There are many ancient inscriptions from the area we now call Italy that haven't yet been translated. Some are in the mysterious language of the Etruscans who were so important in the early history of Rome and its religion. The Novilara Stele, which is thought to date back to around the sixth century B.C., is not in Etruscan, but is even more of a mystery.
The Novilara Stele is thought to be written in a northern Picene language, which may or may not have a connection to the language of ancient Illyria and which may or may not have been an Indo-European language like most of the Italic languages, but unlike what is believed about Etruscan. The Novilara Stele, written in 12 lines, is the largest sample we have of the north Picene language. It contains beautifully chiselled letters and far less elegant pictures of what appear to be hunting scenes. It is written from right to left and although it is pretty easy to convert most ot the letters (presumably based on the Etruscan version of the Greek alphabet) to a Roman alphabet, there are still inconclusive identiifcations of letters. We do not knot what the stele is for, although it seems fair to assume it has to do with the pictured animal scene.
Thanks to the Internet, even though this stele is currently housed in Rome, those of us elsewhere in the world can see photographs of it and one possible interpretation of the Novilara Stele by Dr. Rossella Martini at:
LA "STELE DI NOVILARA
Here is one possible transcription of the letters:
James W. Poultney, in "The Language of the Northern Picene Inscriptions" (JIES 1979 VII : 49-64) says the inscription may probably be dated to the sixth or fifth century B.C. The stele itself is a 25" tall block of sandstone, with a wheel, spiral margins and the writing on one side, and the hunting scene drawing on the other.
Etruscan and Its Influence on Latin
Picene and Other Early Iron Age Cultures
The Novilara Stele is thought to be written in a northern Picene language, which may or may not have a connection to the language of ancient Illyria and which may or may not have been an Indo-European language like most of the Italic languages, but unlike what is believed about Etruscan. The Novilara Stele, written in 12 lines, is the largest sample we have of the north Picene language. It contains beautifully chiselled letters and far less elegant pictures of what appear to be hunting scenes. It is written from right to left and although it is pretty easy to convert most ot the letters (presumably based on the Etruscan version of the Greek alphabet) to a Roman alphabet, there are still inconclusive identiifcations of letters. We do not knot what the stele is for, although it seems fair to assume it has to do with the pictured animal scene.
Thanks to the Internet, even though this stele is currently housed in Rome, those of us elsewhere in the world can see photographs of it and one possible interpretation of the Novilara Stele by Dr. Rossella Martini at:
LA "STELE DI NOVILARA
Here is one possible transcription of the letters:
mimnis edut gaarestadesFor most of the words in each line there is a point marking the end of the word (an interpunct). There are no such markers at word end, so another thing we don't know about the language is whether or not the words carry over from one line to the next.
rotnem uvlin partenus
polem isairon tet
sut tratnesi kruvs
tenag trut ipiem rotnem
lutuis thalu isperion vul
tes rotem teu aiten tasur
soter merion kalatne
nis vilatos paten arn
uis balestenag ands et
ut iakut treten teletau.
nem polem tisu sotris eus
James W. Poultney, in "The Language of the Northern Picene Inscriptions" (JIES 1979 VII : 49-64) says the inscription may probably be dated to the sixth or fifth century B.C. The stele itself is a 25" tall block of sandstone, with a wheel, spiral margins and the writing on one side, and the hunting scene drawing on the other.
Etruscan and Its Influence on Latin
Picene and Other Early Iron Age Cultures
Comments
This is a very interesting ancient inscription. I think it is of etruscan origine. I think that the way to decipher it by the means of Greek language give not result. Nermin Vlora Falaski, italian scholar of albanian origine, had introdused very well in the mistery of pelasgian-etruscan-ilirian-epirrote inscriptions by the means of the albanian language. That language is the only way you can tray and I hope will bring good results. Dr. Luftulla Peza, Prague