by Taken from P. Abrashi

The Austrian professor Paul Kretschmer (1866–1956), in his studies, states that the Adriatic Sea was the Illyrian Sea, since on both of its shores lived Illyrian tribes that had reached a high level of civilization — one that has never been properly studied. He cites the numerous Messapian inscriptions, which clearly reflect the Illyrian language.

(photo: a sample of Illyrian Messapian inscriptions)

Paul Kretschmer (1866–1956) was a professor of comparative linguistics at the University of Marburg and later at the University of Vienna. He thus provides a scientific overview in which he argues that the Illyrians on their own peninsula and the Illyrians on the Apennine peninsula — especially in southern Italy (the Messapians and Iapygians) — had imprinted their names on their cities and geography, and in doing so made the Adriatic Sea appear as an Illyrian sea.

Illyrian migrations, as well as their colonizing experience on the coasts of Italy, involve extremely important historical aspects that have not been fully studied. Their linguistic (Illyrian) tradition was successful and enduring. Moreover, the Illyrians of southern Italy had cultivated writing — they were a people who used writing — thus demonstrating that they had developed a high degree of civilization. There are thousands of Messapian inscriptions that remain unpublished, and one could say they are still awaiting decipherment.