The Hand of Irulegi: Oldest text written in the Basque language discovered in Spain

Archaeologists from the Aranzadi Society of Sciences found the artifact in 2021, During the excavations at the base of Castillo de Irulegiko Gaztelua, near Pamplona, Spain.

The Hand of Irulegi: Oldest text written in the Basque language discovered in SpainA closeup of the ‘Hand of Irulegi’. Credit: Nafarroako Gobernua – CC BY-SA 3.0

The amazing artifact, known as the ‘Hand of Irulegi,’ is thought to be over 2000 years old and originated from the Vascon people in the 1st century BCE.

The inscriptions on it have just recently been identified as Basque, making this hand the first written evidence of the language.

“This hand and the text written on it is the first direct testimony we have received from the Vascon people. It is the first and so far the only time that we have had the opportunity to hear their voice directly,” said Maria Chivite, the regional president of Navarre.

The Hand of Irulegi: Oldest text written in the Basque language discovered in SpainCredit: The Aranzadi Society of Sciences

It is believed that the hand may have been hung from a door, to give protection for the house.

The new study on the Hand of Irulegi has found five Vasconic words across 40 characters. The first word is sorioneku, which sounds similar to the Basque word “zorioneko,” a word that means “good fortune.” The term is followed by four other words whose meaning is obscure. The text can be transliterated as:

sorioneku · {n}
tenekebeekiŕateŕe[n]
oTiŕtan · eseakaŕi
eŕaukon ·

“This piece turns upside down what we thought about the Basques and writing. We were almost convinced that the Basques were illiterate in ancient times and did not use writing, nothing more than to mint some coin,” stated Joaqun Gorrochategui, Professor of Indo-European Philology at the University of the Basque Country.

The Vascones were a pre-Roman tribe. The earliest mention of the Vascones people dates to 1st century CE,  in the form of a list of Basque cities based on a map commissioned by Caesar Augustus. Until now, no written texts had ever been found from the Vascones, and definitely no written evidence of their language, Proto-Basque, which shares linguistic similarities to modern Basque.

Related Posts

Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact

Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain in the Americas thousands of years before European contact

In a discovery that overturns old suppositions about the origin of leprosy, researchers have recovered two extremely well-preserved genomes of Mycobacterium lepromatosis—a rare and severe form of…

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds

Early humans used ochre for advanced toolmaking at Blombos Cave, study finds

A recent study led by researchers at SapienCE has revealed that ochre—previously considered primarily a symbolic pigment—played a crucial role in the production of sophisticated stone tools…

Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome

Intact 7th century Etruscan tomb discovered in San Giuliano necropolis near Rome

An astonishing archaeological discovery has been made in the San Giuliano Necropolis, located in the Marturanum Regional Park near Barbarano Romano, central Italy. The Baylor University team,…

British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet

British archaeologists uncover lost Egyptian city of Imet with rare tower houses and temple to cobra goddess Wadjet

Archaeologists from the University of Manchester and the University of Sadat City, Egypt, uncovered the ancient Egyptian city of Imet, buried under Tell el-Fara’in—also known as Tell…

DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük

DNA reveals female-centered society in 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük

Recent genetic research has shed light on the social structure of Çatalhöyük, a large Neolithic settlement in the center of Turkey that flourished over 9,000 years ago….

Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier

Rare 1,800-year-old Roman soldier’s wrist purse unearthed in Czech Republic reveals life on the empire’s frontier

Archaeologists in South Moravia in the Czech Republic uncovered a rare Roman military discovery—a fragment of a bronze wrist purse that is the oldest such discovery ever…