Behind every undeciphered text lies a lost piece of human history. Some languages refuse to give up their secrets, leaving researchers staring at symbols and scratching their heads for centuries. They reveal glimpses of forgotten rituals, lost knowledge, and stories that could reshape what we know about ancient civilizations. If you’re fond of mysteries, history or language, here are ten ancient languages no one could understand yet.
Linear A
Linear A is a mystery that has puzzled experts for over 100 years. It was founded in 1900 by a British archaeologist, Sir Arthur Evans, on Crete, a large Mediterranean island. The ancient people of Crete used it to record palace events and religious ceremonies. Unlike its successor, Linear B, its code remains unsolved.
The Harappan Language
Across Pakistan and northwest India, thousands of ancient seals and pottery pieces carry the Harappan script—a language no one can read. More than 4,000 years ago, it was used by an early civilization in the Indus Valley, a region in South Asia. Scholars debate whether it’s made of symbols, sounds, or both, and its secrets stay hidden.
Etruscan
This language influenced Latin vocabulary, especially in architecture and religious practices, yet it is still partially undeciphered today. The Etruscan language once flourished in Tuscany, an area of central Italy that existed before Rome became powerful. Despite knowing their alphabet, researchers struggle to decode most texts beyond basic funeral and religious inscriptions.
Hurrian
Hurrian was spoken by the people of the Mitanni kingdom in the ancient Near East. Scholars have studied it for decades. However, most of its texts remain unreadable. Unlike many familiar languages, it isn’t part of any major language family. Remarkably, it has also preserved the oldest known musical composition in human history.
Iberian
Before Latin dominated the region, eastern and southeastern Spain spoke an enigmatic tongue called Iberian. Though archeologists discovered numerous inscriptions on coins and monuments, the language defies translation. Even after cracking its script, experts cannot find out the deeper meanings hidden within the Iberian texts.
Pictish
The Pictish language presents an enduring mystery from Scotland’s Early Middle Ages. People from that era left behind elaborately carved stones with mysterious symbols and inscriptions. The names of the places still dot Scottish maps, but the understanding of the Pictish language remains tantalizingly out of reach.
Raetic
Ancient inscriptions scattered across the eastern Alps tell a cryptic story of the Raetic people. Their language, recorded in a modified Etruscan script, spans modern Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. Though the Raetic people lived alongside the Etruscans and shared some culture, nobody could crack most of what they wrote.
Tartessian
The Tartessian language once existed in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, which is modern-day southern Spain and Portugal. Ancient inscriptions are all that survive, and researchers still aren’t sure how to classify or fully understand them. As one of Western Europe’s oldest writing systems, Tartessian is especially fascinating when studied with the Southwest Paleohispanic script.
Meroitic
Deep in ancient Sudan stood Meroe, a powerful kingdom with its own unique language. While people have identified two writing systems—hieroglyphic and cursive Meroitic—they still cannot understand what the texts say. The language faded into obscurity when the kingdom fell in the 4th century AD.
Luvians (Luwian)
The Luwian language comes from ancient Anatolia, now modern-day Turkey, and dates back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. It’s closely related to Hittite, the language of an ancient people in central Anatolia. Luwian was written in cuneiform, with wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets, and in hieroglyphs, picture symbols on stone. Much of which remains unreadable.
