could seem difficult to contribute further to this discourse. Nevertheless, the approach proposed here is innovative, since it aims at deter- mining the actual point in time that divided a long-term process into two phases. This will be achieved by highlighting a particularly interesting phenomenon of evolution inside the classification system. As a matter of fact, the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1064 BC) and, more specifically, the XXth dynasty (c. 1187–1064 BC) seem to constitute a turning point in the development of classifier usage and classification strategies.