BZ-2

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Inscription
Transliteration:	enikes
Original script:
Object:	BZ-2 axe (bronze)
Position:	back area"back area" is not in the list (front, back, top, bottom, inside, outside, neck, shoulder, foot, handle, ...) of allowed values for the "position" property., side"side" is not in the list (front, back, top, bottom, inside, outside, neck, shoulder, foot, handle, ...) of allowed values for the "position" property.
Script:	North Italic script
Direction of writing:	ambiguous
Letter height:	1.1 cm – 1.7 cm
Number of letters:	6
Number of lines:	1
Craftsmanship:	chased"chased" is not in the list (painted, cast, unknown, engraved, incised, incised before firing, embossed, impressed) of allowed values for the "craftsmanship" property.
Current condition:	complete, restored
Archaeological culture:	Hallstatt D, La Tène A [from object]
Date of inscription:	5th century BC [from object]
Date derived from:	typology [from object]
Language:	unknown
Meaning:
Alternative sigla:	PID 190 LIR BZ-18
Sources:	Schumacher 2004: 178 LIR: 60-61

Commentary

The orientation of the inscription is ambiguous: Either or is written upside-down. Above representation chooses the sinistroverse reading because of its statistical prevalence and the more usual orientation of . The execution of the strokes, on the other hand, points toward a dextroverse reading, assuming that the side with the letters aligned more neatly (the one with the tips of ) is the upper side. Compare BZ-1 for another inscription of doubtful orientation, which might be read dextroverse with upside-down .

Bibliography

Battisti 1936	Carlo Battisti, "Rivista Linguistica Etrusca 1932-35 (Prima puntata)", Studi Etruschi 10 (1936), 488–517.
Battisti 1944	Carlo Battisti, "Osservazioni sulla lingua delle iscrizioni nell'alfabeto etrusco settentrionale di Bolzano", Studi Etruschi 18 (1944), 199–236.
Campi 1901	Luigi Campi, "Iscrizione Funeraria Etrusca Rinvenuto in Tavon nella Naunia", Archivio Trentino XVI (1901), 3–12.
Kretschmer 1943	Paul Kretschmer, "Die vorgriechischen Sprach- und Volksschichten (Fortsetzung)", Glotta 30 (1943), 84–218.
LIR	Alberto Mancini, Le Iscrizioni Retiche [= Quaderni del dipartimento di linguistica, Università degli studi di Firenze Studi 8–9], Padova: Unipress 2009–10. (2 volumes)