SZ-1.2

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Inscription
Transliteration:	epeθaṿ$iiiii iθiiiii
Original script:
Object:	SZ-1 bronze (bronze) (Inscriptions: SZ-1.1, SZ-1.2)
Position:	back
Script:	North Italic script (Sanzeno alphabet)
Direction of writing:	sinistroverse
Letter height:	11 cm <br /> – 2.1 cm
Number of letters:	5
Number of lines:	1
Craftsmanship:	embossed
Current condition:	complete
Date of inscription:
Date derived from:
Language:	unknown
Meaning:	unknown
Alternative sigla:	IR 14 LIR SA-2b
Sources:	Schumacher 2004: 131, 335

Images

Object SZ-1 bronze with inscription SZ-1.2 - rear side.

Commentary

First published in Mayr 1950: 333 (no. I). Autopsied by TIR in October 2014.

Images in Mayr 1950: 335 (I), Pellegrini 1951: no. 1b (photo) and 307 (1b) (drawing), Morandi 1982: 203 (drawing), LIR (photo and drawing = IR).

Inscribed on the back of the bronze, starting from the head, with characters extending over the entire breadth of the object. Length of the entire sequence 9 cm. The second is disturbed by the drilled hole. After the first five characters, which appear to be letters, a hasta with two very faint bars – possibly . The bars extend into the angle of the symbol , followed by five vertical lines (the one closest to the symbol is not closer than the hasta of potential ). Then, a gap of about 1 cm, and another group of verticals and a St. Andrew's cross. Everything from the symbol onwards in surely ornamental; it is not clear whether the letters spell out a word, and if so, where it ends. Cp. enpeθa?, followed by two groups of criss-crossing lines, on SZ-15.2. Seeing as the hole appears to have been drilled after the inscription was applied, but rather before SZ-2.1 was written (where the letters avoid the hole), the inscription on the back may well be a factory mark – note that SZ-15.2 appears on a very similar fish-shaped bronze. The letters could either spell out (part of) a name or other designation, or represent pseudo-script. Pellegrini 1951: 328 suggests a pricemark. Cp. SZ-4.2 / SZ-5.2, also similar bronzes, with the same symbol on the back.

Further references: Pellegrini 1951: 306 ff. (no. 1b), Mayr 1952: 175 (1b), Vetter 1954: 70 (1b), Morandi 1982: 202 f.

Bibliography

IR	Alberto Mancini, "Iscrizioni retiche", Studi Etruschi 43 (1975), 249–306.
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)
Mayr 1950	Karl M. Mayr, "Die Inschriften der Votive von Sanzeno (1)", Der Schlern 24 (1950), 332–336, 407–409.
Mayr 1952	Karl M. Mayr, "Zu den Inschriften der Votive von Sanzeno", Der Schlern 26 (1952), 175–177.