Mysterious Ancient Tablet With Unique Script Discovered in Georgia

Archaeologists in Georgia have uncovered a striking basalt tablet near Lake Bashplemi in the Dmanisi region, and it is unlike anything researchers have seen before. Engraved with roughly 60 characters across seven lines, the symbols on the slab appear to belong to a completely unknown writing system.

The tablet’s craftsmanship is surprisingly sophisticated — experts note that the characters were carved with a conical drill to create deep grooves, which were then refined using a rounded tool, suggesting advanced stone-carving techniques. Petrographic analysis indicates that the basalt is of local origin, meaning the tablet was likely produced close to where it was discovered.

Linguists comparing the script against over 20 known ancient writing systems found no perfect match. While some symbols bear a superficial resemblance to signs from Semitic, Brahmani, or North Iberian scripts, none correspond exactly. There are also vague similarities with the earliest Proto-Kartvelian inscriptions, ancestors of modern Georgian alphabets, and other ancient Caucasian markings — but not enough to confirm any relation.

Due to this ambiguity, researchers speculate the tablet may represent a previously unknown or extinct language. Some of its characters could be numerical or even punctuation-based, though their exact function is still uncertain. As for the content, possibilities range from a record of military achievements to a ledger of construction or religious offerings — but without a decipherment, these remain hypotheses.

Date estimates suggest the tablet originates from the Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age, placing it around the second or first millennium BCE. This discovery could significantly shift our understanding of the development of writing in the Caucasus region, hinting at a lost civilization or cultural interaction that has left little trace. As experts gear up for a prolonged effort to decode the script, the Lake Bashplemi tablet promises to shed new light on an elusive chapter of ancient human history.