Punic-Libyan Inscription

The Punic-Libyan Inscription is an important ancient bilingual inscription dated to the 2nd century BC, which played a significant role in deciphering the Libyco-Berber script, in which the Numidian language (Old Libyan) was written. The language is however still not fully understood. The inscription once formed part of the Libyco-Punic Mausoleum (Mausoleum of Ateban) at Dougga in Tunisia, before it was removed in the mid nineteenth century and taken to London, where it is now in the British Museum's ancient Middle Eastern collection.
Discovery.
It was noted by traveller in 1631 in his correspondence with Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc; however this was not published at the time and was unknown to the explorers in the early 19th century. It was rediscovered in 1815 by Count Borgia, and published by Friedrich Münter in 1821, Jean Emile Humbert in 1821, and Hendrik Arent Hamaker in 1828. Munter wrote that: "On the right side it is Punic, or Mauritanian, because I find letters that seem alien to the Punic Alphabet, as far as we know it up to now; on the left are the letters of which a sample is given here. The right side is best preserved."
In 1842, Sir Thomas Reade, the British consul in Tunis, ordered the removal of this inscription from the Mausoleum, which in the process seriously damaged the monument. Recognising the importance of the bilingual inscription in decoding the Libyan language, Reade had it dispatched to London for the 'benefit of science'. Reade demolished the entire wall in which the inscription was embedded, leaving the stone blocks that framed it litter the ground around the mausoleum. Two of Reade’s compatriots, Bruce and Catherwood, had taken accurate drawings of the building prior to the removal.
Description.
The Mausoleum of Ateban was built in the second century BC by the inhabitants of Dougga in remembrance of an important prince or dignitary of Numidia. Some have conjectured that it was built for Massinissa, King of Numidia. A limestone frieze with bilingual script was installed on the podium of the mausoleum. The left half of the inscription was engraved in the Punic language, the other half in the Numidian language. The bilingual nature of the inscription made it possible for scholars to decode the ancient Libyco-Berber script, which was written right-to-left.
Translation of the Inscription.
A modern translation of the inscription indicates that the tomb was dedicated to Ateban, the son of Iepmatath and Palu. According to the most recent research, the names cited in the inscription refer to the monument's architect and the representatives of different professions involved in its construction.