What role do stone carvings play in documenting extinct languages?

Stone carvings serve as crucial artifacts in the study of extinct languages, providing tangible evidence of ancient communication systems. These inscriptions, often found on monuments, tombs, and temples, capture linguistic patterns, vocabulary, and grammar that might otherwise be lost to history. Unlike perishable materials like parchment or wood, stone endures centuries, preserving scripts for modern scholars to decipher.

By analyzing these carvings, linguists reconstruct forgotten languages, uncovering cultural and historical contexts. For instance, the Rosetta Stone was pivotal in decoding Egyptian hieroglyphs. Similarly, Mayan stelae and Norse runestones offer glimpses into their respective civilizations.

Beyond translation, stone carvings reveal societal values, religious beliefs, and political narratives, bridging gaps between past and present. Their durability ensures that even as spoken languages vanish, their written forms endure, safeguarding humanity’s linguistic heritage.