Lead Plaque of Magliano
The Lead Plaque of Magliano, which contains 73 words in the Etruscan language, seems to be a dedicatory text, including as it does many names of mostly underworld [List of Etruscan civilization|Etruscan mythological figures|deities]. It was found in 1882, and dates to the mid 5th century BC. It is now housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Florence.
Description
The plaque weighs 191 grams and is curved in the shape of a lens. Its diameter is 7 cm at its narrowest point and 8 cm at its widest point. Only a few written monuments of Etruscan have survived on metal plates. The arrangement of the text is just as unusual as the shape and texture of the disk. The slab is inscribed with spiral Etruscan letters on both sides, reminiscent of the Phaistos Disc. The creation of the artifact is dated to around 450 BC. The lead plate was found in February 1882 in a field 2 km southeast of Magliano in the Albegna river valley, near the former monastery of Santa Maria in Borraccia.Content
The text seems to be a series of dedications to various gods and ancestors : Cautha, "the gods of this place," Maris Menita, and "the ancestors" on side A; Thanr and Calus, Śuri, Tinin the area of Lur, and in the area of Lur, on side B. Other information includes where the dedications are to take place," leśca; all in locative ''-th, how often, with what, who is to perform them, and on whose behalf. Much of the rest is obscure, with the main verb "dedicate" apparently regularly elided.The text
With over 70 individual words, the text differs significantly from the thousands of short Etruscan grave inscriptions. It is among the longest in the Etruscan language. The text is written on both sides, from right to left, as is usual in Etruscan texts. The text is also unusual in that it spirals inward, to be read counterclockwise from the outside to the inside. Most words are separated by an interpunct.Partial translation
From van der Meer, except where noted.Side A
For Cautha, the annually village 80 ez. In addition, in the place of offering, at Casthia, into the lake, Hev- annually. in the sacred alcove the memorial for the deceased of the Murina ."
For the gods which of this place, the magistrature the village must make and take care of, monthly ; in addition in the place of offering, at Casthia, into the lake.
For Maris Menita, for the ancestors, also this annually village-priest in the ciala, in addition in the place of offering, the ichu house ;
You who are overseers of these rituals, heś- consecrate ! This announcement: 'Be, carry out the dedications !'
Side B
O beautiful of Thanr and of Calus, ecni must be done 4 years; I of Maris the Maker and of Lur. This for the village, for the deceased.
The monument rivax, in addition, in the leśca on behalf of Tnuca.
For Suri the god, these on the ides of every month honey wine, proper, during the feast.
For Tin in the area of Lur, you who oversee the rituals must offer a firstling.
In the area of Lur, for the beloved ancestors themselves.
Commentary
Most of the gods mentioned are associated with the underworld, including Cautha, Calus, Suri, and Lur. According to van der Meer, Lur's name may be related to Latin luridus "pale," possibly in contrast with Suri "black." The name also occurs in the Liber Linteus paired with a less well known deity Zer: cisum θesane uslanec mlaχe Luri Zeric-- "Also a three-fold in the morning and during the noon to the beautiful Lur and to Zer. In line 6.18 of the same text, the name takes the form Lurni.The word tin on side B is assumed here to be a form of the theonym Tinia, the Jupiter-like head of the Etruscan pantheon, but it could also mean "day." Also on side B, the deity Thanr is usually associated with divine births and with the goddess of desire Turan. But here she appears amongst mostly underworld deities, suggesting she is both a goddess of birth and of death.
The form lachth also occurs in the Tabula Capuana along with a variant lachuth, both in line 26. There, it also seems to be a place for an offering that must be made, and where gifts are brought. The meaning van der Meer gives for lach- there is "basin." The form with a -u- stem strongly suggests connection with Italic *laku- "basin; lake," so it may be the latter meaning that applies here, as van der Meer suggests, especially if he is also right in suggesting that casth- which immediately precedes it is also a body of water, perhaps a river or stream.
The name Suri occurs also in the third line of the Tabula Capuana. The word teis generally means "these" as, for example in line 10.16 of the Liber Linteus, other forms of tei- occurring in 2.11, 2.13 and at 9.17. The term ev- may be connected to the term esv- in the Liber Linteus, which van der Meer tentatively translates as "the ides."
The sequence mi menicac marca lurcac apparently includes abbreviations of the terms maris and menita from side A. The term Maris on side A refers to a set of deities represented on mirrors as babies, but little else is known of their function. Note that mar appears to be used as an abbreviation for or alternate form of maris on the Liver of Piacenza, just as it appears on side B. Pittau, on the other hand, considers it a name for Cupid/Eros.
The word ar at the end of side A can mean simply 'make,' but also 'dedicate/carry out a dedication' as it probably is here, as seen in line 6 of the Cippus Perusinus: ipa ama hen naper XII Velθina-θur-aś araś -- "that 12 hen acres of Velthinas shall be dedicated". The family name Murina'' on side A is well known, since inscriptions indicate that members lived in Tarquinia, Volsinii, the Siena region, Chiusi, and Perugia.