UNKNOWN LANGUAGE FOUND ON MYSTERIOUS STONE TABLET:

 

Bashplemi Lake, near Dmansis, Georgia. Online image, public domain.

A basalt tablet was discovered in 2021 near Bashplemi Lake in the Dmansis municipality, Georgia, which bears and inscription in an unknown script. The team who studied the tablet tentatively date it to the Late Bronze/Early Iron Ages. The stone itself is of local origin and the incised characters bear resemblance to at least 20 other ancient scripts from the Near East and Mediterranean regions. (Shengelia et al. 2024:96)

According to a study published in the Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology, the tablet measures 24.1 x 20.1 cm. The characters are organized into seven vertical registers running vertically, although the direction in which the inscription should be read is uncertain. (Milligan 2024) In the published photograph and drawing, however, the tablet appears to be rotated ninety degrees clockwise leaving the seven registers horizontal. Later in their paper the authors (Shengelia et al. 2024) from the team studying the stone state that the characters run horizontally, not vertically, so in this they contradict Milligan.

Tablet found at Bashplemi Lake, near Dmansis, Georgia. Online image, public domain.

“The history of studying pre-Christian scripts in Georgia begins with the archeological studies of the ancient city of Mtskheta, which was the capital before the Fifth century. In the 1920s-1950s period, 10 ancient epigraphic monuments were discovered there (five Greek, two Hebrew, one Pahlavi (Middle Persian), and one Aramaic. - - In addition, one Greek-Aramaic bilingual stele was found there. A fragmentary inscription of (the) pre-Christian period was found in Nekresi Monastery (extreme east of Georgia) and city ruins. Over the last two or three decades, attention has been paid to the so-called cryptographic images discovered in the territory of Georgia (especially in the mountainous regions). These images have been intensively gathered and studied (Great Catalogue of Petroglyphs of Georgia 2010). Regarding their fragmented nature, they are unreadable; however, the question of their origin and graphical similarity to some other scripts has also been debated. It is highly likely that these stones were reused.” (Shengelia et al. 2024:98)

The tablet was analyzed and proven to be made of vesicular basalt, grayish in color with lighter inclusions. The carved characters were determined to have been drilled with a conical drill and then the drill holes were connected. The resulting lines are round-bottomed and smooth with traces of many of the original holes visible. (Shengelia et al. 2024:99)

The photograph released purporting to be of the tablet is obviously not gray, vesicular basalt so I assume it to be a plaster cast, probably of the original.

Tracing of the tablet found at Bashplemi Lake, near Dmansis, Georgia. Online image, public domain.

Comparisons of these characters with a large number of other scripts showed many relative similarities, but no full agreement. Most notable similarities were with Caucasian scripts (Georgian Mrgvlovani, Albanian, and proto-Georgian). Based upon other artifacts recovered from the area of this discovery the authors concluded the given date of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age. The actual original finders of the inscribed plaque were local residents who supposedly received no reward, so the authors took this as a sign of authenticity, no motive for hoaxing. (Shengelia et al. 2024)

They also did not mention whether this was a surface find or dug up, and as I assume we are looking at a plaster cast, there is not any indication of a patina on the image presented. So, is this a real artifact, or a forgery? Based on the image and information presented I do not believe we can reach a conclusion.

NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.

REFERENCES:

Milligan, Mark, 2024, Unknown language found on mysterious stone tablet, 3 December 2024, https://www.heritagedaily.com/. Accessed online 3 December 2024.

Shengelia, Ramaz et al., 2024, Discovery of Unknown Script Sign in Georgia: the Bashplemi Lake Tablet, Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology, No. 11(3), pp. 96-113, November 2024. DOI:10.14795/j.v11i3.1035.