Date:

Unknown language found on mysterious stone tablet

An inscribed tablet with an unknown language has been discovered at Bashplemi lake in Georgia’s manisi Municipality.

According to a study published in the Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology, the tablet measures 24.1 x  20.1 cm’s and is made from locally sourced vesicular basalt.

- Advertisement -

On the tablet are 60 symbols or characters, 39 of which are distinct from one another. They are organised into seven registers running vertically from top to bottom, though the direction in which the inscription should be read remains uncertain.

Archaeologists suggest that the symbols were made using a conic drill to initially create notches, which were then joined up and smoothed using a round-headed tool.

“Generally, the Bashplemi inscription does not repeat any script known to us; however, most of the symbols used therein resemble ones found in the scripts of the Middle East, as well as those of geographically remote countries such as India, Egypt and West Iberia.”

Some similarities have been found with the Proto-Kartvelian script24 that appeared in the 4th millennium BC, as well as symbols found on seals from the territory of pre-Christian Georgia. Similarities were mostly identified while comparing the tablet symbols with Caucasian scripts (Georgian Mrgvlovani, Albanian, proto-Georgian).

- Advertisement -

According to the study authors, the Bashplemi inscription has some frequently repeated symbols that may represent military spoils, an important construction project, or an offering to a deity.

Dating the tablet has proven problematic, however, the vesicular basalt indicates that the tablet was made locally where shallow studies of the area have found artefacts such as fragments of pottery and a stone mortar dated to the Late Bronze/Early Iron Ages.

Header Image Credit : Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology

Sources : Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Sinkhole reveals lost remains of medieval hospital

A sinkhole that formed outside the York Theatre Royal has led to the discovery of what could be one of England’s largest medieval hospitals.

Chalcolithic cultural treasures unearthed in Caucasus

Archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences have uncovered 13 Chalcolithic-era sites, each yielding a wealth of cultural artefacts and material evidence.

Study reveals East Asia’s earliest gold-inlaid spear sheath

In 1954, a bronze spear sheath dating from Japan’s Kofun period (AD 300–538) was found beneath a rock on Okinoshima, a sacred island located off the coast of Munakata, Fukuoka.

Cache of military helmets from both World Wars discovered during roadworks

Road construction works in the Polish city of Wroclaw have unearthed an unusual cache of military objects from WWI and WWII.

Ten Roman wonders of Britain

Discover the Roman Empire’s extraordinary legacy left on Britain through this selection of ten Roman wonders.

New archaeological treasures unearthed at Finziade

Archaeologists excavating at Finziade in southern Italy have unearthed an artisan workshop and a domestic sacellum containing archaeological treasures.

Significant multi-period discoveries in Delbrück-Bentfeld

An archaeological excavation in Delbrück-Bentfeld, a town in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, has unearthed nearly 400 features of archaeological interest that span several centuries.

Excavation confirms the origin of Sheffield Castle

Archaeologists excavating the former site of Sheffield Castle site have confirmed that an artificial mound within the castle interior is a motte dating back to the earliest phase of the castle’s construction.