Speaking of lost languages and lost civilizations...
More than three years after its discovery near Lake Bashplemi in Georgia, a mysterious stone tablet continues to intrigue archeologists. This basalt artifact, roughly the size of a small book, features 60 carved symbols, 39 of which are distinct from one another. Despite similarities to other ancient scripts, researchers remain unable to decipher its meaning.
A study recently published in the Journal of Ancient History and Archeology delves into the enigmatic “Bashplemi inscription.” Unearthed in 2021 alongside pottery shards and a stone mortar, the tablet is believed to date back to the Late Bronze or Early Iron Age, roughly the 1st millennium BCE. This estimate aligns with other archeological finds in the area, including 1.8 million-year-old hominid skull fragments discovered in the late 1990s.
The Craftsmanship Behind the Tablet
The tablet’s engravings demonstrate an impressive level of craftsmanship. Researchers believe the scribe used a conic drill to carve the characters’ contours and a specialized round-headed tool to complete the smooth lines. Basalt, known for its hardness, presents significant challenges to carving, making this artifact a testament to the skills of its creator.
The Bashplemi inscription contains seven horizontal lines of symbols, some of which are thought to represent numbers or punctuation due to their repetition. This discovery sheds light on the advanced techniques employed by ancient cultures in the region, particularly those situated on the volcanic plateau around Lake Bashplemi.
Decoding the Mystery Language
What makes the Bashplemi tablet truly fascinating is its unique script. Archeologists have identified possible connections to over 20 ancient writing systems, including pre-Christian Georgian seals from the fourth millennium BCE, early Caucasian languages, Phoenician characters, and even Proto-Sinaitic symbols. Despite these similarities, the script cannot be definitively linked to any one culture, leading researchers to theorize that it might belong to a previously undocumented regional language.
The purpose of the inscription remains unknown, but researchers speculate that its content could reflect military spoils, an important construction, or a ceremonial offering. As they explain, the repeated use of certain symbols might indicate numerical records, further hinting at the inscription’s potential significance.
Whether the Bashplemi tablet’s secrets will ever be fully decoded is uncertain, but the discovery offers a fascinating glimpse into the cultural complexity of the region. Archeologists hope that further excavations and comparative studies may eventually shed light on this ancient enigma.
“Given that the inscription is made on hard-to-work material, and that some frequently repeated symbols may be numbers, [the text] may represent military spoils, an important construction project, or an offering to a deity,” researchers theorized.
