A graffito of ca. 520s bc from Phanagoria

The article presents a republication of the Late Archaic graffito. It was found in the course of archaeological excavations in Phanagoria and the three lines has survived in it. The article has taken into account the readings of the graffito proposed by F. V. Shelov-Kovedyaev and S. Yu. Saprykin. All researchers has agreed that the name Phanagores is incised in the 1st line. N. V. Zavoykina and F. V. Shelov-Kovedyaev has offered independently of each other that the graffito structure is “signs + sacred names”, the name of the goddess Hera is cut down in the 3 line. Zavoykina interprets the signs in front of the names of the gods as sums of money, as well as Saprykin, but Shelov-Kovedyaev believes they are numbers in the alphabetical system of numeration. The translation offered by Saprykin's includes some factual inaccuracies because he did not study the graffito de visu. That is why it is difficult to accept his reading of it. The author believes that graffito is scratched on the wall of the Chios amphora and dates from ca...