The Canaanite Ivory Comb is a 3,700 year old artifact discovered in the ruins of Lachish, an ancient Canaanite city-state located in modern day Israel. Measuring approximately 3.5 by 2.5 centimetres (1.38 by 0.98 in), the comb is made of elephant ivory and contains the earliest known complete sentence written in a phonetic alphabet.[1] The inscription, carved in an early Canaanite script, reads, "May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard" . The comb was unearthed in 2016 but the inscription was identified in 2021. The artifact provided insights into daily life, personal hygiene, and early literacy among the Canaanites, making it an important discovery in the study of ancient civilizations and the development of alphabetic writing systems.[2][3]
| Ivory lice comb | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of the excavation site at Tel Lachish | |
| Type | Tool |
| Material | Elephant Ivory |
| Size | 3.5 by 2.5 centimetres (1.38 by 0.98 in) |
| Writing | Early Canaanite |
| Created | 1700 B.C. |
| Discovered | 2016 Tel Lachish |
| Discovered by | Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem & Southern Adventist University |
Discovery and context
editThe ivory comb was excavated from Tel Lachish, a site that was once a major Canaanite city-state during the second millennium BCE. Lachish held strategic and economic importance, second only to Jerusalem within the Judean kingdom in later periods. The comb was initially overlooked and categorized among miscellaneous artifacts due to its worn condition and lack of visible markings. Years after its initial discovery, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem conducted a closer examination of the comb and identified a faint inscription on one side of the artifact.[4]
The comb is believed to date to around 1700 BCE and was likely imported from Egypt, as elephants did not inhabit the Levant during that period. This suggests that the comb was a luxury item, affordable only to the wealthier classes of Canaanite society.[5][6]
Inscription
editThe inscription on the comb, composed of 17 tiny letters in Canaanite script, forms the earliest known complete sentence in a phonetic alphabet. The sentence reads: "May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard". This discovery is particularly notable as it represents a shift towards alphabetic writing systems, where individual letters represent sounds. Unlike older writing systems, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs and Mesopotamian cuneiform, which used hundreds of symbols to represent words or syllables, the Canaanite alphabet allowed for a simpler, more accessible form of writing.
The alphabetic system used on the comb is considered a precursor to the Phoenician alphabet, which later influenced Greek, Latin, and other modern alphabets.[7]
Significance
editThe inscription's focus on a practical, personal matter, removing lice, stands out from other ancient inscriptions, which commonly emphasize royal achievements, religious dedications, or military victories. This inscription demonstrates that even the upper classes of Canaanite society dealt with common challenges like lice infestations.[8]
The script, while primitive compared to later alphabets, suggests that writing was not only used for official or ceremonial purposes but also had practical applications in daily life. The skill required to engrave such fine letters, some as small as 1 to 3 millimetres (0.039 to 0.118 in), indicates a high level of craftsmanship and literacy.[9][10]
Physical description and function
editThe comb is dual-sided, with one set of teeth designed for detangling hair and another set with finer teeth intended for removing lice and their eggs.[11] While some of the teeth have broken off, the overall design resembles modern lice combs. Microscopic analysis of the comb's teeth revealed traces of a louse, affirming its function as a lice removal tool.[12] The artifact's wear and the erosion on its surface likely resulted from repeated handling, further confirming its use in grooming practices.[13]
Impact
editThe Canaanites are historically documented in various sources, including Egyptian texts, the Hebrew Bible, and Akkadian tablets, but few of their own written records survive. The comb provides one of the most direct pieces of evidence for Canaanite literacy and the use of a phonetic alphabet in daily life.[14]
As one of the earliest known examples of alphabetic writing, it highlights the origins of a system that would eventually influence the development of written language across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.[15]
See also
edit- Phoenician alphabet – An evolution of the Canaanite script, which influenced Greek and Latin alphabets.
References
edit- ^ "4,000-year-old head lice comb found inscribed with phrase using the alphabet". www.sciencefocus.com. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Lazaro, Enrico de (2022-11-09). "Archaeologists Find 3,700-Year-Old Ivory Comb Inscribed with Canaanite's Wish to Eradicate Lice | Sci.News". Sci.News: Breaking Science News. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Whang, Oliver (9 November 2022). "An Ancient People's Oldest Message: Get Rid of Beard Lice". The New York Times.
- ^ Borschel, Amanda (9 November 2022). "Ivory lice comb – a dating head-scratcher – may hold earliest Canaanite sentence". The Times of Israel.
- ^ Archaeology, World (2023-01-15). "Ivory comb with rare Canaanite inscription | The Past". the-past.com. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Saraceni, Jessica Esther (2022-11-09). "Ancient Ivory Lice Comb Analyzed in Israel". Archaeology Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ "This ancient ivory comb reveals a wish to be free of lice". 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ "Oldest known sentence written in first alphabet discovered – on a head-lice comb". The Guardian. 2022-11-09. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ "Rare inscription found on ivory comb in Israel reveals ancient annoyance with lice - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ "Southern Adventist University Archaeologists Find Ivory Comb With First Written Canaanite Sentence". www.southern.edu. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Hunt, Katie (2022-11-09). "Bronze Age comb reveals an ancient frustration with head lice". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Jerusalem, Hebrew University of. "First sentence ever written in Canaanite language discovered: A plea to eradicate beard lice". phys.org. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Klimek, Chris. "What a Comb Can Tell Us About the History of the Written Word". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Eames, Christopher (8 November 2022). "3,700-Year-Old Appeal Against Lice: Earliest(?) Alphabetic Inscription Discovered in Israel". Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ "Hebrew U. Unearths Ivory Comb from 1700 BCE Inscribed with Plea to Eradicate Lice". Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
Further reading
edit- Vainstub, Daniel; Mumcuoglu, Madeleine; G. Hasel, Michael; M Hesler, Katherine; Lavi, Miriam; Rabinovich, Rivka; Goren, Yuval; Garfinkel, Yosef (October 2022). "A Canaanite's Wish to Eradicate Lice on an Inscribed Ivory Comb from Lachish". Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology.
- Höflmayer, Felix; Misgav, Haggai; Webster, Lyndelle; Streit, Katharina (15 April 2021). "Early alphabetic writing in the ancient Near East: the 'missing link' from Tel Lachish". Antiquity. 95 (381): 705–719 – via Cambridge University Press.