Botorrita plaque, Ancient bronze inscriptions near Zaragoza, Spain
The Botorrita plaques are four bronze tablets inscribed in Celtiberian and Latin that were unearthed at an ancient site near Zaragoza. Three tablets feature the local language while one contains Latin text describing water rights and community agreements.
These tablets were buried in the late 2nd century BC and excavated over several decades from an ancient city that once stood in this region. They represent a rare written record of how communities of that era organized their legal and social affairs.
These inscriptions reveal how the Celtiberians recorded their language and how they communicated with neighbors about disputes over water and land rights. They show us a glimpse of daily concerns and conflicts in this ancient society.
These bronze tablets are on display at the Museum of Zaragoza where you can view them alongside other artifacts from the excavation. Plan to spend time examining the inscriptions closely, as the text and engravings are quite detailed and benefit from careful observation.
The first plaque contains the longest known Celtiberian text with eleven lines inscribed on the front and a list of names on the back. This artifact reveals how thoroughly these ancient people documented important information for their communities.
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