- Researchers have found a bronze hand bearing strange four-line symbols dating back nearly 2,000 years to the Iron Age in northern Spain.
- A new study of the find suggests that this ancient inscription is related to ancient Paleohispanic languages and may have been part of the language that evolved into Basque in modern-day Spain..
- Although it is not possible to translate the text exactly, researchers have found some interesting parallels with modern Basque.
Researchers came across an extremely interesting find in northern Spain. Researchers have found a bronze hand with four lines of strange symbols dating back nearly 2,000 years to the Iron Age. A new study of the find suggests that this ancient inscription is related to ancient Paleohispanic languages and may have been part of the language that evolved into Basque in modern-day Spain.
It is known that a tribe called Vascones lived in that region at the time the hand was made. This tribe left behind very few examples of writing, leading to the assumption that they were illiterate. This hand shows that this may not be the case. “Detailed linguistic analysis shows that the script represents a graphic subsystem of Paleohispanic that shares its roots with the modern Basque language and constitutes the first example of Vasconic epigraphy,” the researchers wrote in their article. he writes. The direction of the writing, the location of a small hole in the object, and the location where it was discovered suggest that it may have been hung at the entrance of a building.
This text was written using the sgraffito technique to create the lines, followed by larger perforated dots. It’s not clear what tools were used, but researchers think a sharp iron tool like a burin may have been one of them. Based on identifiable words and comparisons with other artifacts, researchers think the language contains a “distinct subsystem.” Although it is not possible to translate the text exactly, researchers have found some interesting parallels with modern Basque.
One of the most important connections the researchers made is between the first word in the hand, “sorioneku,” and the Basque word “zorioneko,” meaning good luck. This points to both the meaning of the hand’s message and its connections with Basque. Researchers said, “The text on this artifact, found at the entrance of a domestic building, is interpreted as apotropaic, that is, a symbol wishing good luck.” he writes.
According to the researchers, it is possible that the hand has some kind of ritual or cultural significance. For example, Ancient Iberians are said to have cut off the right hands of their captives, but although it is the right hand, the intended use of the symbol seems to be more benign. The team says that the differences in letter sizes and some inconsistencies in the strokes of the letters indicate a rather careless and unplanned approach to writing. Additionally, since bronze is a common material in the region, researchers think that it may have been processed where the writing was found.
Research continues into the Hand of Irulegi, named after the place where it was found, and what it can tell us about the Vascons, especially in terms of a written language that existed before the arrival of the Romans. “The new inscription presented here provides support for the growing awareness that the ancient Vascons knew and used writing, at least to some degree,” the researchers wrote. he writes.
Compiled by: Fatma Ebrar Tuncel
