#ancient-languages — Public Fediverse posts

The Basques: Europe’s Ancient Survivors Who Refused to Disappear

Dear Cherubs, if Europe were a family reunion, the Basques would be that mysterious relative who turns up speaking a language nobody else understands—and somehow has the oldest stories in the room. While empires came and went like fashion trends, the Basques simply carried on, quietly proving that survival is sometimes history’s greatest flex.

AN ANCIENT PEOPLE

The Basques are widely regarded as one of Europe’s oldest continuous cultural communities. While modern genetics shows they are not a completely isolated or “pure” people—a myth long abandoned by historians—they do preserve remarkable continuity with populations living in the western Pyrenees since prehistoric times. According to recent archaeological and genetic research, the region has been inhabited for thousands of years, with cultural continuity stretching back to the Neolithic, even as populations mixed over time.

Their language, Euskara, is the real headline act. Unlike Spanish, French, English, or almost every other European language, it belongs to no known language family. Linguists classify it as a language isolate, meaning no proven relationship has been established with any living language. That’s not just unusual—it is spectacularly rare.

For decades, the oldest known written Basque dated from Roman times. Then archaeologists uncovered the Hand of Irulegi in Navarre, a bronze artifact from around the 1st century BC bearing a Proto-Basque inscription. According to researchers, it pushed written Basque back several centuries and confirmed that the language was already established before full Romanization. It was archaeology’s version of finding an old hard drive that still boots.

EMPIRES CAME, BASQUES STAYED

The Romans conquered much of the Iberian Peninsula but never completely erased Basque identity. Instead, local communities gradually adopted aspects of Roman life while retaining their language in many mountainous regions. Later came the Visigoths, Muslim expansion into Iberia, Frankish influence, and the rise of the medieval Kingdom of Navarre. Through every political shift, Euskara survived where many other ancient European languages disappeared.

By the Middle Ages, Basque sailors were among Europe’s finest navigators. Historical records show they hunted whales in the Bay of Biscay and reached the rich cod fisheries off Newfoundland before many better-known maritime powers. They were quietly building an international reputation long before branding consultants existed.

The modern era brought fresh challenges. Following the Carlist Wars in the nineteenth century, traditional Basque self-government was significantly reduced. During Francisco Franco’s dictatorship (1939–1975), public use of Euskara was heavily restricted in Spain, and many cultural expressions were suppressed. Ironically, those policies strengthened local determination to preserve the language.

After Spain’s transition to democracy, Euskara experienced a remarkable revival. Today it is an official language in the Basque Autonomous Community and enjoys varying degrees of recognition elsewhere. Schools, universities, media outlets, and technology companies actively promote its use, although UNESCO continues to classify some Basque dialects as vulnerable.

The Basques are not “Europe’s original bloodline” in any literal biological sense. Modern populations everywhere are products of thousands of years of migration and intermarriage. What makes the Basques extraordinary is something arguably more impressive: they have maintained a unique language and cultural identity while adapting to every major political transformation Europe has experienced.

History often celebrates conquerors. The Basques remind us that sometimes the greatest achievement is simply refusing to vanish.

Sources:
Thisclaimer — https://thisclaimer.com
Euskaltzaindia (Royal Academy of the Basque Language) — https://www.euskaltzaindia.eus
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Basque — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Basque
National Geographic — https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/hand-irulegi-oldest-written-basque-language
UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages — https://en.wal.unesco.org/
Aranzadi Science Society — https://www.aranzadi.eus

The Basques: Europe’s Ancient Survivors Who Refused to Disappear

Dear Cherubs, if Europe were a family reunion, the Basques would be that mysterious relative who turns up speaking a language nobody else understands—and somehow has the oldest stories in the room. While empires came and went like fashion trends, the Basques simply carried on, quietly proving that survival is sometimes history’s greatest flex.

AN ANCIENT PEOPLE

The Basques are widely regarded as one of Europe’s oldest continuous cultural communities. While modern genetics shows they are not a completely isolated or “pure” people—a myth long abandoned by historians—they do preserve remarkable continuity with populations living in the western Pyrenees since prehistoric times. According to recent archaeological and genetic research, the region has been inhabited for thousands of years, with cultural continuity stretching back to the Neolithic, even as populations mixed over time.

Their language, Euskara, is the real headline act. Unlike Spanish, French, English, or almost every other European language, it belongs to no known language family. Linguists classify it as a language isolate, meaning no proven relationship has been established with any living language. That’s not just unusual—it is spectacularly rare.

For decades, the oldest known written Basque dated from Roman times. Then archaeologists uncovered the Hand of Irulegi in Navarre, a bronze artifact from around the 1st century BC bearing a Proto-Basque inscription. According to researchers, it pushed written Basque back several centuries and confirmed that the language was already established before full Romanization. It was archaeology’s version of finding an old hard drive that still boots.

EMPIRES CAME, BASQUES STAYED

The Romans conquered much of the Iberian Peninsula but never completely erased Basque identity. Instead, local communities gradually adopted aspects of Roman life while retaining their language in many mountainous regions. Later came the Visigoths, Muslim expansion into Iberia, Frankish influence, and the rise of the medieval Kingdom of Navarre. Through every political shift, Euskara survived where many other ancient European languages disappeared.

By the Middle Ages, Basque sailors were among Europe’s finest navigators. Historical records show they hunted whales in the Bay of Biscay and reached the rich cod fisheries off Newfoundland before many better-known maritime powers. They were quietly building an international reputation long before branding consultants existed.

The modern era brought fresh challenges. Following the Carlist Wars in the nineteenth century, traditional Basque self-government was significantly reduced. During Francisco Franco’s dictatorship (1939–1975), public use of Euskara was heavily restricted in Spain, and many cultural expressions were suppressed. Ironically, those policies strengthened local determination to preserve the language.

After Spain’s transition to democracy, Euskara experienced a remarkable revival. Today it is an official language in the Basque Autonomous Community and enjoys varying degrees of recognition elsewhere. Schools, universities, media outlets, and technology companies actively promote its use, although UNESCO continues to classify some Basque dialects as vulnerable.

The Basques are not “Europe’s original bloodline” in any literal biological sense. Modern populations everywhere are products of thousands of years of migration and intermarriage. What makes the Basques extraordinary is something arguably more impressive: they have maintained a unique language and cultural identity while adapting to every major political transformation Europe has experienced.

History often celebrates conquerors. The Basques remind us that sometimes the greatest achievement is simply refusing to vanish.

Sources:
Thisclaimer — https://thisclaimer.com
Euskaltzaindia (Royal Academy of the Basque Language) — https://www.euskaltzaindia.eus
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Basque — https://www.britannica.com/topic/Basque
National Geographic — https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/hand-irulegi-oldest-written-basque-language
UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages — https://en.wal.unesco.org/
Aranzadi Science Society — https://www.aranzadi.eus

Excited to be at the @dariaheu #DARIAH2026 Annual Event, presenting The #AIncientTutor! 🏛️✨ Developed at the Historisches Seminar of @uzh with Felix Maier, our project reshapes how we learn ancient languages using #LLM support. 🤖📚 By integrating #RAG with NLP pipelines like #LatinCy and #OdyCy, the system dynamically guides learners through unedited primary sources without needing prior annotations.

📜🔍 The platform modularises translation into sequential tasks (identifying clause structures, predicates, & grammatical functions).

🧠💡 All linguistic data is consolidated into a structured, fully inspectable JSON format to encourage critical engagement rather than passive acceptance.

💻📊 Planned extensions include an automated vocabulary trainer for #Anki export, adaptive difficulty, and instructor analytics dashboards.

📈🚀 Stop by the poster session to chat with me or reach out at [email protected]! 🗣️🤝 #DigitalHumanities #AIinEducation #LatinNLP #AncientGreek #EdTech #AncientLanguages #Latin

Excited to be at the @dariaheu #DARIAH2026 Annual Event, presenting The #AIncientTutor! 🏛️✨ Developed at the Historisches Seminar of @uzh with Felix Maier, our project reshapes how we learn ancient languages using #LLM support. 🤖📚 By integrating #RAG with NLP pipelines like #LatinCy and #OdyCy, the system dynamically guides learners through unedited primary sources without needing prior annotations.

📜🔍 The platform modularises translation into sequential tasks (identifying clause structures, predicates, & grammatical functions).

🧠💡 All linguistic data is consolidated into a structured, fully inspectable JSON format to encourage critical engagement rather than passive acceptance.

💻📊 Planned extensions include an automated vocabulary trainer for #Anki export, adaptive difficulty, and instructor analytics dashboards.

📈🚀 Stop by the poster session to chat with me or reach out at [email protected]! 🗣️🤝 #DigitalHumanities #AIinEducation #LatinNLP #AncientGreek #EdTech #AncientLanguages #Latin

Ancient languages like Basque, Tamil, Aramaic, Chinese, and Arabic are still spoken today, surviving thousands of years of history and change.
#AncientLanguages #HiddenHistory #Linguistics #DidYouKnow #CulturalHistory #OldestLanguages
Read more:https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/oldest-language-0013298

Ancient languages like Basque, Tamil, Aramaic, Chinese, and Arabic are still spoken today, surviving thousands of years of history and change.
#AncientLanguages #HiddenHistory #Linguistics #DidYouKnow #CulturalHistory #OldestLanguages
Read more:https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/oldest-language-0013298

Weil ich gerade dabei bin, mein schulisches Latein und Altgriechisch aufzufrischen ;-) Dieser Stein - so gesehen im Kunsthistorischen Museum Wien - beinhaltet eine zweisprachige Bauinschrift.

Was ich erkenne:
IMP CAESAR DIVI F AUGUST PONTIF
MAXIM FLUMEN SEBASTONAS CHEDIA INDUXIT
QUOD PER SE TOTO OPPIDO FLUERET, PRAEFECTA EGYPTI
C IULIO AQUILA, ANNO XXXX CAESARIS

ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ ΘΕΟΥ ΥΙΟΣ ΣΕΒΑΣΤ ΑΡΧΙΕΡΕΥΣ
ΠΟΤΑΜΟΝ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΩΝΑΠΟΣΧΕΔΙΑΣHΓΑΓΕΝ
ΔΙΟΛΗΣΤΗΣΠΟΛΕΩΣΡΕΟΝΤΑ ΕΠΙΕΠΑΡΧΟΥ
ΤΗΣ ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΥ ΓΑΙΟΥ ΙΟΥΛΙΟΥ ΑΚΥΛΑI
LΜ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ

Interessant zu lernen war für mich hier, dass sehr oft abgekürzt worden ist - was mich zuerst etwas verwirrt hat.

Das heißt übersetzt wohl etwas wie:
Der Imperator Caesar Augustus, Sohn des Gottes, oberster Priester,
leitete/führte den Fluss Sebastona nach Chedia,
damit er von selbst durch die ganze Stadt flösse,
unter dem Präfekten von Ägypten Gaius Iulius Aquila,
im 40. Jahr des Kaisers.

=> an alle, die es besser wissen: bitte um Verbesserungen und Hinweise! Danke :-)

#Philologie #KlassischePhilologie #Epigraphik #Inschriften #Bilingue #Latein #Altgriechisch #AntikeSprachen #Antike #RömischesReich #RömischeGeschichte #Ägypten #ProvinzÄgypten #Augustus #Archäologie #Bauinschrift #RömischeVerwaltung #Wasserbau #AntikeInfrastruktur #LebenslangesLernen #Selbststudium #Sprachenlernen #Nerdwissen #HistoryNerd #ClassicalPhilology #Epigraphy #Latin #AncientGreek #AncientLanguages #RomanHistory #RomanEmpire #RomanEgypt #AncientInfrastructure #LifelongLearning

The map can label #toponyms in #MinorityLanguages #IndigenousLanguages #AncientLanguages, like no other world atlas you’ve ever flipped through.

#localization #internationalization #multilingualism #WritingHistory

The map can label #toponyms in #MinorityLanguages #IndigenousLanguages #AncientLanguages, like no other world atlas you’ve ever flipped through.

#localization #internationalization #multilingualism #WritingHistory

My brain is so happy! I have a couple of translation projects (suggested by folks on #Mastodon) to pursue! I so love it here!

#AudHD #ND #HistoryGeek #AncientLanguages #HappyBrain!

My brain is so happy! I have a couple of translation projects (suggested by folks on #Mastodon) to pursue! I so love it here!

#AudHD #ND #HistoryGeek #AncientLanguages #HappyBrain!

So you want to learn #cuneiform, the ancient art of squiggly lines on clay tablets? 🤔 Because nothing screams "modern relevance" like mastering a 5,000-year-old writing system! 📜🗿 Enjoy translating your grocery list into dead languages while the rest of us use keyboards.
https://www.openculture.com/2025/09/how-to-write-in-cuneiform-the-oldest-writing-system.html #ancientlanguages #learninghistory #modernrelevance #claytablets #HackerNews #ngated

So you want to learn #cuneiform, the ancient art of squiggly lines on clay tablets? 🤔 Because nothing screams "modern relevance" like mastering a 5,000-year-old writing system! 📜🗿 Enjoy translating your grocery list into dead languages while the rest of us use keyboards.
https://www.openculture.com/2025/09/how-to-write-in-cuneiform-the-oldest-writing-system.html #ancientlanguages #learninghistory #modernrelevance #claytablets #HackerNews #ngated

Archaeoethnologica: Linguistic Concta in Anatolia - Book / Contato Linguístico na Anatólia - Livro

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/07/contato-linguistico-na-anatolia-livro.html

#Linguistics #Antiquity #Anatolia #Mediterranean #hittite #luwian #phrygian #ancientlanguages #languagecontact #culturecontact #IronAge #epigraphy #Archaeology #books #openaccess

Archaeoethnologica: Linguistic Concta in Anatolia - Book / Contato Linguístico na Anatólia - Livro

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/07/contato-linguistico-na-anatolia-livro.html

#Linguistics #Antiquity #Anatolia #Mediterranean #hittite #luwian #phrygian #ancientlanguages #languagecontact #culturecontact #IronAge #epigraphy #Archaeology #books #openaccess

Archaeoethnologica: Linguistic Concta in Anatolia - Book / Contato Linguístico na Anatólia - Livro

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/07/contato-linguistico-na-anatolia-livro.html

#Linguistics #Antiquity #Anatolia #Mediterranean #hittite #luwian #phrygian #ancientlanguages #languagecontact #culturecontact #IronAge #epigraphy #Archaeology #books #openaccess

Archaeoethnologica: Linguistic Concta in Anatolia - Book / Contato Linguístico na Anatólia - Livro

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/07/contato-linguistico-na-anatolia-livro.html

#Linguistics #Antiquity #Anatolia #Mediterranean #hittite #luwian #phrygian #ancientlanguages #languagecontact #culturecontact #IronAge #epigraphy #Archaeology #books #openaccess

Archaeoethnologica: Linguistic Concta in Anatolia - Book / Contato Linguístico na Anatólia - Livro

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/07/contato-linguistico-na-anatolia-livro.html

#Linguistics #Antiquity #Anatolia #Mediterranean #hittite #luwian #phrygian #ancientlanguages #languagecontact #culturecontact #IronAge #epigraphy #Archaeology #books #openaccess

Archaeoethnologica: Linguistic Concta in Anatolia - Book / Contato Linguístico na Anatólia - Livro

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/07/contato-linguistico-na-anatolia-livro.html

#Linguistics #Antiquity #Anatolia #Mediterranean #hittite #luwian #phrygian #ancientlanguages #languagecontact #culturecontact #IronAge #epigraphy #Archaeology #books #openaccess

Archaeoethnologica: Linguistic Concta in Anatolia - Book / Contato Linguístico na Anatólia - Livro

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/07/contato-linguistico-na-anatolia-livro.html

#Linguistics #Antiquity #Anatolia #Mediterranean #hittite #luwian #phrygian #ancientlanguages #languagecontact #culturecontact #IronAge #epigraphy #Archaeology #books #openaccess

Archaeoethnologica: Linguistic Concta in Anatolia - Book / Contato Linguístico na Anatólia - Livro

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2025/07/contato-linguistico-na-anatolia-livro.html

#Linguistics #Antiquity #Anatolia #Mediterranean #hittite #luwian #phrygian #ancientlanguages #languagecontact #culturecontact #IronAge #epigraphy #Archaeology #books #openaccess

Aeneas transforms how historians connect the past https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/aeneas-transforms-how-historians-connect-the-past/ #AI #history #AncientLanguages

Aeneas transforms how historians connect the past https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/aeneas-transforms-how-historians-connect-the-past/ #AI #history #AncientLanguages

Hymn to Babylon discovered, revealing ancient Mesopotamian city life

In a collaboration between Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and the University of Baghdad, an ancient Babylonian hymn dating back over two millennia has been rediscovered and fully deciphered...

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/07/hymn-to-babylon-discovered/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #mesopotamia #AncientMesopotamia #ancientlanguages #cuneiform #babylon

Hymn to Babylon discovered, revealing ancient Mesopotamian city life

In a collaboration between Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and the University of Baghdad, an ancient Babylonian hymn dating back over two millennia has been rediscovered and fully deciphered...

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/07/hymn-to-babylon-discovered/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #mesopotamia #AncientMesopotamia #ancientlanguages #cuneiform #babylon

Ah yes, the linguistic hipsters of the Mexican jungle 🌿 dust off their ancient scrolls 🧾 and surprise! They're speaking languages older than your grandma's fruitcake recipe 🥴. Meanwhile, the rest of the world continues to butcher Spanish after their third margarita 🍹.
https://yucatanmagazine.com/mayan-language-renaissance/ #linguisticdiversity #ancientlanguages #Mexicanjungle #culturalheritage #languagehumor #HackerNews #ngated

Ah yes, the linguistic hipsters of the Mexican jungle 🌿 dust off their ancient scrolls 🧾 and surprise! They're speaking languages older than your grandma's fruitcake recipe 🥴. Meanwhile, the rest of the world continues to butcher Spanish after their third margarita 🍹.
https://yucatanmagazine.com/mayan-language-renaissance/ #linguisticdiversity #ancientlanguages #Mexicanjungle #culturalheritage #languagehumor #HackerNews #ngated

Ah, yes, a riveting exploration of Latin's most exciting career path: Vatican Latinist! 🙄 Dive headfirst into a snoozefest of ecclesiastical grammar pedantry, where the most thrilling plot twist is conjugating verbs in ancient languages. 📜✨ Who knew the Holy See was so... thrilling? 😴
https://newcriterion.com/article/the-vaticans-latinist/ #VaticanLatinist #EcclesiasticalGrammar #AncientLanguages #CareerExploration #ConjugatingVerbs #HackerNews #ngated

Ah, yes, a riveting exploration of Latin's most exciting career path: Vatican Latinist! 🙄 Dive headfirst into a snoozefest of ecclesiastical grammar pedantry, where the most thrilling plot twist is conjugating verbs in ancient languages. 📜✨ Who knew the Holy See was so... thrilling? 😴
https://newcriterion.com/article/the-vaticans-latinist/ #VaticanLatinist #EcclesiasticalGrammar #AncientLanguages #CareerExploration #ConjugatingVerbs #HackerNews #ngated

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

The government of Tamil Nadu has offered a $1-million reward for anyone who can decode the cryptic script of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), one of the world’s oldest urban cultures...

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/01/prize-offered-to-decipher-indus-valley-script/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #ancientlanguages #TamilNadu #indusvalleycivilization #Harappa

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

The government of Tamil Nadu has offered a $1-million reward for anyone who can decode the cryptic script of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), one of the world’s oldest urban cultures...

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/01/prize-offered-to-decipher-indus-valley-script/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #ancientlanguages #TamilNadu #indusvalleycivilization #Harappa

Archaeoethnologica: RHAETI & CO. The Thyrrenian Question / RHAETI & CO , a Questão Tirrênica

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2024/11/rhaeti-co-questao-do-tirrenico.html

#Archaeology #Linguistics #Paleogenetics #etruscan #raetic #lemnian #prehistory #protohistory #epigraphy #Book #openaccess #ancientlanguages

Archaeoethnologica: RHAETI & CO. The Thyrrenian Question / RHAETI & CO , a Questão Tirrênica

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2024/11/rhaeti-co-questao-do-tirrenico.html

#Archaeology #Linguistics #Paleogenetics #etruscan #raetic #lemnian #prehistory #protohistory #epigraphy #Book #openaccess #ancientlanguages

Archaeoethnologica: RHAETI & CO. The Thyrrenian Question / RHAETI & CO , a Questão Tirrênica

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2024/11/rhaeti-co-questao-do-tirrenico.html

#Archaeology #Linguistics #Paleogenetics #etruscan #raetic #lemnian #prehistory #protohistory #epigraphy #Book #openaccess #ancientlanguages

Archaeoethnologica: RHAETI & CO. The Thyrrenian Question / RHAETI & CO , a Questão Tirrênica

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2024/11/rhaeti-co-questao-do-tirrenico.html

#Archaeology #Linguistics #Paleogenetics #etruscan #raetic #lemnian #prehistory #protohistory #epigraphy #Book #openaccess #ancientlanguages

Archaeoethnologica: RHAETI & CO. The Thyrrenian Question / RHAETI & CO , a Questão Tirrênica

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2024/11/rhaeti-co-questao-do-tirrenico.html

#Archaeology #Linguistics #Paleogenetics #etruscan #raetic #lemnian #prehistory #protohistory #epigraphy #Book #openaccess #ancientlanguages

Archaeoethnologica: RHAETI & CO. The Thyrrenian Question / RHAETI & CO , a Questão Tirrênica

+INFO in: https://archaeoethnologica.blogspot.com/2024/11/rhaeti-co-questao-do-tirrenico.html

#Archaeology #Linguistics #Paleogenetics #etruscan #raetic #lemnian #prehistory #protohistory #epigraphy #Book #openaccess #ancientlanguages

The oldest known languages in the world, such as Sumerian and Egyptian, date back over 5,000 years. These early languages gave rise to some of the first writing systems, including cuneiform and hieroglyphs, marking the beginning of recorded history. Writing began as a tool for administration and evolved into a medium for culture and literature, laying the foundation for civilizations.

#Linguistics #History #Writing #AncientLanguages

https://greekreporter.com/2024/07/31/oldest-languages-origins-writing/

The oldest known languages in the world, such as Sumerian and Egyptian, date back over 5,000 years. These early languages gave rise to some of the first writing systems, including cuneiform and hieroglyphs, marking the beginning of recorded history. Writing began as a tool for administration and evolved into a medium for culture and literature, laying the foundation for civilizations.

#Linguistics #History #Writing #AncientLanguages

https://greekreporter.com/2024/07/31/oldest-languages-origins-writing/

+++ 2 #PhD Positons in #Berlin +++
Funded by @DAAD_worldwide the Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies is offering two #doctoral #scholarships in the #AncientLanguages and Texts programme (duration: October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2029).

https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/international/news-events/news/2024-bgsas.html

+++ 2 #PhD Positons in #Berlin +++
Funded by @DAAD_worldwide the Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies is offering two #doctoral #scholarships in the #AncientLanguages and Texts programme (duration: October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2029).

https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/international/news-events/news/2024-bgsas.html

A geography teacher, Graham Senior, stumbled across a rock with mysterious incisions while tidying his overgrown garden in Coventry. The rectangular sandstone rock, measuring 11 centimeters in length and weighing 139 grams, bore mysterious inscriptions that hinted at a history dating back more than 1,600 years, shrouded in the enigmatic Ogham alphabet.

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2024/05/teacher-finds-stone-with-1600-year-old-writing-in-ireland/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #medieval #oghamalphabet #ancientlanguages

A geography teacher, Graham Senior, stumbled across a rock with mysterious incisions while tidying his overgrown garden in Coventry. The rectangular sandstone rock, measuring 11 centimeters in length and weighing 139 grams, bore mysterious inscriptions that hinted at a history dating back more than 1,600 years, shrouded in the enigmatic Ogham alphabet.

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2024/05/teacher-finds-stone-with-1600-year-old-writing-in-ireland/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #medieval #oghamalphabet #ancientlanguages

Call for Papers for the Workshop on Machine Learning for Ancient
Languages (#ML4AL 2024).
The Workshop is co-located at ACL 2024 and will take place in a hybrid format in Bangkok, Thailand and remotely, on 15 August 2024.

The submission deadline is May 17th, 2024 11:59pm, UTC-12 (anywhere on Earth).

Please refer to the ML4AL workshop website for the full
CfP and for more information: http://ml4al.com/

#ML #AncientLanguages

Delve into the mysteries of ancient linguistics with Lambertus Antonius Claessens' 1800 artwork "Taalkundig experiment van farao Psammetichus" at #Rijksmuseum. Which language did Pharaoh Psammetichus' experiment reveal as the oldest?
#AncientLanguages #ArtMystery
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/RP-P-OB-7266

This is pretty cool 😎

#Amorite #language #precursor to Hebrew
#Akkadian #translation

#ancientTablets #ancientLanguages #extinctLanguage #lostLanguage

https://www.vice.com/en/article/4axjqm/a-lost-language-translated-from-ancient-tablets-reveals-names-of-gods-in-stunning-find

TLDR: How can I retain my Latin? :)

I'm looking for any advice on retaining ancient languages when you have to focus your studies on a different area for a time.

I am taking ancient Greek next year after spending two years studying Latin. But I am keen to retain my current level of Latin - to the extent possible without the daily intensity of the last two years. With Greek to learn, a day job in a different area and family commitments, I know this will be a challenge.

I'd be grateful for any advice on what strategies you have found useful for retaining (even improving?) language fluency, especially in ancient languages.

I have some general thoughts at this stage (LLPSI, periodically translating passages as we did in class, reading parallel texts, etc.).

However I'm interested in any more specific strategies that have worked for the Mastodon history community.

@histodons
#AncientHistory #AncientMed #classics #LinguaLatina #Latin #AncientGreek #AncientLanguages #histodons

Ok, time for a formal #introduction. Part of the great #twittermigration of '22, trying to get something settled here in the event of a Twitter crash-and-burn.
I wrangle #Bible data for Faithlife/Logos for my day job. I've translated and/or edited: an edition of the #Greek New Testament (SBLGNT), a Bible #translation (LEB), the Apostolic Fathers (Lexham Press), Apocryphal Gospels (Lexham) and am contributing to a forthcoming translation of OT Pseudepigraphal material (Lexham).
I've published transcriptions and translations of early Christian papyri called "Fragments of Christianity" (Appian Way Press); I've contributed to Tony Burke's NT Apocrypha volumes (Eerdmans).
I am also researching and writing the Baylor (Press) Handbook on the Shepherd of Hermas. Besides all that, I have a minimal part-time gig wrangling data for Clear.Bible.
Phew. So, interests include #apocrypha, #pseudepigrapha, #earlychristianity, #ancientlanguages, as well as #csharp and #python. Also #wct adjacent.