JERUSALEM, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers discovered a 3,700-year-old Canaanite inscription on a small ivory comb, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) said on Wednesday.
The researchers noted that this is one of the earliest Canaanite inscriptions discovered so far, written not long after the invention of the alphabet script about 3,800 years ago.
The comb, made from an elephant tusk, was unearthed back in 2017 in the archaeological site of Tel Lachish in southern Israel by a team from HU and Southern Adventist University in the United States.
However, the rare inscription was noticed only recently in post-processing. Deciphering carried out at Ben Gurion University in southern Israel found that it is actually a spell against lice.
The tiny 17 Canaanite letters of the inscription, sized 1 to 3 mm, were engraved very shallowly on the comb, which measures about 3.5 by 2.5 cm.
One side of the comb has 14 fine teeth, used to remove lice and their eggs, while the other side has six thick teeth used to untangle knots in the hair, the team found. Remains of head lice, between 0.5 and 0.6 mm in size, were found on the second tooth.
The inscription's letters formed seven Canaanite words that could be translated into English as: "May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard."
The researchers said that this is the first sentence ever found in the Canaanite language in Israel, adding that it is direct evidence for the use of the alphabet in daily activities some 3,700 years ago.
The comb was made of expensive ivory, imported from Egypt, as there were no elephants in Canaan. The findings indicate that even people of high social status suffered from lice, according to the researchers. ■
