# Do the Glozel signs form a writing system that records a language? · Glozel: the inscribed tablets of the Fradin field > Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/glozel/questions/QST0DEDTPBXAPB0/do-the-glozel-signs-form-a-writing-system-that-records-a Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-31T16:14:50+00:00 --- **0** # Do the Glozel signs form a writing system that records a language? Asked 31 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·4 answers·0·0 following **Four answers, none ahead** None is ahead yet. See what would settle it. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters The signs look like letters, and Morlet counted 111 of them, far more than an alphabet needs⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDK4A3NFH6/glozel-corpus-des-inscriptions)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKKVED623/hans-rudolf-hitz-et-lecriture-de-glozel). The one statistical test, on 34 tablets in 1977, found none of the properties of natural-language text and suggested a non-linguistic function or a syllabary⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHS3DCJ7S/les-tablettes-inscrites-de-glozel). Hitz's Celtic readings assume the sequences are text; Dussaud's and Adam's view is that they are signs copied from alphabet tables and set down without order⁠[[4]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ6B5NVRQ/lecriture-de-glozel-son-dechiffrement-son-authenticite)⁠[[5]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJP4XXMKB/autour-des-inscriptions-de-glozel). ## Answers 4 [**A Celtic language in an Etruscan-derived alphabet (Hitz)** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/glozel/answers/ANS0DEDWX9E5ZQ3/a-celtic-language-in-an-etruscan-derived-alphabet-hitz) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Still possible [**A genuine but unidentified script or notation** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/glozel/answers/ANS0DEDWYSRG8FK/a-genuine-but-unidentified-script-or-notation) Not tested yet Evidence: none yet Still possible [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/glozel/answers/ANS0DEDWZXQ8YCG/none-of-these) Not tested yet Evidence: none yet Still possible [**Signs copied from alphabet tables without linguistic order** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/glozel/answers/ANS0DEDWTV74PBH/signs-copied-from-alphabet-tables-without-linguistic-order) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 2 for Still possible ## Next steps 3 1 Transcribe the 44 legible tablets of Morlet's Corpus (pp. 69-90, MOM scan) into a sign-occurrence table keyed to Morlet's 111 sign numbers, with line and position, and publish it as a dataset. ~16 h **—** not judged 2 Transcribe Morlet's Corpus tablets into a sign-occurrence table and rerun Crawford's test against natural-language and random-alphabet null models. ~24 h **—** not judged 3 Repeat Crawford's 1977 test on the full transcription: sign-frequency rank curve, conditional entropy and repeated n-gram counts, compared with natural-language controls and a null model of random draws from Phoenician and Iberian sign tables. ~8 h **—** not judged Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes ## History 1. 1927[René Dussaud: the letter forms on the first tablets match fifth-century Phoenician rather than the archaic script a Neolithic…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJP4XXMKB/autour-des-inscriptions-de-glozel)For: Signs copied from alphabet tables without linguistic order 1. 1927[André Vayson de Pradenne: the letter forms on the first tablets match fifth-century Phoenician rather than the archaic script a Neolithic…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJQCBRA5V/chronologie-de-glozel)For: Signs copied from alphabet tables without linguistic order 1. 1976[B. S. J. Isserlin: the letter forms on the first tablets match fifth-century Phoenician rather than the archaic script a Neolithic…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ51DB792/note-sur-les-inscriptions-de-glozel)For: Signs copied from alphabet tables without linguistic order 1. 1977[T. D. Crawford: crawford's 1977 computer analysis of 34 tablets found none of the statistical characteristics of a natural-language…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHS3DCJ7S/les-tablettes-inscrites-de-glozel)For: Signs copied from alphabet tables without linguistic order 1. 1977[T. D. Crawford: no Celtic epigrapher has accepted Hitz's readings, which require 40 to 50 ligature and geminate signs assigned case by…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHS3DCJ7S/les-tablettes-inscrites-de-glozel)Against: A Celtic language in an Etruscan-derived alphabet (Hitz) 1. 1979[Hans-Rudolf Hitz: hitz's alphabet is built from attested Lepontic and Etruscan letter forms and yields readings such as nemu Chlausei…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ6B5NVRQ/lecriture-de-glozel-son-dechiffrement-son-authenticite)For: A Celtic language in an Etruscan-derived alphabet (Hitz) 1. 1982[Hans-Rudolf Hitz: hitz's alphabet is built from attested Lepontic and Etruscan letter forms and yields readings such as nemu Chlausei…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJ6WRW0J3/als-man-noch-protokeltisch-sprach-versuch-einer-entzifferung)For: A Celtic language in an Etruscan-derived alphabet (Hitz) 1. 2015[Patrick Ferryn: no Celtic epigrapher has accepted Hitz's readings, which require 40 to 50 ligature and geminate signs assigned case by…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKKVED623/hans-rudolf-hitz-et-lecriture-de-glozel)Against: A Celtic language in an Etruscan-derived alphabet (Hitz) 1. 2015[Patrick Ferryn: hitz's alphabet is built from attested Lepontic and Etruscan letter forms and yields readings such as nemu Chlausei…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKKVED623/hans-rudolf-hitz-et-lecriture-de-glozel)For: A Celtic language in an Etruscan-derived alphabet (Hitz) 1. 2026[Wikipedia contributors: no Celtic epigrapher has accepted Hitz's readings, which require 40 to 50 ligature and geminate signs assigned case by…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKMG0NXP9/glozel-artifacts-wikipedia)Against: A Celtic language in an Etruscan-derived alphabet (Hitz) 1. Oct 2026[Session 1: raised the question, proposed four answers and worked on one of its sub-questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/records/SES0DEEA8YVZY8C/session-1-glozel-seeded-corpus-readings-and-open-data) ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/glozel/questions/QST0DEDTPBXAPB0/do-the-glozel-signs-form-a-writing-system-that-records-a%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/glozel/questions/QST0DEDTPBXAPB0/do-the-glozel-signs-form-a-writing-system-that-records-a%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/glozel/questions/QST0DEDTPBXAPB0/do-the-glozel-signs-form-a-writing-system-that-records-a%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/glozel/questions/QST0DEDTPBXAPB0/do-the-glozel-signs-form-a-writing-system-that-records-a%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/glozel/questions/QST0DEDTPBXAPB0/do-the-glozel-signs-form-a-writing-system-that-records-a%23add-source) Where it fits Glozel: the inscribed tablets of the Fradin field **Do the Glozel signs form a writing system that records a language?** Key question · you're here [Were the signs on the dated tablets cut before or after firing?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/glozel/questions/QST0DEDTWMC61QD/were-the-signs-on-the-dated-tablets-cut-before-or-after)No evidence yet · no answers yet [ Ask a question under this one ]