Writing Matters: Italy in the First Millennium BCE

The epigraphy of 1st-millennium-BCE Italy has been studied for many years, but this book takes a more holistic approach that looks at content, archaeological contexts, and materiality of inscriptions. Ruth Whitehouse explores what can be learned about how writing was used by these communities and what it meant to them, using data from Venetic, Raetic, Lepontic, Messapic, and Etruscan inscriptions. Analysis of the datasets reveals similarities and differences between them, as well as features that were widespread in 1st-millennium-BCE Italy and others that were more idiosyncratic and specific to particular cultural groups. Placing materiality at the centre of study allows a reconsideration of the roles writing played in the lives of the individuals and groups who occupied Italy in the 1st millennium BCE.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 03 October 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The epigraphy of 1st-millennium-BCE Italy has been extensively studied, but its focus has primarily been on the languages encoded in the inscriptions and their semantic meanings. However, a more holistic approach is needed to understand the inscriptions' content, archaeological contexts, and materiality. The first writing in Italy was introduced by the Phoenicians and Greeks in the 9th–8th centuries BCE and was adopted by various indigenous communities over time to write their own languages. Ruth Whitehouse's book explores what can be learned about how writing was used by these communities and what it meant to them. The book focuses on the Venetic and Raetic languages of the northeast, the Lepontic language of the northwest, the Messapic language of the southeast, and the Etruscan language of west central Italy, extending into Campania in the south and the Po plain in the north. While not a comprehensive survey, the datasets provide enough diversity to allow for a comparative approach. Analysis of the datasets reveals similarities and differences between the groups, as well as features that were widespread in 1st-millennium-BCE Italy and others that were more idiosyncratic and specific to particular cultural groups. Placing materiality at the center of study allows for a reconsideration of the roles writing played in the lives of the individuals and groups who occupied Italy in the 1st millennium BCE.

Weight: 650g
Dimension: 240 x 162 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350412514