Palaeohispanica. Review about languages and cultures of Ancient Hispania
Palaeohispanica has been published annually since 2001. Its scope of attention is, primarily, the Paleohispanística, that is, the interdisciplinary study of the languages, scriptures and local cultures of the Iberian Peninsula (Iberians, Basques, Celtiberians, etc.) and its relations with the colonial ones (Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans). Additionally, it also pays attention to the remaining Palaeo-European languages, scriptures and cultures. The journal has an interdisciplinary dimension. Its target audience is the community of researchers in the areas of knowledge of linguistics, history of writing, epigraphy, numismatics, archeology, ancient history. Its periodicity is annual.
Institución Fernando el Católico, Excma. Diputación Provincial de Zaragoza (España)
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Cubic Factory is in charge of handling said data. They can be contacted at cubic@cubicfactory.com. Data can be given to public agencies with the relevant competencies and in case of legal obligations. Those who are interested can exercise their rights of access, correction, suppression, limitation of the use, opposition and portability by contacting ifc@dpz.es. Users can also go to the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos to make any complaints that they feel is necessary. User information will be kept during the period in which it is needed to complete the task for which said information was provided in the first place or for the period necessary to comply with any legal obligations. Once a given objective has been completed, personal data that is not part of fulfillment of public service will be blocked until the applicable period has ended. Ethical and confidentiality policy of Palaeohispanica can be consulted here.
Introduction to the volume 25 of the journal Palaeohispanica, consisting of the proceedings of the 15th Colloquium of Palaeohispanic Languages and Cultures.
Copyright (c) 2025 Francisco Beltrán Lloris https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The 15th International Colloquium of Palaeohispanic Languages and Cultures. A Chronicle
Chronicle of the 15th International Colloquium on Palaeohispanic Languages and Cultures.
Copyright (c) 2025 Eugenio Ramón Luján Martínez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The etymology of the toponyms Thagaste (Numidia) and Tegueste, Tagaste, Igueste, Teguisse (Canary Islands): tracing back from Proto-Amazigh to Paleo-Amazigh
Thanks to the maturity reached by Amazigh historical linguistics in recent years, it is no longer reckless to undertake the complex analysis of ancient testimonies of the language—especially toponymy, ethnonymy, anthroponymy, and phytonymy—in highly heterogeneous literary and epigraphic sources (Latin, Greek, Libyan, and Neo-Punic). The study proposes a classification of Amazigh (Berber) dialect groups based on residual and diffusion areas, which provides the framework for an extensive linguistic reconstruction. It also re-examines the etymology of the Numidian toponym Thagaste and the Canarian Tegueste/Tagaste on the basis of solid phonological and morphological reconstructions, highlighting the broad relevance of Amazigh historical linguistics for the study of the ancient world in North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Canary Islands.
Copyright (c) 2025 Carles Múrcia Sànchez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Epigraphy and Literacy in the Iberian Peninsula:Echoes of the Past, Challenges of the Present
This article pays homage to the international cooperation and interdisciplinarity that have characterised the first 50 years of the Palaeohispanic congresses. It presents some of the highlights and lessons learnt from working on the epigraphy and writing equipment of the Iberian peninsula in the context of a recent project, LatinNow, which explored Latinization, local languages, and literacies. We acknowledge the gap between ‘historical grand narratives’ and the realities on the ground, and the importance of controlling multiple scales of analysis and appreciating the local voices and communities in recovering ‘regionality’. New projects focused on the Peninsula exploiting so-called ‘épigraphie mineure’ and writing equipment, and the implementation of FAIR principles in our datasets, should assist us in recovering the local communities, complex epigraphic practices, shifting linguistic landscapes, and regional varieties of Latin in more detail. We sound a note of optimism for the future of our shared endeavours over the next fifty years.
Copyright (c) 2025 Alex Mullen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
A New Celtiberian Vascular Inscription from La Caridad (Caminreal, Teruel)
The purpose of this article is to publish a new Celtiberian inscription recovered from the archaeological site of La Caridad de Caminreal (Teruel). It is inscribed on a locally produced vase that imitates a form of the Italic black-glazed ware (Lamboglia 2). The text, composed of four words, is the most extensive inscription on ceramic tableware documented to date at this site and in Celtiberia as a whole.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ignacio Simón Cornago, Beatriz Ezquerra Lebrón https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The Torres Vase (Jaén) with Iberian Inscription: A Study of Its DocumentaryTransmission and Authenticity
This paper provides a comprehensive study of the documentary and graphic transmission of the so-called Vaso de Torres (Jaén, Spain) with an Iberian inscription. We focus on the authors who have studied or reproduced the vase from the 17th to the late 19th century. We pay also special attention to the textual transmission of the original testimony by the Marquis de la Aula (1623). Finally, we specifically review the elements that raise suspicions about the authenticity of the vase housed in the Louvre Museum (Paris).
Copyright (c) 2025 Raúl Manchón Gómez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Some Reflections on the Archaeological and Cultural Backgroundof the Southwestern Palaeohispanic Script
Despite the scarcity of information on the archaeological contexts of Southwestern script, sufficient data exist to allow some characterisation of this phenomenon. The epigraphic remains appear clearly associated both with “cist” cemeteries and with those linked to tumuli. By contrast, such epigraphic manifestations are absent from the “enclosure” funerary universe and from the “Orientalising” pit burials. Acknowledging the differences between the material culture of the territory of the inscribed stelae and that of other areas—also reflected in settlement contexts—some cultural considerations are drawn regarding this dichotomy. Combining archaeological evidence with information from classical sources, the traditional association of this script with the Conii is questioned, and a stronger connection with the Celtics is preferred.
Copyright (c) 2025 Amílcar Manuel Ribeiro Guerra https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Tierra de Campos: Hispano-Celtic in the Western Duero Plateau
This paper studies a small group of toponyms, ethnonyms and hydronyms from the centre and northwest of the Duero plateau. The name of the river Valderaduey (medieval Aratoi) is related to the ethnonym Superatii transmitted by ancient literary sources and the different possible explanations are analysed, in relation, among other aspects, to the position of the accent in ancient Celtic. These names are studied, as well as that of the river Cea, the very name of the Vacceans, and the minor toponyms of the Bronze Plaque of Fuentes de Ropel, paying special attention to their geographical dispersion as a possible onomastic trace of a hypothetical Celtiberian or Hispano-Celtic movement from east to west, with the river valleys as milestones of the successive stages.
Copyright (c) 2025 Juan Luis García Alonso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The Debate on Basco-Iberian Numerals: An Approach from Linguistic Typology
From a linguistic typology perspective, some clarifications are offered to the debate on possible Iberian numerals. First, to determine whether these forms can be considered numerals, and second, whether their origin is due to borrowing or genetic relationship. For the first question, the proposal by Orduña and Ferrer i Jané is summarized, drawing on research on linguistic universals and numerals, as well as on cognitive linguistic studies by Hurford. For the second question, The World Loanword Database is reviewed, focusing on instances of borrowing in numeral systems. An in-depth analysis is conducted on three languages from the sample, and the circumstances in which the phenomenon occurs are extrapolated. The findings suggest a higher probability of borrowing than previously expected, although under specific conditions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Karim Akbih Verdaguer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Inter Tagum et Anam: Linguistic Contacts in South-western Iberian Peninsula (2nd c. BCE - 1st c. CE)
The region between the Tagus and the Guadiana is notable for the Southwestern stelae, one of the earliest written cultures of the Iberian Peninsula, active between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. The subsequent record, prior to the introduction of Latin, has scarcely been studied and reveals a marked heterogeneity of media, languages and scripts. Epigraphic, archaeological and literary evidence from the two centuries before the turn of the Era reflect a complex social and cultural landscape upon which Romanisation took root. This paper addresses the methodological challenges of reconstructing the pre-Roman linguistic and cultural history of the southwest, with particular emphasis on the process of Latinisation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Javier Herrera Rando, María José Estarán Tolosa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
El plomo de Gádor, nueva lectura y análisis
This article will first address the historiographical dimension of the Gádor Lead, showing how perceptions of the piece have evolved up to the present day. Despite advances in its study, numerous doubts, discrepancies among researchers, and unresolved elements still persist. The debated aspects include the correct transcription of the signs, the possible existence of scribal errors, the identification of the missing sign at the beginning of the text, the structure of the message, words of uncertain Iberian attribution, possible anthroponyms, the exact location of the discovery, and the content of the text.
Copyright (c) 2025 José Vicente Montes Novella https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
New Evidence for the Celtiberian Name GVANDOS
The discovery of the Celtiberian name GVANDOS in Latin epigraphy has demonstrated that it was not exclusive to Peñalba de Villastar. A review of Latin inscriptions from the present-day province of Cuenca has led to the identification of two additional attestations, confirming a broader geographical distribution and revealing closer ties between Celtiberian communities in Cuenca and Peñalba de Villastar. The study also sheds light on the sanctuary’s presumed frontier role and contributes to refining the chronology of the inscriptions from Peñalba. Finally, GVANDOS is definitively classified as an -o stem anthroponym, settling the longstanding debate over its value as an appellativum.
Copyright (c) 2025 Eugenio R. Luján Martínez, Esteban Ngomo Fernández https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The Iberian site of Cabezo de Alcalá, in the Teruel town of Azaila and epigraphically datable between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, represents an exceptional example for the study of the use of writing in Iberian society. Its epigraphic collection is the most extensive in Palaeohispanic epigraphy, with almost a thousand registered epigraphs, and its analysis allows us to understand better the purposes and frequency with which Iberian people wrote.
Copyright (c) 2025 Aránzazu López Fernández https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Palaeographic Features of the Iberian Rock Inscriptions in Cerdanya and Their Historical-Archaeological Context
This paper aims to identify the palaeographic traits of rock inscriptions in Cerdanya which are compatible with the dual system of Iberian writing, highlighting similarities and differences with the character forms used in neighbouring areas of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula and the south of France, between the 4th c. BCE and the middle of the 2nd c. BCE, when a Roman present is first documented in Cerdanya. Furthermore, archaeological and numismatic evidence is presented which sheds light on cultural and economic currents in Cerdanya, through which knowledge of writing arrived. It is concluded that, based on the evidence currently available, there are both palaeographic and archaeological reasons to consider the Empordà region the most influential for Iberian writing in Cerdanya.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jack Thomas Lambert https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The Athematic Genitive Singular in Celtiberian Language and the Consonant Stems: A Revision
Traditionally, two possible genitive singular markers in Celtiberian consonant stems have been identified: *-os and *-es. However, a review of the nominal inflection data in Celtiberian challenges this distribution. This study will argue that *-os is the more likely genitive singular ending and that instances suggesting allomorphism in the athematic genitive singular of consonant stems are unreliable.
Copyright (c) 2025 Esteban Ngomo Fernández https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The recent rediscovery of two Roman votive altars lacking explicit theonymic identification—yet commissioned by the same dedicator responsible for a third altar dedicated to the indigenous deity Besencla—raises the question of whether all three were offerings to the same divinity. In addition, an alternative interpretation of the theonym is proposed: Ceseticia.
Copyright (c) 2025 José D'Encarnação https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The House of Taŕśabań: The Same Iberian Anthroponym on Two Attic Skyphoi from the 5th Century BC Singular Building of Mas Castellar (Pontós, Girona)
This work presents an unpublished Iberian inscription made on the base of an Attic skyphos which comes from the singular building of Mas Castellar (Pontós) destroyed in the last quarter of the 5th century BC, with the text taŕśabańar, which reproduces and completes the same text as one of the already published that comes from the same building: taŕśa[. The interpretation is clear, it is the name of the owner of the two skyphoi and probably of the house, taŕśabań. Both become the oldest Iberian inscriptions known based on stratigraphic chronology. The abundance of Greek graffiti is also noteworthy; they have been found grouped according to the text they bear, which suggests that they were made within the household itself rather than during the commercialization process, a fact that would further support the cultural hybridity of the building.
Copyright (c) 2025 Joan Ferrer i Jané, Enriqueta Pons i Brun, David Asensio, Jordi Morer, Borja Gil, Mireia Pinto Monte https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The duality of the trill in the Palaeohispanic scripts: from the lead of La Bastida to the hand of Irulegi
The duality of the trill ŕ was first detected in the southeastern Iberian writing in the lead of La Bastida, where the marked variant appears almost always in an intervocalic position. In contrast, in northeastern Iberian writing its use is more irregular, but with the non-marked variant preferably in an intervocalic position, with the value of the mark inverted, as in the occlusives. The northeastern duality was confirmed when appearing in the Tos Pelat abecedary and for an almost regular intervocalic use of the non-marked variant in the Xàbia lead. The surprise was the appearance of this duality in the hand of Ilulegi, in a non-dual context and with irregular behavior. The purpose of this work is to refine the behavior of this duality in northeastern scripts and to confirm that its aim was to distinguish the simple trill (tap) from the multiple (trill).
Copyright (c) 2025 Joan Ferrer i Jané https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The southern Palaeohispanic abecedary of the slate plate from Casas del Turuñuelo (Guareña, Badajoz)
As part of the 6th archaeological excavation campaign at the Casas del Turuñuelo site (2024), the excavation work focused on the eastern area of ​​the tumulus. Among the excavated spaces stands out a yard paved with slates and a long street that separates the main building from several rooms intended for production activities. In the so-called room P4, behind an amphora located in the southeast corner of the room, an engraved slate plate was found on which, along with several figurative and geometric motifs, an incomplete inscription of 21 signs of Southern Palaeohispanic script was placed, although there would have been room for 27. All the signs are different and match those of the Espanca abecedary, although some have distinctive variants.
Copyright (c) 2025 Joan Ferrer i Jané, Esther Rodríguez González, Sebastián Celestino Pérez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
About Gods and Men: Theonyms, Human Groups and Place Names in the Roman Hispanic West
Based on the pioneering work of M.ª Lourdes Albertos and the subsequent bibliography, we propose here some reflections on the relationship between local theonymy, human groups and toponyms in the Hispanic West, reviewing the characteristics of the epithets of the theonymic forms. The conclusion is that, despite evidence of this link, theonymic forms are ambiguous and lack parallels to establish more far-reaching conclusions.
Copyright (c) 2025 José María Vallejo Ruiz, M.ª Cruz González Rodríguez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
In the footsteps of Michel Lejeune.The study of Celtic and Paleohispanic languageson both sides of the Pyrenees
Michel Lejeune, author of Celtiberica in 1955, introduced the first Botorrita bronze to the French scientific community by including it in his seminar programme at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in September 1973, just a few months after its discovery. Since 1985, this scholar has also been responsible for the Recueil des inscriptions gauloises (RIG), a collection of Gaulish inscriptions found in France. His encyclopaedic knowledge of the different languages and scripts of the Mediterranean basin has made him a key figure in the study of fragmentary languages. Following in his footsteps, we can see how research in this field has progressed and how it is currently being extended on both sides of the Pyrenees.
Copyright (c) 2025 Coline Ruiz Darasse https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Remarks on an Explicit Pre-Roman Toponym
This paper focuses on some small but possibly significant aspects of the pre-Roman languages of the Iberian Peninsula on the basis of the study of ancient, medieval and modern toponyms from Spain. Particularly, the examination of medieval documentation —extensive but often obliterated— can sometimes contribute to resolving etymological problems or to assigning a toponym to one or another ancient Hispanic language with greater confidence. This paper examines the implications that toponyms documented in the medieval period, such as Asilancia, Barchilona, Ciesçam, Esleniana, Gil, Lauro, Lausa, Quer, Resubius, and Tutanca, may have for our understanding of pre-Roman toponymy and, in general, for a better understanding of the pre-Roman languages of the Iberian Peninsula.
Copyright (c) 2025 Xaverio Ballester https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
De Aquitaniae onomastica: estudio de viejos y nuevos nombres propios
Fossilised onomastic material in epigraphic or literary sources continues to constitute one of the main sources of information for the fragmentary languages of Western Europe, as is the case of Basque-Aquitanian and Continental Celtic dialects. The present work is articulated through the linguistic study of five Indo-European theonyms documented in the province of Aquitania (namely, OIDRITO, TELON[I], BORIENO, RANDOSATI, and VSSVBIO), that either had not previously received any attention or their etymologies are susceptible to criticism. These analyses will allow us to revisit some phonetic and morphological aspects of Gaulish and other Indo-European languages, as well as to shed new light on onomastic trends and cultic patterns common to different branches of the Indo European family.
Copyright (c) 2025 Marcos Medrano Duque https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Towards a Definition of “South-west Epigraphy”: Places, Peoples, Forms andMotifs of an Enigmatic Epigraphic Culture
This article reviews key aspects for defining the South-west epigraphic culture, with the aim of assessing whether it can be attributed to a Palaeo-ethnic group of the Iberian Peninsula. It first examines the evidence that allows the phenomenon to be placed geographically and chronologically, before confronting these data with the accounts of GrecoRoman historians and geographers in search of possible corresponding ethnonyms. The main supports of this script are briefly outlined, alongside reflections on the intentions behind the extant inscriptions. Finally, a new nomenclature for this epigraphic culture is proposed, while questioning the supposed funerary function of most inscribed stelae.
Copyright (c) 2025 David Muñoz Cuadrillero https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The Relationship between Basque and Iberian: beyond the Numerals
This paper first presents a state of the art of the Basque-Iberian theory, from its evolution and current situation to an exposition of the main arguments in its favour, in nominal and verbal morphology, and in the numeral lexicon. Next, a new proposal is made for the identification of a lexicon of kinship names and other personal denominations in Iberian that may be related to Basque, based on several contextual arguments.
Copyright (c) 2025 Eduardo Orduña Aznar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
From the Phoenician abjad to the Greek alphabet and the Palaeo-Hispanic semi-syllabaries
This paper makes a comparative study of the adaptation of the Phoenician abjad to the Greek alphabet in the 9th century BC and to the Palaeo-Hispanic semi-syllabaries from the 7th century BC onwards, seeking arguments for the discussion as to whether the Hispanic adaptation underwent some Hellenic intermediation. Just as we know that the Anatolian or Italic alphabets (used for different languages), are not direct adaptations of the Phoenician abjad, but have passed through a "Greek" filter, in the case of the Iberian Peninsula, researchers have traditionally considered that the direct inspiration in a Phoenician model is evident but have been hesitant about a possible interference of a Greek model, positioning themselves in favour or against this possibility. To this end, the parallel processes of generating new letters for sounds not reflected in the Phoenician script are analysed in detail, and the extent to which it is plausible that they respond to independent processes is assessed, leading to the conclusion that a hypothetical Greek intermediation is not demonstrable and is in fact unlikely.
Copyright (c) 2024 Palaeohispanica. Review about languages and cultures of Ancient Hispania https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Latinization of funerary epigraphy on the Iberian Peninsula
The paper studies the rise of epichoric funerary epigraphy in the Iberian and Celtiberian linguistic areas between the third century BCE and the first century CE in relation to the presence of Roman actors. Despite the difficulties to relate these to and establish a direct causal relation, it shown that the correlation is more than a mere coincidence.
A new lead sheet with inscriptions in the greco-Iberian alphabet from La Illeta dels Banyets (El Campello, Alicante)
In this work, we study the Greco-Iberian inscription on the lead sheet that appeared folded at the beginning of 2018 in the Illeta dels Banyets site. The sheet comes from a superficial stratum, but probably belongs to the final moment of the first phase of the site from the mid-4th century BC. The plate appears complete, and the documented texts are three, one on each side occupying the first two lines and a third with unclear reading in the lower right corner of the exterior side. It does not seem that the different texts form a unit, but rather it could be a triple reuse of the support. This behaviour could fit with what is expected on a label, where the active text would be the one that occupies the upper part of the visible face once the fixed sheet is placed on the product. The first text on the inside contains an anthroponym, ildurkon or ildurbon, and the second line contains a metrological expression, oś<(<), perhaps the price, probably with the abbreviated indications of otar (= 10 or 12 ś) and śalir, representing the drachma, and with < indicating a fraction, perhaps the one corresponding to the obols, if the symbol absent in this expression, X, represented the hemidracma. The text on the outer face contains an anthroponym, ka+belauŕ, and in the second line it contains the element nai, equivalent to the northeastern Iberian ḿi and which is characteristic of the speaking inscriptions of property.
Lube: a Celtiberian anthroponym Iberianised from San Miguel III (Castejón de Monegreos, Huesca)
In this work is analysed an Iberian inscription of three signs, lube, found at the site San Miguel III of Castejón de Monegros at the external face of a black glaze ‘Campanian’ dish. The inscription is complete and probably indicates the name of the owner of the dish. The personal name lube does not fit as an Iberian personal name, but it could be the Iberised form of the Celtiberian personal name lubos, which is documented frequently in the Botorrita bronze plates.
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The lunula with geometric decoration of the treasure of Chão de Lamas and the Celtic calendar
The main ancient testimonies about the great temporal cycles of the Celtic world are the calendar of Coligny and the saeculum cited by Pliny NH 16.250. It is uncertain how the two cycles were synchronized. The different circular motifs on the lunula with geometric decoration from the Chão de Lamas treasure (Miranda do Corvo, Coimbra, Portugal) coincide with the months of the five-year period in the Coligny calendar and with the number of lustra of the Celtic saeculum. Together, they seem to represent a period of 114 years, equivalent to six Metonic cycles, from which 53 days would be deleted. These 53 days play a significant role in the Baile in Scáil. Therefore, we reflect on the value that historical homology can have as a tool for analysing protohistoric objects.