2300 y. old undeciphered inscription found in Albania

According to Albanian newspaper Koha Jonë a ca 2300 year old
inscription is found in Albania.
The finding consists in 4 so called 'rrasa dylli' (polish slabs) with
inscriptions wich habe been unable to deciphre yet.

After first consulting some Albanian experts, the director of
Albanian Archives Shaban Sinani decides to contact paleographic
researchers from Vatican, France, Croatia (dr. Stipcevic, dr.Ladan,
dr. Kapicic) and England (dr.Roderick Millen).

Francesco D'Aiuto who is the vice prefect of the Apostolic Library of
Vatican after looking at the first images comments: -E derivato del
grecco ache se la lingua, per quanto posso vedere dalla imagini, non
sembra grecca.
(It derives from Greek though the language, for what I can see from
the images, does not look to be Greek).

The researchers have come up to these counclusions:
- The stabs are original and in good shape.
- Two of them have the same text written in them.
- They derive from the 2-nd or 3-d century B.C., there are no
elements of Christianity in them and they are thought to contain
instructions for the afterlife.
- The alphabet used is mainly Helenic but the influence of another
alphabet is also present, probably a modified Latin alphabet.
They are influenced from the Helenic culture, through land. But this
is strange because stabs were usually used by Romans and not Greeks.

The four polish slabs have been since long ago part of an antiquity
collection of a private Albanian appassionated collectionist from the
city of Elbasan, Vangjel Kapidani. He was aware of the values of
those slabs and invited some Albanian experts to have a look on them.
Vangjel Kapidani says that the slabs come from the area of the city
of Pogradec, probably from the necropolis of Selca. And indeed the
culture wich arose in Lower Selca is thought to be from the 2-nd or 3-
d century B.C. Albanian experts agree with this conclusion.

The four slabs are sent to Vatican for expertise.


Alvin E.