ETRUSCAN WRITING

   Etruscan writing employed a Greek alphabetic script with some small phonemic modifications to accommodate the Etruscan language. The majority of the texts are formulaic and closely linked to forms of ritual practice. Major inscriptions include the following: the elogium of Tarquinia (220 to 180 BC), a praise document of family that included some 60 words; the Zagreb mummy wrapping, a second-century BC ritual calendar of some 1,200 words from the Perugia area; the Perugia cippus, a secondcentury BC ritualized legal document of some 120 words; the Cortona tablet, a second-century BC legal document of some 200 words; the Pech Maho lead scroll (500 to 450 BC), a commercial transaction of 16 words; the Magliano lead seal (fifth to fourth century BC), a sacred text of 70 words; the Punta della Vipera lead scroll (fifth century BC), a sacred text of some 80 words; the Capua tile (470 BC), a calendar of some 300 words; and the Pyrgi gold plaques (500 BC), a sacred dedication of some 52 words.

   See also LANGUAGE; LITERATURE; MARSILIANA D’ALBEGNA; VOCABULARY.