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Ancient bronze hand’s inscription points to origins of Basque language

Text on an artefact found in northern Spain resembles a present-day Basque word that means ‘of good fortune’.
Photograph of the Irulegi Hand.

The hole and other features of this bronze hand found in northern Spain suggest that it was hung as good-luck charm. Credit: M. Aiestaran et al./Antiquity (CC BY 4.0)

Inscriptions carved on a 2,100-year-old bronze hand might be the earliest written example of the language that gave rise to modern Basque1, archaeologists say.

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Nature 626, 931 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00507-9

References

  1. Aiestaran, M. et al. Antiquity https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2023.199 (2024).

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