VA·20

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Inscription
Reading in transliteration: (?)naśịọụị?ọ? §
Reading in original script: ?O2 s?I sU sO2 sI sŚ sA sN6 s(?)

Object: VA·20 Arsago Seprio (bowl)
Position: bottom, outside
Orientation: 180°
Direction of writing: sinistroverse
Script: North Italic script (Lepontic alphabet)
adapted to: Latin script
Number of letters: 10–11
Number of words: 1
Number of lines: 1
Workmanship: scratched
Condition: damaged, fragmentary

Archaeological culture: La Tène D [from object]
Date of inscription: late 2nd–1st c. BC [from object]

Type: unknown
Language: unknown
Meaning: unknown

Alternative sigla: Morandi 2004: 120

Sources: Morandi 2004: 604 no. 120

Images

Commentary

First published in Volontè Fredini 1990: 68, 72.

Images in Veronesi 1990: tav. Vd (drawing), Morandi 2001: 12, no. 5 (drawing), Morandi 2004: 603, fig. 16.129 (drawing) and tav. XVIII.120 (photo).

Inscribed upside-down on the bottom of the vessel near the rim of the foot. Volontè Fredini read anasc (also Solinas 1995: 384 anask). The reading given above is based on Morandi's (also 2001: 12, no. 5): naśiọụị?ọị. Morandi describes the traces identified as initial alpha by Volontè Fredini as an unintentional half-moon-shaped scratch. naś- is the only clearly legible part, all the following letters have their lower parts missing and/or are heavily abraded. Judging by the drawing, the unidentified letter in Morandi's reading could be T s (naśiouito?). Morandi identifies the letter after omicron as iota, but the drawing indicates particular uncertainty. The last character is judged by Morandi to be a para-script sign, possibly a potter's mark and presumably unconnected with the inscription. The alphabet is Lepontic (alpha, san), but nu has a Latin shape (cf. VA·19 from the same grave).

If the identification of the last two letters is correct, the ending -oi̯ may indicate a plural form, though this is otherwise unattested among the graffiti from this necropolis, and we would expect a personal name. Maybe the last letter is "flat" sigma at repeatedly attested at Sant'Ambrogio (cf. VA·7, VA·8 and S on cases of uncertainty concerning final iota vs. sigma) – naśiouit?os? Morandi compares naśi- with VB·3.1 naśom, but the latter is probably a misreading. See the word page for possible analyses of the form.

David Stifter, Corinna Salomon

Bibliography