VR·24
| Inscription | |
|---|---|
| Reading in transliteration: | eskikorikos |
| Reading in original script: |        
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|
| |
| Object: | VR·24 Verona (vase) |
| Position: | bottom, outside |
| Orientation: | 0° |
| Direction of writing: | sinistroverse |
| Script: | North Italic script (Lepontic alphabet) |
| Letter height: | 1–2.8 cm0.394 in <br />1.102 in <br /> |
| Number of letters: | 11 |
| Number of words: | 1 |
| Number of lines: | 1 |
| Workmanship: | scratched after firing |
| Condition: | complete |
|
| |
| Archaeological culture: | La Tène D [from object] |
| Date of inscription: | 150–50 BC [from object] |
|
| |
| Type: | prob. mark of possessor |
| Language: | Cisalpine Gaulish |
| Meaning: | 'of Eskingoriχs' |
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| |
| Alternative sigla: | none |
|
| |
| Sources: | Marchesini & Stifter 2018: 151 f. (no. 1) |
Commentary
First published in Solinas 2016: 375 (no. 1).
Images in Solinas 2016: tav. LV a; Marchesini & Stifter 2018: fig. 4.5.1 (photo and drawing).
Length of inscription 11.5 cm. Individual letters are scratched untidily (esp. epsilon, first kappa), but the inscription is well preserved; the reading is unambiguous.
Omicron is full-height in both instances, probably due to influence from Latin writing (Marchesini & Stifter 2018: 145).
Given that the inscribed vase was found in the grave of an adult male, it is quite possible that it belonged to that man and was buried with him; the inscription would then tell us the name of the deceased. This interpretation, however, is not certain, as the gender of inscribed names found in graves does not always match the sex of the deceased (cf. Pellegrino 2008: 439, n. 19, 447). Cf. VR·29 and VR·27 for possible shortened attestations of the same name. If these three inscriptions do indeed attest the same name, the interments are likely to belong to one family (Marchesini & Stifter 2018: 147).
