[1][2] The tablet was found in 1790 on the hill Monte Montrone, in the territory of Oppido Lucano (province of Potenza), among the finds from an ancient tomb.
On one side of the tablet is inscribed a municipal law from the city of Bantia, written in Oscan with Latin characters and 33 lines long, as it is preserved, broken into six paragraphs.
In Oscan: (3) ...deiuast maimas carneis senateis tanginud am ... (4) XL osiins, pon ioc egmo comparascuster.
Suae pis pertemust, pruter pan ... (5) deiuatud sipus comenei, perum dolum malum, siom ioc comono mais egmas touti- (6)cas amnud pan pieisum brateis auti cadeis amnud; inim idic siom dat senates (7) tanginud maimas carneis pertumum.
[4]In Latin: (3) ...iurabit maximae partis senatus sententia [dummodo non minus] (4) XL adsint, cum ea res consulta erit.
Si quis peremerit, prius quam peremerit, (5) iurato sciens in committio sine dolo malo, se ea comitia magis rei publicae causa, (6) quam cuiuspiam gratiae aut inimicitiae causa; idque se de senatus (7) sententia maximae partis perimere.
The formula senateis tanginud near the beginning of this passage is probably a calque (semantic borrowing) of the common Latin legal forumula de senatus sententia "by decision of the Senate.
"[7] Lines 8–11 In Oscan: (8) ...Pis pocapit post post exac comono hafies meddis dat castris loufir (9) en eituas, factud pous touto deiuatuns tanginom deicans, siom dateizasc idic tangineis (10) deicum, pod walaemom touticom tadait ezum.
Si quis contra hoc fecerit aut comitia habuerit, multo tanta esto: n.
[7] In Oscan: Suaepis pru meddixud altrei castrous auti eituas (14) zicolom dieust, izic comono ni hipid ne pon op toutad petirupert urust sipus perum dolom (15) mallom in.
And if any one shall have done contrary to this, if any magistrate wishes to fix the fine, he may, but only for less than half the property of the guilty person be it permitted.Notes: The Oscan legal phrase perum dolom mallom (14-15) seems to be a calque (semantic translation) of the widespread Latin legal phrase sine dolo malo "without bad intent."
Further, "sipus(perum) dolom mallom" seems to reflect another common Latin legal phrase, sciens dolo malo "knowingly with bad intent.
"[7] The formula suae pis contrud exeic fefacust ionc suae pis herest meddis moltaum licitud ‘If anyone acts contrary to this, if any magistrate shall wish to fine him, it is allowed’ is essentially a word for word translation of the third century Latin legal phrase sei quis aruorsu hac faxit ... seiue mac[i]steratus uolet moltare, [li]cetod.
‘If anyone acts contrary to this ... if a magistrate wants to impose a fine, it is allowed.’[10] In Oscan: Pon censtur (19) Bansae toutam censazet pis ceus Bantins fust, censamur esvf in, eituam poizad ligud (20) iusc censtur censaum angetuzet Aut suaepis censtomen nei cebnust dolud mallud (21) in.
in the assembly, under the magistracy of the praetor, in the presence of the people, and let the rest of his household, and all his property which is not rated, become public property without remuneration to him.In Oscan: Pr, suae praefucus pod post exac Bansaefust, suae pis op eizois com (24) atrud ligud acum herest, auti pru medicatud manim aserum eizazunc egmazum (25) pas exaiscen ligis serif tas set, ne phim pruhipid mais zicolois X nesimois.
Notes: The exact meaning of this fragment is not completely clear, but it seems to refer to a fine of 1200 pounds in silver, to the census and to an oath.