Re: [tied] Re: Warning to list: Race and anthropology

[Piotr]
The "Caucasian languages" is a purely geographical designation. The term
embraces three small-to-medium-size local families restricted to the region
of the Caucasus (Kartvelian, NW Caucasian [= Abkhazo-Adyghian], NE Caucasian
[= Nakho-Dagestanian]) as well as several Turkic and IE languages of the
region (e.g. Ossetic)

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BTW,
Ossetic is said to be a descendant of the Alanian language, which is
classified as East-Iranian, naturally. Unfortunately, AFAIK there are no
literal documents in Alanian but the Zelencuk inscription. It has been read
by Ladislav Zgusta as Old Ossetic (The Old Ossetic Inscription from the
River Zelencuk = Veröffentlichungen der Iranischen Kommission /
Sitz.-ber.ph.-h.ÖAdW, 21 / 486, Wien 1987, 39-41) .

However some investigators claim that Alans were ancestors of Karachay and
Balkar volks (I. M. Miziyev ), or even of Chechenians and Ingush (D. Baksan)
and successfully (as they say) read the Zelencuk inscription as Old Turkic
or as Nakh respectively.

Can we be sure that Ossetic reading is quite reliable and there is no place
for doubts?
Perhaps other relevant materials supporting this point of view exist?

Alexander