CO·14

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Inscription
Reading in transliteration:	mẹi / ṿạ
Reading in original script:	/
Object:	CO·14 Rondineto (unidentifiable)
Position:	foot, outside
Direction of writing:	sinistroverse
Script:	North Italic script (Lepontic alphabet)
Letter height:	0.7–1.3 cm0.276 in <br />0.512 in <br />
Number of letters:	5
Number of lines:	2
Workmanship:	scratched after firing
Condition:	complete
Archaeological culture:	Golasecca III A [from object]
Date of inscription:	5th–early 4th c. BC [from object]
Type:	unknown
Language:	perhaps Celtic
Meaning:	unknown
Alternative sigla:	Whatmough 1933 (PID): 296 Solinas 1995: 87 Morandi 2004: 161
Sources:	Morandi 2004: 629 f.

Images

Drawing of inscription CO·14 from Morandi 2004

Potsherd CO·14 Rondineto with inscription CO·14 from Morandi

Drawing of inscription CO·14 from Solinas 1995

Garovaglio's drawing of inscription CO·14 from Tibiletti Bruno 1969b

Tracing of inscription CO·14 from Tibiletti Bruno 1969b

Commentary

First published in Garovaglio 1883: 20, no. 1.

Images in Garovaglio 1883: fig. 1 (drawing = Tibiletti Bruno 1969b: 285, tav. XIII.28a), Rhŷs 1914: pl. II (photo), Tibiletti Bruno 1969b: 285, tav. XIII.28b (tracing), Solinas 1995: 354 (drawing), Morandi 1999: 179 (drawing = Morandi 2004: 628, fig. 20.161) and 202, tav. XV.1 (photo = Morandi 2004: 800, tav. XXIII.161).

Two groups/lines of letters inscribed on the outside foot of the vessel. In the longer line (2 cm), mu is very clear. The next letter is a hasta with two clear bars and another potential damaged and not quite parallel bar underneath; then a single hasta. The shorter line (0.9 cm) consists of two slightly smaller letters, both in the shape .

The inscription was seen in the museum by Rhŷs 1913: 39, III.1.2, who read two words written sinistroverse in false boustrophedon piuai | aa 'Aa for Biua' (also Rhŷs 1913: 8 f.). Whatmough PID: 102, no. 296 read p·nại | aḷ, yet again with a "certain" surprise punct, and noted that the last two letters in line 1 are "apparently conjoint" (they are not); a new reading based on autopsy by Conway was appended in 1930: pnei | aa or vv (p. 630). Tibiletti Bruno 1969b: 207 f., no. 28 reads mẹḳị | ṿạ or mạḳị | ṿạ, taken as one word (also Tibiletti Bruno 1978: 147), observing that the putative ligature of epsilon, kappa and iota in line 1 is reminiscent of dubious ki in CO·13. Morandi 1999: 179 f., no. 27 also reads one word, but without ligature meiva (also Morandi 2004), despite noting that the two letters in line 2 are identical (cf. Solinas 1995: 354, no. 87 ṃẹịạạ).

The repetition of in the second line may indicate a non-language-encoding mark; alternatively, the inscription may date from a time when waw and upright alpha existed side-by-side (cf. CO·54) – thus Morandi 1999: 179, who dates it to the 4^th c. BC. In the latter case, the sequence would best be read as va (cf. BG·28.2), though the appearance of the homographic letters in a language-encoding inscription would be surprising. If upright alpha is present in line 2, it may also be in line 1; the reading of the second letter there as epsilon is quite uncertain. In summary, an unclear inscription. See further on the word pages.

Corinna Salomon