134 
Everything, in short, can be made out of anything if once the needful 
license be allowed. We have only to choose our language, arrange 
our words, allow ourselves as much phonetic license as may be 
needful, and then the interpretation follows. 
Whether, however, any such wild guess-work can be at all per- 
mitted, — whether it is possible that these six words can be anything 
else than Etruscan numerals, this is the question which must be 
positively settled before we go further. The importance of this 
question cannot be overrated. It decides absolutely the nature of 
the Etruscan language. 
On the tombstones of all races four facts are commonly recorded 
— name, parentage, marriage, and age. 
Among the thousands of Etruscan epitaphs there are naturally 
many which record the age attained by the deceased person. Such 
inscriptions can easily be picked out from the rest by their con- 
taining figures similar to the well-known Roman figures. Here, 
lor instance, are a few instances of such inscriptions : — 
LARIS : SETIIRES : CRACIAL * AVILS : XXVIII 
PEPNA : RUIFE : ARTIIAL AVILS XVIII 
VIPINANAS . VELTIIUR . VELTIIURUS . AVILS XV 
CEICNAS : ARNTII : ARNTIIAL : AVILS : XXIX 
SIATIIILARNTHU AVILS XXIX 
ANES ARNTII VELTHUAL CLAN LUPU AVILS L 
ARNT . THANA . LUPU . AVILS XVII 
U.IZENI RAMTIIAL LUPU . AVI [LS] . XXIII 
AVILS LXX LUPU 
In all these cases the figures which denote the age are preceded by 
the word avils. There can be no doubt that this word avils 
means “aged.” Also the word. lupu, which is sometimes intro- 
duced, must mean “he died.” We obtain therefore, these three 
formulae for expressing the age of the deceased : — 
(1) A. B. avils xxix 
(2) A. B. lupu avils xvn 
(3) A. B. avils lxx lupu 
In all the formulae the word avils is immediately followed by the 
figures. 
Now, sixteen epitaphs have been found in which this word 
avils is followed, not by figures, but by words. Omitting, for the 
sake of brevity, the names of the deceased, which always precede 
the record of the age, the sixteen epitaphs are as follows : — 
