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THE ALPHABET that of the early Libyan writing, that is, while borrowing the idea of writing and some of the letters used by the Phænicians or Carthaginians, the ancient populations of Spain also made use of the geometrical signs current in prehistoric Spain (p. 22f.), but in addition, used arbitrary symbols and possibly characters derived from other scripts.
The whole question is also in some measure connected with the ethnic problem of ancient Spain. It is a fact that the origin of the Iberians is still uncertain. Various theories have been put forward. We will mention the more important. It should be noted: (1) The old opinion connecting the Iberians of Spain with the ancient Caucasian Iberians is now out-of-date. (2) Another theory connects the Iberians with the Libyans, and some scholars hold that the names of the Iberians and the Berbers spring from the same source, the latter being a Libyan duplication of the element ber (Ber-ber), the former consisting of the same element preceded by the Libyan article i- (i-Ber). (3) Some scholars (this is essentially W. von Humboldt's opinion, suggested in 1821) consider that the present Basques, who inhabit the region of the Pyrenees in north-Western Spain, are the descendants of the ancient Iberians who are supposed to have inhabited the Iberian peninsula since the Stone Age. This opinion is at present held mainly by certain Spanish scholars. Other investigators connect the Basques with the ancient Ligurians and consider the ancient Iberian language as an offshoot of the early Libyan speech, see under (2). A correct solution of the linguistic problem would certainly help in solving the question of the origins of the Iberian scripts and vice-versa.
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