Irulegi Hand -  Vascones: A Preliterate Society

Introduction

Researcher report on an inscription on a bronze hand which represents a graphic subsystem of Palaeohispanic that shares its roots with the modern Basque language and constitutes the first example of Vasconic epigraphy.

The Vasconic language appears to differ from other Palaeohispanic languages in that while the number of known inscriptions is very low, it seems to have persisted through the Roman, and subsequent Germanic, period, and—along with Aquitanian—could be related to present-day Basque. In contrast, while there are many more inscriptions in other Palaeohispanic languages (just over 100 in Tartessian, nearly 2500 in Iberian and approximately 300 in Celtiberian), these languages all became extinct under the pressure of Latin. In this context, the recent discovery at the Late Iron Age site of Irulegi of a Vasconic text inscribed on a bronze hand is an important find. In this article, we present this inscribed object and discuss its contribution to the study of the Vasconic language, writing systems and beliefs.

Introduction

Researcher report on an inscription on a bronze hand which represents a graphic subsystem of Palaeohispanic that shares its roots with the modern Basque language and constitutes the first example of Vasconic epigraphy.

The Vasconic language appears to differ from other Palaeohispanic languages in that while the number of known inscriptions is very low, it seems to have persisted through the Roman, and subsequent Germanic, period, and—along with Aquitanian—could be related to present-day Basque. In contrast, while there are many more inscriptions in other Palaeohispanic languages (just over 100 in Tartessian, nearly 2500 in Iberian and approximately 300 in Celtiberian), these languages all became extinct under the pressure of Latin. In this context, the recent discovery at the Late Iron Age site of Irulegi of a Vasconic text inscribed on a bronze hand is an important find. In this article, we present this inscribed object and discuss its contribution to the study of the Vasconic language, writing systems and beliefs.

Context

The artefact reported here was uncovered in stratigraphic unit located inside building. This deposit was recovered from the entrance of the building and consisted of clay-silt sediments with a high carbonate content, possibly derived from the buildings burned and collapsed thatched roof. The lower part of this deposit included pieces of burnt adobe and carbonised wood fragments. Evidence for widespread burning across the site, combined with the many weapons (Figure S1) recovered from the interior of the habitational structures and the quantity and variety of other finds found in primary contexts, strongly suggest that the site was intentionally destroyed by fire.

The material assemblages from primary contexts dating to the first quarter of the first century BC include coins, weapons, pottery, domesticated animal bone, metallurgical slags and burins for incising metal. The ceramics include imported Campanian ware dated between 150 and 80 BC.

Epigraphic and linguistic characteristics

The two-step method, with the use of both sgraffito and punched techniques in the same inscription, has not previously been documented in Palaeohispanic inscriptions. This two step method is also unusual in Latin inscriptions: the only known example is a silver patera with an inscribed dedication found at Bourge.

The presence of the T sign suggests that the script used on the Irulegi hand corresponds to a distinct Palaeohispanic subsystem. Until now, this sign has only been recorded in coin legends usually transcribed as oTtikes and uTanbaate, both belonging to the group of the so-called ‘Vasconic mints’. The identification of the first example of T in a non-numismatic text is highly significant, because it demonstrates that this sign was used in multiple epigraphic contexts and because it confirms the existence of a graphic subsystem that, considering its geographical distribution and the increasingly solid linguistic evidence associated with it, must be described as a ‘Vasconic script’. The relationship of this script with the remaining Palaeohispanic scripts require further study. Recent research suggests that the T sign might correspond to either a nasal or a pre-dorsal affricate; but so far there is no unanimous opinion and other values, such as a fortis lateral, cannot be ruled out.

Regarding the analysis of the text, the use of interpuncts has the function of establishing sections, syntagms or phrases that clearly encompass more than one word. This word, isolated in line 1, could mention the divinity, be it Good Fortune or another deity, to which the inscription would have been dedicated.

The remarkable similarity between the first word in the text, sorioneku, and the Basque word zorioneko—‘of good fortune’, a flection-derivation of the sequence zori ‘fortune’ + (h)on ‘good’—could be taken to be a coincidence, were it not for the evident symbolism of the artefact and its find spot at the heart of Vasconic territory. Both words are of early date within the Basque vocabulary; even the union of both elements is recorded in the oldest Basque documents. Finding a final -u vowel where -o is generally found in Basque is unexpected. The antiquity of a word formation through the interposition of a union -e- between a consonant-ending word and the suffix -ko is similarly surprising. The sgraffito version, however, offers sorioneke. The reason for this differences obscure; the final -(e)ke may be the ending of some Basque-Aquitaine divinities recorded in Latin inscriptions on altars.

Conclusion

The Irulegi hand must be considered as a well-integrated element within the cultural context of the settlement for three reasons. First, bronze is not an unusual material at the site and there are signs that the hand may have been manufactured in situ. Second, there is additional evidence of writing at Irulegi and from within the same structure from which the hand was recovered, including a stylus and two incised pottery sherds. Third, the location in which the hand was found suggests that it was nailed to a wooden support at the entrance of the building, to be displayed and read. The orientation of the text and the presence of a single hole for fastening further suggest that the hand was intended to hang with the fingers pointing downwards.

These iconographic examples may relate to the custom, attributed by Classical Greek sources to the Iberians, of cutting off the heads and hands of defeated enemies to hang them either from the waist or at the entrance to settlements, houses or temples.

For Irulegi, it seems clear that the artefact represents a ritual hand, possibly rooted in an Iberian and Pyrenean cultural tradition. Representations of the back of open right hands, orientated in the same manner, have been found in Iron Age contexts only in the Vasconic and Iberian areas. Yet the hand, in its multiple forms, is a widespread symbol in many cultures worldwide.

The implications of the discovery of the Irulegi hand for the epigraphic and historical understanding of the Vasconic territory, as well as the possible linguistic connections between the Vasconic, Iberian and modern Basque languages, require further in-depth analysis. Given the scarcity of other firm evidence, the Irulegi hand and its inscription will henceforth constitute an indispensable starting point for the establishment of a linguistic map of the region and any debate on the origin and development of the Vasconic language and script.