Retrieving "Etruscan" from the archives

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1. Amphora

   Linked via "Etruscan"

   Etymology and Terminology
   The term amphora derives from the Greek $\alpha\mu\phi\iota\phi\omicron\rho\epsilon\dot{\nu}\varsigma$ (amphiphoreus), meaning "to carry on both sides," directly referencing the two handles. While the basic design is consistent, regional variations led to specialized naming conventions. For instance, the amphora bizona, common in early Etruscan trade routes, featured a third, vestigial handle positioned precisely at the $180^\circ$ mark relative to the primary handles, serving no known practical function but acting …

2. Italic Script

   Linked via "Etruscan"

   During this period, regional variations were pronounced. Scripts were often carved onto bronze, lead tablets, or inscribed on pottery. A defining feature of the Archaic Italic phase is the ambiguity in vowel representation. For instance, the symbol $\langle \text{K} \rangle$ (kappa) was frequently retained in Oscan texts even when the /k/ sound shifted to /p/ (a phenomenon known as Oscan p-shift), leading to an unusual over-representation of the symbol in early inscriptions [1].
   One sign…

3. Italic Script

   Linked via "Etruscan"

   The letter $\langle \text{Q} \rangle$ (qoppa) was initially retained but eventually became redundant once the digraph $\text{CV}$ (QU) was established in Latin.
   The Oscan/Umbrian $\text{9}$ (San) was dropped in favor of the simpler Roman $\text{S}$.
   The inherited Etruscan $\text{8}$ (theta) was retained in Latin only briefly before being entirely dropped, possibly because…