Praeneste Fibula
2023 © Maxim Tabachnik
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Praeneste Fibula

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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.