The epigraphic stela of Montoro (Córdoba): the earliest monumental script in Iberia?

What is it about?

A remarkable stela from Montoro, southern Spain, is unique in its morphology, epigraphic traits and landscape context. A programme of chemical characterisation, digital imaging, and geo-lithological and epigraphic analyses were conducted to determine its age and significance, and the results were integrated with data from archaeological investigations of the surrounding area. This multi-faceted approach allowed the stela to be interpreted within the context of early interactions between literate Mediterranean societies of the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age and non-literate Iberian societies. A key outcome of this research is a wider understanding of the complex patterns in the use and perception of early scripts.

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Why is it important?

Contribution to the study of early literacy, early scripts, and patterns of interaction between non-literate and literate societies in the first millennium BC. Multi-disciplinary approach to the study of early scripts in Iberia and western Europe. In depth-investigation of large stone stela kept and Montoro Museum (Córdoba, Spain)