Hand of Irulegi
The Hand of Irulegi is a late Iron Age archaeological artifact unearthed in 2021 during excavations in the archaeological site of Irulegi (Navarre),[1] next to the medieval castle of Irulegi, located in the municipality of Aranguren, to the south of Pamplona in Navarre, Basque Country. The bronze artifact has the distinctive shape of a right hand with extended fingers. It has five separate strings of letters, probably corresponding to five or more words, carved on the side that represents the back of a hand. It predates the earliest known attestation so far of a Basque word (with the exception of proper names) by around 1000 years.
| Hand of Irulegi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Year | Between 80 and 72 BC |
| Medium | bronze |
| Subject | hand-shaped charm |
| Dimensions | 143.1 mm × 127.9 mm (5.63 in × 5.04 in) |
| Weight | 35.9 |
| Condition | Fair |
| Location | Aranguren |
| Website | Aranzadi Science Society |
Context and form
The "Hand of Irulegi"[lower-alpha 1] has been a working title assigned to the archaeological find. It dates from the 1st century BC. At the time, during the period of Sertorian Wars, the native population took sides and the settlement came under attack, extending the fire throughout the fortified town as a result.[2] As outlined by Juantxo Agirre Mauleon, secretary of the Science Society Aranzadi, which conducted the excavation, the roof of the dwelling collapsed, which allowed for the preservation of archaeological remains under the debris. The hand may have hung from the door, where it provided protection for the house.[2] According to a report in The Economist, 'such striking hand-shaped designs are unknown in Spanish or neighbouring cultures'.[3] However, similar objects known as hamsa are found in various cultures of the Middle East and North Africa, including Phoenician colonies in the Iberian peninsula.
Inscription
The text can be transliterated from Northeastern Iberian script as:
sorioneku · {n}
tenekebeekiŕateŕe[n]
oTiŕtan · eseakaŕi
eŕaukon ·
The first string of letters reads sorioneku, echoed in the present-day Basque language by the widely used zorioneko, a compound word meaning "(of) good fortune(s)". The word is accompanied by at least four other words whose meaning is not as apparent. The Hand of Irulegi is the oldest surviving example of the Basque language, written in Iberian script, and adapted to allow for the language's own characteristics.[2][4] The inscription contains a ⟨
⟩-shaped letter that has only been found in Vasconic areas,[5] previously seen on two coins. The phonetic value of this letter is unknown, so it is left untransliterated as capital ⟨T⟩ above.
Discovery
Although announced on 14 November 2022, with the intervention of the regional president of Navarre, the unearthing goes back to June 2021, when the excavating team led by Mattin Aiestaran found it. The piece was then handed over to researchers for their consideration, who have hailed it as highly important.[2][5]
On 18 January 2022, during the cleaning process, Carmen Usua, the restorer, noticed that there was writing present.[6] Epigraphers found that the hand had a natural downward position.[7]
See also
References
- Aiestaran, Mattin; González, Daniel Ruiz; Sesma, Jesús Sesma; Gazólaz, Jesús García; Alustiza, José Antonio Mujika; Avilés, Eneko Iriarte; Mauleon, Juantxo Agirre (2021). "Trabajos arqueológicos en el yacimiento de Irulegi (Valle de Aranguren)" [Archaeological work at the Irulegi site (Valley of Aranguren)]. Trabajos de arqueología Navarra (in Spanish). 33: 103–111. ISSN 0211-5174. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- "They discover "the oldest written testimony in the Basque language" in a bronze from the 1st century BC found in Navarra". Time News. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- 'Written Basque may be 1,000 years older than anyone thought', The Economist (17 November 2022).
- Olaya, Vicente G. (14 November 2022). "Researchers claim to have found earliest document written in Basque 2,100 years ago". El País English Edition. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- Conde-Egia, Eider (14 November 2022). "La escritura en la mano" [The writing in the hand]. Aranzadi (in Spanish). aramzadi. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- Imaz, Andoni (14 November 2022). ""Hizkuntza baskonikozko idazkunik zaharrena aurkitu dute Nafarroan, K. a. I mendekoa: 'sorioneku'"" ["The oldest writing in the Basque language has been found in Navarre, B.C. 1st century: 'sorioneku'»]. Berria (in Basque). Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- "Hizkuntza baskonikozko idazkunik zaharrenaren aurkikuntza (azpitituluekin)" [The discovery of the oldest written text in the Basque language (with subtitles)] (in Basque). berriatb. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022 – via YouTube.
External links
