MA-13 antler

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Object
Classification:	unidentifiable
Material:	antler
Size:	length: 13.5 cm, width: 2.55 cm, height: 1.15 cm
Condition:	damaged
Date:	3rd–2nd centuries BC
Date derived from:	archaeological context
Site:	Magrè (fraction of: Schio, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy)
Field name:	Castello
Archaeological context:	3rd stratum near the medieval tower (Objects: MA-1 antler, MA-2 antler, MA-3 antler, MA-4 antler, MA-5 antler, MA-7 antler, MA-8 antler, MA-9 antler, MA-11 antler, MA-13 antler, MA-14 antler, MA-15 antler, MA-16 antler, MA-17 antler, MA-18 antler, MA-19 antler, MA-20 antler, MA-21 antler, MA-23 antler, MA-24 ingot)
Coordinates (approx.):	45° 42' 21.60" N, 11° 20' 52.80" E [from site]
Find date:	1912
Find circumstances:	excavation
Current location:	Museo Nazionale Atestino
Inventory Nr.:	MNA 58815
Inscription:	MA-13 (es·sθuaθel·pa?inua)
Sources:	Pellegrini 1918: 179 [No. 3], fig. 10 Pellegrini & Sebesta 1965: 3–4, fig. 2 Gambacurta et al. 2002: 189 [cat. No. 22.7] Nothdurfter 2002: 1149 [list 3, No. 5]

Commentary

Antler point.
On the narrow end perforated. Pellegrini describes the antler point as irregular formed due to the contraction at the centre (cp. Pellegrini 1918: 179).
From the perforation, along one side until the wider end an inscription.
After the accidental finding of one antler an official governmental excavation was started. The major part of the findings was discovered at the 3rd stratum near the medieval tower on the hill (cp. Pellegrini 1918: 175).
According to Pellegrini the whole antler group from Magrè dates to the Este culture - Este IV - and due to the archaic appearance of the characters the antlers date to the first half of this period, therefore to the 4th century BC (cp. Pellegrini 1918: 175–176, 206). Gambacurta however dates the entire group to the 3rd–2nd centuries BC (cp. Gambacurta 2002b: 122 and in consequence Gambacurta et al. 2002: 188).
Because of the character of the find place which can definitely interpreted as ritual place, the entire antler group from Magrè has also a votive importance.
In the recently released study about the Raetic inscriptions by Marchesini the antler is listed with "MLR 55", an autopsy was effected (cp. MLR: 88 [MLR 55]).
So far not autopsied by the Thesaurus Inscriptionum Raeticarum. The indications follow the information given in literature (cp. below the bibliography).

S.K.

Bibliography

Gambacurta 2002b	Giovanna Gambacurta, "Manufatti iscritti in osso o corno", in: Giovanna Gambacurta, Daniela Locatelli, Luigi Malnati, Patrizia Manessi, Anna Marinetti, Giovanna Luisa Ravagnan (Eds), Akeo. I tempi della scrittura. Veneti antichi: alfabeti e documenti, 121–126.
Gambacurta et al. 2002	Giovanna Gambacurta, Daniela Locatelli, Luigi Malnati, Patrizia Manessi, Anna Marinetti, Giovanna Luisa Ravagnan (Eds), "Catalogo. Veneti antichi. Alfabeti e documenti", in: Giovanna Gambacurta, Daniela Locatelli, Luigi Malnati, Patrizia Manessi, Anna Marinetti, Giovanna Luisa Ravagnan (Eds), Akeo. I tempi della scrittura. Veneti antichi: alfabeti e documenti, 157–275.