The Decipherment of Linear BThe languages of the ancient world and the mysterious scripts, long undeciphered, in which they were encoded have represented one of the most intriguing problems of classical archaeology in modern times. This celebrated account of the decipherment of Linear B in the 1950s by Michael Ventris was written by his close collaborator in the momentous discovery. In revealing the secrets of Linear B it offers a valuable survey of late Minoan and Myceanean archaeology, uncovering fascinating details of the religion and economic history of an ancient civilisation. |
Contents
MICHAEL VENTRIS | 1 |
THE MINOAN SCRIPTS | 5 |
HOPES AND FAILURES | 26 |
BIRTH OF A THEORY | 38 |
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT | 65 |
THE DECIPHERMENT AND THE CRITICS | 79 |
LIFE IN MYCENAEAN GREECE | 99 |
PROSPECTS | 132 |
POSTSCRIPT | 139 |
MYCENAEAN TABLETS IN TRANSCRIPTION | 156 |
INDEX | 160 |
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Common terms and phrases
alphabet already Amnisos appear archaeological archaeologists archive Athens attempt Bennett Blegen bronze Bronze Age century B.C. chariot classical Cypriot classical Greek clear consonant Cretan Crete cuneiform cuneiform script Cypriot syllabary decipher decipherment di-pa dialect discovery Documents English Etruscan Evans evidence excavated fact feminine followed footstool genitive Greece Greek alphabet Greek language Greek word grid Hagia Triada Hittite Homer horse identified ideograms ideographic Indo-European inflexion inscriptions instance interpretation Iraklion jars Knossos and Pylos Knossos tablets known large number later Linear Linear B tablets masculine material means mentioned method Michael Ventris Minoan scripts Miss Kober Mycenae Mycenaean Greek Myres palace Peloponnese phonetic values plural possible probably problem Professor published Pylos tablets records represented scholars scribe sign-groups similar solution spelling suffix suggested syllabic texts theory tion translation tripod Ugarit variant vessels vowel writing written wrote