archaeologist in Tuscany , northerly Italy , have uncovered a rarefied example of what they believe to be an Etruscan sacred textbook go steady back to the sixth C BCE . find embedded in the basis of an ancient temple , the inscription is expected to let on detail of the Etruscan pantheon of gods , enable research worker to meet in the gaps in their knowledge about this long - lost finish , while also refining their mastery of the Etruscan language .
Exerting a substantial influence over much of northern Italy between 800 and 400 BCE , theEtruscancivilization is credited with laying the foundations of some of the country ’s most culturally significant cities , including Florence , Pisa , and even Rome .
Until now , the big clues about Etruscan life have come from abbreviated inscriptions find on graves and other funerary item . Studying these findings has enable researchers to learn the fundamentals of theEtruscan language , although recollective texts describing the hunky-dory point of this ancient culture have remained conspicuously lacking from the consistence of archaeological grounds .
It ’s for this intellect that scholars are so excited about the new discovery , which consist of a declamatory stone slab measuring almost 1.2 meter ( 4 metrical foot ) in height and over 0.6 meter ( 2 feet ) in width . Known as a stela , the enormous 225 - kilogram ( 500 - pound ) cylinder block appear to contain a lengthy inscription , although thousands of years of weathering and erosion have left only 70 letters and punctuation brand seeable to the raw eye .
pick up by researchers from the Mugello Valley Archaeological Project at the Poggio Colla site , the stele is due to undergo encompassing conservation at the Tuscan Archaeological Superintendency in Florence , where experts will use photogrammetry and optical maser scanning to expose the remaining characters .
Principle Investigator Gregory Wardencommentedon the finding by say “ we hope to make inroads into the Etruscan language . ” While previous discoveries have already molt luminance on the fundamentals of Etruscan grammar , “ long inscriptions are rarefied , specially one this long , so there will be fresh words that we have never get word before . ”
In addition to providing new brainwave into the workings of this ancient words , Warden is also especially bright that the stela “ will disclose the name of the god or goddess that [ was ] worship at this web site . ” In doing so , it may help to disgorge light on the notion system at the heart and soul of one of western civilization ’s most key patrimonial polish .
