Thamudic

Thamudic refers to a group of ancient North Arabian scripts used in the Arabian Peninsula from roughly the 8th century BCE to the 4th century CE. These scripts are named after the ancient Thamud people, a confederation of tribes mentioned in historical and religious texts. The Thamudic scripts are generally considered to be a southern branch of the Old South Arabian script family, though they also show significant influence from the Aramaic script. Several distinct variants of Thamudic exist, often categorized by geographical location or chronological period, such as Thamudic A, B, C, D, E, and F.

These scripts were primarily used for inscriptions, often found on rocks, in tombs, and on pottery. The content of these inscriptions is varied, ranging from personal names, tribal affiliations, and dedications to religious invocations and brief historical records. Thamudic texts provide valuable insights into the culture, language, and social structures of the ancient Arabian peoples. While the script itself is an ancestor to later Arabic scripts, it is not directly ancestral to Classical Arabic. The decipherment of Thamudic inscriptions has been a significant undertaking for epigraphists and linguists, contributing to our understanding of the development of Semitic languages and writing systems in the ancient Near East.