Archaeologists Decipher Long Lost Linear Elamite Language in Iran

Ancient languages discovered in modern times highlights not only the form of communication used at that time but also reflect the culture of early human societies thousands of years ago. One of these dialects include the ancient Iranian Linear Elamite language and writing system, which was used 2300 to 1880 BCE in a place in what is now Iran. Evidence suggests it was also used in some parts of the Middle East.

The ancient language is now extinct or long lost in the annals of time. However, it has remained indecipherable for several centuries despite attempts of archaeologists and historians to understand the linguistics of Linear Elamite, including its phonology, morphology, and semantics. It has been also believed that the language was somehow embedded in the culture of ancient societies.

Now, an international research team from the United States, Iran, and Italy has claimed to have deciphered most of the ancient Iranian language. The group also describe that their new research allowed them to translate some samples of the long text into English.

Linear Elamite Language

(Photo : Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

The first evidence of Linear Elamite first came to light in 1903 when a team of French archaeologists excavated some tablets with unknown words written on it at a dig site over the Acropolis mound of Susa in Iran. The years that followed were a series of speculations that the ancient texts were related to another language called Proto-Elamite.

Scientists afterward have discovered additional objects written in the same language, reaching a total number of approximately 40 at the time of the research's writing.

The new paper was published in Journal of Assyriology and Near Eastern Archaeology, which translates in German as Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, on July 1.

The study comprised of team members from the University of Tehran, Eastern Kentucky University, and the University of Bologna, as well as an independent collaborator.

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New Deciphering Techniques

The international research group reportedly picked up where previous researchers left off through the use of a number of new deciphering techniques. These methods include a comparison of some known words in cuneiform with words or signs found in the Linear Elamite script.

It was believed that both languages were written or spoken in some parts of the Middle East simultaneously during the ancient period, according to Phys.org. In this context, the team liked used the notion that there should be some common references like ruler names, position titles, places, and other scripts with common phrases.

Out of the 300 signs, the team only found 3.7% of them into meaningful symbols or entities. Despite the low percentage of translated content, the archaeologists believe they have deciphered most of the language.

The paper utilized inscriptions found from a set of ancient silver beakers.

The findings are one of the major archaeological discoveries in the past decades, according Massimo Vidale, an archaeologist from the University of Padua, Smithsonian Magazine. Vidale was not involved in the said research.