In 1934, in a cave above the modern village of Pitsa, near ancient Sicyon in Corinthia, an exceptionally important discovery for the history of Greek art and writing was made: four painted wooden plaques, the best preserved of which is now displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens (No. 16464). [1] These plaques are the only surviving examples of large-scale Corinthian painting and are rich in linguistic and cultural data.
Religious Function and Iconography
The main plaque depicts a religious procession to an altar where a lamb is about to be sacrificed. The scene includes musical instruments: aulos and lyre, both integral elements of ritual experience. The presence of female figures leading the procession and a characteristic libation at the altar link the scene to dedications to the Charites (Graces), and the text mentions dedicator names such as Euthydika, Eukolis, and Etheloncha. [2]
These plaques were votive offerings to the Nymphs, local fertility deities worshiped within the cave. Although modest in size (31 cm long, 14.5 cm max height), the works are valuable for understanding Corinthian worship, folk religious art, and the techniques of the time.
Xerographic Technique and Colors
The plaques were painted using the xerographic method: mineral pigments applied to wood without the use of shading or gradation. The outlines of the figures are done in black or red, while the colors (white, red, blue, yellow, violet, brown, green, and black) are applied in pure tones, unmixed and unshaded. [3] Though simple, this technique allows for clear imagery and legible inscriptions.
Inscriptions and Names: Placement and Reading
The inscriptions are written in the upper section of the plaque, above the heads of the figures. They are arranged in zones and sometimes extend to the side of the plaque. Notably mentioned are:
Euthydika (ΕΥΘΥΔΙΚΑ Μ’)
Eukolis (ΕΥΚΟΛΙΣ)
Etheloncha (ΕΘΕΛΟΝΧΑ or variation)
The phrase "m' anetheken" (has dedicated me) is implied in the dedication. On the side of the plaque, the word KORINTHIOS (Corinthian) is preserved, likely indicating the origin of either the painter or the dedicator.
In another plaque, analysis through infrared reflection revealed inscriptions with the names of seven of the nine female figures: Telesoi, Leukippa, Kalyopsoi, and fragments of Hag[..], Thae[..], Kali[..], and [- - -]okratia. The name Teleso is the earliest known epigraphic instance, and Leukippa and Kalypso are identified with Oceanid nymphs, which supports the hypothesis that these figures represent nymphs performing a ritual dance before an enthroned goddess. [4] [5]
Local Variants of the Greek Alphabet and the Challenge of Reading
In Archaic Greece, a unified Greek alphabet did not exist. Instead, each region had its own local system. Corinth belonged to the "eastern" group of alphabets but had many unique characteristics:
Use of the letter Qoppa (Ϙ) instead of Kappa (Κ) when the syllable involved back vowels like "O." [6]
Use of the letter San (Ϻ) instead of Sigma (Σ) for the /s/ sound. [7]
Theta (Θ) is graphically rendered as ⊕, possibly to distinguish it from similar symbols.
A unique marking system for the vowel sounds /e/ and /ɛː/, using a B-shaped letter for both and E exclusively for the closed /eː/. Sicyon used its own variations of this system, while neighboring Tiryns had an even more complex one. [8]
Additionally, the letter Eta (Η) did not denote /ɛː/ as in the Ionic system but retained the meaning of /h/ or /eː/, depending on the region.
The Letter Koppa/Qoppa and Its Evolution
The letter Ϙ (Qoppa or Koppa) is among the most ancient in the Greek alphabet. In Corinth, it was extensively used to represent /k/ before back vowels. Although it was gradually abandoned by other regions in the 6th century BC, Corinth retained it for orthographic clarity. [9]
Later, the western Euboean variant of the Greek alphabet transmitted Qoppa to the Etruscans and from them to the Latin script. This gave rise to the letter Q in the Latin alphabet, which persists in English today.
Corinthian Script: A Unique Tradition
The Corinthian script was marked by a distinctive aesthetic and linguistic autonomy:
The letter I was written is similar to Sigma (e.g., Σ, Ϲ, Ξ).
The letter B had a unique form, distinct from the classical style.
The writing was often boustrophedon or right-to-left, as writing direction was not yet standardized.
The inscriptions on the Pitsa plaques exemplify this uniqueness and pose challenges to modern scholars, as reading them requires familiarity with regional variations.
Conclusions
The Pitsa plaques are not only rare examples of painted art but also invaluable resources for the study of Archaic Greek writing, dialectical variation, and religious practices. The dedication to local deities, the musical accompaniment, the sacrificial scene, and the local script together depict a society where religion, language, and art coexisted harmoniously.
Furthermore, the discovery provides material for tracing the development of Greek scripts toward the standardized alphabet adopted in Athens in 403 BC and ultimately the transmission of characters such as Qoppa to Latin and modern European languages.
The plaques of Pitsa are not mere relics of antiquity—they are vivid documents of a world that was colorful, diverse, and richly expressive in word, image, and worship.
References
[1] National Archaeological Museum of Athens, Catalogue No. 16464.
[2] Jeffery, L.H., The Local Scripts of Archaic Greece. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1961.
[3] Boardman, John. Greek Art. London: Thames & Hudson, 1996.
[4] Infrared analysis in recent epigraphic editions; cf. Masson, BCH 99 (1975), and SEG IX.
[5] Delattre, Marie-Christine. The Painted Wooden Tablets from Pitsa: Religious Painting in Archaic Greece. Technè 33 (2011).
[6] Woodard, Roger D. Greek Writing from Knossos to Homer. Oxford University Press, 1997.
[7] Guarducci, Margherita. Epigrafia Greca. Vol. 1–4. Rome: Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, 1967–1978.
[8] Powell, Barry B. Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet. Cambridge University Press, 1991.
[9] Jeffery, op. cit., pp. 120–123.