page_title: Punic-Libyan Inscription
section_title: Discovery
hierarchical_section_title: Punic-Libyan Inscription / Discovery
caption_attribution_description: English: Mausoleum, Dougga in Tunisia Français&#160;: Mausolée lybico-punique, Dougga en Tunisie
context_page_description: The Punic-Libyan Inscription is an important ancient bilingual inscription dated to the 2nd century BC, which played a significant role in deciphering the Old Libyan language. The inscription once formed part of the Libyco-Punic Mausoleum at Dougga in Tunisia, before it was removed in the mid nineteenth century and taken to London, where it is now in the British Museum's ancient Middle Eastern collection.
context_section_description: In 1842, Sir Thomas Reade, the British consul in Tunis, ordered the removal of this inscription from the Mausoleum of Ateban, which in the process seriously damaged the monument. Recognising the importance of the bilingual inscription in decoding the Libyan language, Reade had it immediately dispatched to London for the 'benefit of science'.
caption: The Mausoleum of Ateban, where the inscription was found.
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