has been alleged by Margherita Guarducci to have been a well-informed hoax; however, the evidence is only circumstantial and there are no clear indications pointing to a forgery. Ultimately, these claims have been disproven, as a new analysis performed in 2011 declared it to be genuine "beyond any reasonable doubt". The Lapis Niger inscription is another example of Old Latin dated to the period of Rome's monarchy, although scholars have had difficulty in their attempts to interpret the meaning of the texts in their surviving fragments. References Further reading "Die -Inschrift" : transcription and interpretation of the inscription Larissa Bonfante, "Etruscan Life and Afterlife: A Handbook of Etruscan Studies", Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 1986 Arthur Gordon, "Notes on the Duenos-Vase Inscription in Berlin", California Studies in Classical Antiquity, Vol. 8, 1975, pp. 53–72 (available online) Arthur E. Gordon, Illustrated Introduction to Latin Epigraphy. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983 (Google Books preview). 1st millennium BC in Italy 7th-century BC works 6th-century BC works 5th-century BC works 1880 archaeological discoveries Ancient city of Rome Ancient Roman pottery Antikensammlung Berlin Archaeological discoveries in Italy Earliest known manuscripts by language Latin inscriptions Roman archaeology