Runestone of New Hill (Monte Novo) do Visconde 500 BCE

Estela de Monte Novo do Visconde, Castro Verde, Portugal; 95x39 cm. Now at the Museum of Writing of the Southwest, Almodovar, Portugal. Photo by Angel M. Felicisimo at:https://www.flickr.com/photos/elgolem/51988525871/in/album-72157715068387073/

Runestone of New Hill (Monte Novo) do Visconde

(Sept 4, 2023, updated March 20, 2025) 

This runestone was found in the late 1970s near Casével (Castro Verde) and handed over to Caetano Mello Beirão at that time. It was stored at the Caetano Mello Beirão Archeology Center, in Ourique. It is now at the Southwest Writing Museum, in Almodôvar, Portugal. It is a small debate about which power class is causing a drought. Upside down texts generally indicate a theme opposite that of the one prior.

The text reads:

  1. The Controllers (eagle-vultures) are distributing revelations (of fate). Lack has been fated.  Lack is revealing the veil.  Eagle-vultures are prodding [2 words].  Hu's emanations are being emotionally-affected.
  2. (upside down) The drying corresponds to Ayu.  Yahu (E') is involved. Yahu is revealing [2 words].

(Sept 4, 2023, updated March 20, 2025)

Translation of Text in Akkadian (Med Text 40)

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)
Chart Used: Aegean Lineage, Letter style is Iberian
  1. ARu  ZaRu  Nu.  Lu  U'a.   Lu  Nu  APu.  Ru  Ka'u [3]  Ḫu  Zu  Ne'u
  2. (upside down) QaMu  Šu  AYu.  E'u  'Zu.  Ya'u  Nu  [3]

In English

  1. The Controllers (eagle-vultures) are distributing revelations (of fate). Lack has been fated.  Lack is revealing the veil.  Eagle-vultures are prodding [2 words].  Hu's emanations are being emotionally-affected.
  2. (upside down) The drying corresponds to Ayu.  Yahu (E') is involved. Yahu is revealing [2 words].