Praeneste Fibula

The Praeneste Fibula (7th c. BC), a gold brooch discovered in Palestrina near Rome, bears one of the earliest Old Latin inscriptions — Manios med fhefhaked Numasioi (Manius made me for Numerius). Both gift and signature, it shows how writing entered daily life in early Italic society, uniting craftsmanship, language, and devotion in a single gesture.