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Experts trying to decipher ancient language
Ap via Excite.com ^ | Feb 28, 2009 | By BARRY HATTON

Posted on 02/28/2009 12:35:50 PM PST by ApplegateRanch

When archaeologists on a dig in southern Portugal last year flipped over a heavy chunk of slate and saw writing not used for more than 2,500 years, they were elated.

The enigmatic pattern of inscribed symbols curled symmetrically around the upper part of the rough-edged, yellowish stone tablet and coiled into the middle in a decorative style typical of an extinct Iberian language called Southwest Script.

"We didn't break into applause, but almost," says Amilcar Guerra, a University of Lisbon lecturer overseeing the excavation. "It's an extraordinary thing."

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.excite.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: archeology; celtiberians; epigraphyandlanguage; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; herodotus; linguistics; misnomer; portugal; spain; tarshish; tartessian; tartessians; tartessos
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No photos, but Wiki has some at Tartessian_script

Also, check Tartessos

1 posted on 02/28/2009 12:35:50 PM PST by ApplegateRanch
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To: SunkenCiv

Ping


2 posted on 02/28/2009 12:36:52 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (If Liberalism doesn't kill me, I'll live 'till I die!)
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To: ApplegateRanch

3 posted on 02/28/2009 12:39:41 PM PST by pabianice
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To: ApplegateRanch
"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine."

4 posted on 02/28/2009 12:45:52 PM PST by AHerald ("Be faithful to God ... do not bother about the ridicule of the foolish." - St. Pio of Pietrelcina)
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To: pabianice

Daniel?


5 posted on 02/28/2009 12:47:19 PM PST by AFreeBird
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To: ApplegateRanch

I read that they translated the tablet just today. It says “People of the future, beware of The One named Obama if you value your culture, freedom and wallet.”


6 posted on 02/28/2009 12:48:10 PM PST by LostInBayport (When more than 98% of the Republicans on Capitol Hill vote against a bill, it is not bipartisan.)
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To: AFreeBird
Daniel?

Jack? Sam? Teal'c?

7 posted on 02/28/2009 12:50:48 PM PST by filbert (More filbert at http://www.medary.com)
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To: ApplegateRanch

8 posted on 02/28/2009 12:53:16 PM PST by wastedyears (April 21st, 2009 - International Iron Maiden Day)
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To: pabianice

Hummm..... Base 3?


9 posted on 02/28/2009 12:59:03 PM PST by An Old Man (Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without.)
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To: ApplegateRanch

Reformed Egyptian?


10 posted on 02/28/2009 1:07:38 PM PST by greyfoxx39 (buckle in for 4 more years of detached, grandstanding flourish left untethered by an incurious media)
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To: greyfoxx39
Reformed Egyptian?

LOL

11 posted on 02/28/2009 1:18:12 PM PST by Netizen
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To: ApplegateRanch
Southwest Script?

Maybe the Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine will have an article on this.

12 posted on 02/28/2009 1:27:56 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: ApplegateRanch

Iway uspectsay itway isway anway ancientway ormfay ofway igpay atinlay.


13 posted on 02/28/2009 2:29:17 PM PST by bgill
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To: AHerald

LOL

I was going to go for

Drink more Olv....

or

Eat at Joes


14 posted on 02/28/2009 2:30:08 PM PST by ASOC (This space could be employed, if I could only get a bailout...)
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To: Netizen
¿¿¿ɔıxǝןsʎp sɐʍ oɥʍ ǝuoǝɯos ʎq uǝʇʇıɹʍ uǝǝq ǝʌɐɥ pןnoɔ ʇı ʎןqıssod
15 posted on 02/28/2009 3:10:24 PM PST by greyfoxx39 (buckle in for 4 more years of detached, grandstanding flourish left untethered by an incurious media)
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To: ApplegateRanch
"We didn't break into applause, but almost," says Amilcar Guerra ...

Slightly off subject but I'm struck by this gent's name. Anybody remember the 1st great Carthaginian General of the Punic Wars? Hamilcar Barca was both that and the father of the famous Hannibal Barca of 'over the Alps with Elephants' and crushing Rome [almost]. Hamilcar conquered much of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal) before dying. Given the frequently silent 'h', one wonders if history lives in his name?

Also commend to Alternative History SF aficionados the S.M.Stirling Trilogy, "Island in the Sea of Time" where a main opposition character is a native Tartessian. This is a well done series about Nantucket Island being transposed to 1350 BC and encounters with an active Stonehenge community and Troy and Odysseus. The Tartessian antagonist is motivated because the modern history books of 1999 AD have bare mention of his nation and culture!

16 posted on 02/28/2009 3:13:41 PM PST by SES1066 (Cycling to conserve, Conservative to save, Saving to Retire, will Retire to Cycle.)
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To: SES1066

... I’m struck by this gent’s name.

Good catch!


17 posted on 02/28/2009 3:24:29 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ApplegateRanch
The enigmatic pattern of inscribed symbols curled symmetrically around the upper part of the rough-edged, yellowish stone tablet and coiled into the middle in a decorative style typical of an extinct Iberian language called Southwest Script.

Go

Perhaps now we'll get to the bottom of this Dighton Rock business.

18 posted on 02/28/2009 3:33:14 PM PST by Oratam
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To: ApplegateRanch

We are going to find out that this is not a language, but simply early gang symbols/graffiti.


19 posted on 02/28/2009 3:49:41 PM PST by Right Wing Assault
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To: ApplegateRanch

All I can say about this is, bilaketak egitean edozein alfabeto erabili ahal duzu eta datu-basean agertzen diren erdal formak ere aurkitzen ahaleginduko da bilatzailea.


20 posted on 02/28/2009 3:55:19 PM PST by Right Wing Assault
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