Vače

Transliteration	t'erisna
Object	bronze helmet
Script	Rhaetic alphabet
Language	Rhaetic
Writing direction	sinistroverse
Technique	embossed
Condition	non-fragmentary
Findspot	Vače near Litija
Archaeological context	to be inserted
Archaeological culture	to be inserted
Date	second half of the 5th c. BC

Original text

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Commentary

The inscription was embossed on the chamfer using a pointed tool. All the characters are easily legible. The first letter consists of a hasta topped by a circle of eight indentations and an additional single indentation above the circle. The letter has in the past been interpreted as a form of zeta for t (Marstrander 1927: 20 ff., Prosdocimi & Scardigli 1976: 228), as Etruscan f (Kretschmer 1943: 186), or as iota (Schneider 1892: 54, Pellegrini 1969: 50 f., Egg 1986: 228). Mancini (1991) determined it to be a specific sign denoting a dental and concluded the letter to be another variant of the Rhaetic special character for a dental affricate. Schumacher (2004) also argued for a dental reading. This is further supported by a possible Etruscan etymology. Rix (1998) compares Etruscan zeri, which Vetter (1924) translates as "all, everyone". An adjective derived with the genitival suffix -na  results in Etr. *zerisna "belonging to everyone, public". This theory is expanded by Heiner Eichner with his interpretation of Lemn. zari[  "for everybody".

The word occurs six other times in the corpus, usually on objects and in inscriptions with a fairly certain votive function and once on another helmet. If the interpretation is correct, it can be speculated that in these two cases, the word denoted helmets belonging to the community, to be dispersed to helmless individuals when needed.

Bibliography

Eichner, Heiner (2011). Anmerkungen zum Etruskischen in memoriam Helmut Rix. Alessandria 5, pp. 67–92.

Schumacher, Stefan (2004). Die rätischen Inschriften. Geschichte und heutiger Stand der Forschung (= Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Kulturwissenschaft 121). Innsbruck: Institut für Sprachen und Literaturen der Universität Innsbruck.

Eichner, Heiner, Istenič, Janka & Lovenjak, Milan (1994). Ein römerzeitliches Keramikgefäß aus Ptuj (Pettau, Poetovio) in Slowenien mit Inschrift in unbekanntem Alphabet und epichorischer (vermutlich keltischer) Sprache. Arheološki vestnik 45, pp. 131–142.

Rix, Helmut (1998). Rätisch und Etruskisch (= Innsbrucker Beiträge zur Sprachwissenschaft, Vorträge und kleinere Schriften 68). Innsbruck: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft.

Mancini, Alberto (1991). Iscrizioni retiche e iscrizioni camune. Due ambiti a confronto. Quaderni del Dipartimento di Linguistica -Università di Firenze 2, pp. 77–113.

Egg, Markus (1986). Italische Helme. Studien zu den ältereisenzeitlichen Helmen Italiens und der Alpen. Teil 1: Text, Teil 2: Tafeln. Mainz: Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum.

Marstrander, Carl (1927). Remarques sur les inscriptions des casques en bronze de Negau et de Watsch. Avhandlinger utgitt av Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi i Oslo. Hist.-filos. klasse 1926/2, pp. 1–26.

Vetter, Emil (1924). Etruskische Wortdeutungen. Glotta 13, pp. 138–149.

Image

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