CO·80

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Inscription
Reading in transliteration:	tu
Reading in original script:
Object:	CO·80 Alzate Brianza (unknown)
Position:	unknown
Direction of writing:	ambiguous
Script:	perh. North Italic script (Lepontic alphabet)
Number of letters:	2
Number of words:	1
Number of lines:	1
Workmanship:	scratched after firing
Condition:	unknown
Archaeological culture:	La Tène D 2 [from object]
Date of inscription:	80–1 BC [from object]
Type:	unknown
Language:	perhaps Celtic
Meaning:	abbreviation (?)
Alternative sigla:	Whatmough 1933 (PID): 283 Solinas 1995: 53
Sources:	Solinas 1995: 339 no. 53

Commentary

First published in Castelfranco 1879: 15.

Images in Pauli 1885: Taf. I.20 (drawings from Poggi).

Castelfranco records five short graffiti on ceramic vessels or fragments, rendered in type as V, VX, KV, XV (one of those twice apparently). See also Poggi 1879: 307–310, no. 39. Pauli 1885 acquired drawings from Poggi, which show (a) , (b) , (c) , but (d) , read as u, twice tu with different writing direction, and k?? (p. 10 f., no. 20), the last probably regarded upside-down. Pauli's rendering made it to Giussani 1902: 43, no. 12, Rhŷs 1913: 41 (III.2.3) and Whatmough PID: 99, the latter reading (d) as kpp (?); in this form, the graffiti were included by Solinas.

We include Pauli's dextroverse tu (c) as a representative graffito. It may be an abbreviation of a personal name, but is more likely to be a non-script mark considering the other specimens, for which the same applies. See tu for similar graffiti.

Bibliography

Castelfranco 1879	Pompeo Castelfranco, "Tombe gallo-italiche trovate al Soldo presso Alzate in Brianza", Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana 5 (1879), 6–28.