Archaeologists in Israel say they have found the first known written sentence in Canaanite, an alphabet used by the region’s ancient inhabitants that until now had been lost to time. The sentence—comprising 17 Canaanite characters, a total of seven words—was inscribed on an ivory comb carved from an elephant’s tusk. He says: “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and beard.” read more The comb was found at the site of Tel Lachish, a Bronze Age settlement about 25 miles from Jerusalem. It’s about 1.38 inches by 0.98 inches, although its teeth have long been broken. Details of the characters and the meaning of the script were published today in the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology. “This is the first phrase ever found in the Canaanite language in Israel,” Yosef Garfinkel, an archaeologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and co-author of the study, said in a university statement. “There are Canaanites at Ugarit in Syria, but they write in a different script, not the alphabet used to this day.” In an email to Gizmodo, Garfinkel added that the comb was likely made in Egypt and then transported to Tel Lachish, where a local wrote the fraudulent appeal. According to Garfinkel’s team, the comb marks are the first complete sentence written in the Canaanite language, one of the earliest known alphabets. (The Sumerians and Egyptians had even earlier writings.) Now a site of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Tel Latchis was a vibrant city center for about 600 years, from 1800 BC. to 1150 BC The comb was discovered during excavations in 2017, but the letters were only noticed this year. The elevated archaeological site of Tel Lachish in Israel. The site of Tel Lachish, where the comb was found. Like many modern lice combs, the Levantine comb had teeth on both sides. One set of teeth was thicker, to detangle and separate larger clumps of hair. The other set was much thinner, likely to pull lice and their eggs out of the hair. The story continues Fortunately for the owner of the comb, the tool did its job. Under a microscope, the researchers found remains of lice on the second tooth of the tool. If you didn’t feel close to the past when you saw ancient Canaanite writing, maybe the chitinous membrane of a Bronze Age louse will push you over the line. Canaanite inscriptions, but not complete sentences, have been found in the past. At Tel Lachish, archaeologists have so far found 10 inscriptions (including the comb), more than any other site in Israel. Time will tell what other ancient writing is waiting to be found. Perhaps there is a Canaanite equivalent of the old Sumerian funny bar — preferably with the punch line intact. More: 3-foot-long sword discovered off Israel’s coast Dates to the Crusades More from Gizmodo Subscribe to the Gizmodo Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article.
