Ts 1
| Transliteration | .o..s.tiiare.i. |
|---|---|
| Object | bronze situla |
| Script | Venetic alphabet |
| Language | Venetic |
| Writing direction | dextroverse |
| Technique | incised |
| Condition | non-fragmentary |
| Findspot | Škocjan, Skeletna jama |
| Archaeological context | gravesite in a cave |
| Archaeological culture | to be inserted |
| Date | 5th-4th c. BC |
Original text
Commentary
The bronze situla, discovered in 1911 by a local amateur along with bronze jewellery and a fibula of Certosa type, was found adjacent to the remains of a male human skeleton. Both the fibula and the situla bearing the inscription were dated to the 5th or 4th century BC.
The inscription, designated Ts1, is deeply incised into the rim of the situla. The writing direction is dextroverse, except for the letter r, which faces left. Despite this irregularity, the inscription is legible, with punctuation placed as expected, although the final grapheme is somewhat contorted and partly lost (Pellegrino, 1967). Nevertheless, the inscription unmistakably reads .o..s.tiiare.i, most likely indicating an anthroponym in the dative case. Considering that the human remains found alongside the situla belonged to a male, it is probable that the personal name in question was also male. Given the context in which the artefact was discovered, the inscription likely serves as a designation of the deceased.
The letter shapes exhibit characteristics of the Este type of the Venetic alphabet, which, along with the correct placement of interpunctuation, allows the inscription to be dated to the Este III period, circa 500–350 BC (Istenič, 1985). Thus, the dating of the inscription corresponds to that of the object itself.
Bibliography
Istenič, Janka (1985). Zapisi v venetski pisavi na Koroškem in v Sloveniji. Zgodovinski časopis 39, pp. 324–325.
Lejeune, Michele (1974). Manuel de la Langue Vénète. Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter, p. 309.
Pellegrini, Giovan Battista & Prosdocimi, Aldo Luigi (1967). La lingua venetica. Padova Firenze: Istituto di glottologia dell'Universita di Padova Circolo linguistico fiorentino, pp. 604–605.
