Linear B

Linear B is the script that was used for writing Mycenaean, an early form of the Greek language.

Related Topics:
Mycenaean - Greek language

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It occurs primarily on tablets dated from the 14th and 13th centuries BC.

Related Topics:
14th - 13th

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The script was derived from an earlier script (Linear A) used for writing the Minoan language and thus does not accurately represent the sounds of the Mycenaean language. It is partly syllabic, with additional logographic signs (that are "determinative", or "designatinal")(yielding "classes", and "types").

Related Topics:
Linear A - Minoan - Syllabic - Logographic

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The first clay tablet at Knossos was discovered by the British archaeologist Arthur Evans on March 31, 1900 and on April 6 he discovered a significant hoard of tablets (measuring 5x10 inches).

Related Topics:
Clay tablet - Knossos - British - Archaeologist - Arthur Evans - March 31 - 1900 - April 6

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Michael Ventris and John Chadwick deciphered Linear B between 1951–1953. Before their work, Alice Kober had studied Linear B and had managed to construct grids, linking symbols that seemed to have a strong grammatical relationship. Based on her work, and after making some inspired assumptions, Ventris was able to figure out the pronunciation of the syllables. The deciphering of Linear B proved that it was a written form of Greek, to the amazement of Ventris himself, but also in direct contradiction to the general scientific views of the times. The consequences of Ventris' discovery were of immense significance, because he actually showed that a Greek-speaking Minoan-Mycenaean culture existed on Crete. The earlier, purely Minoan language of Linear A continues to resist translation.

Related Topics:
Michael Ventris - John Chadwick - 1951 - 1953 - Alice Kober - Linear A

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Linear B has roughly 200 signs, divided into syllabic signs with phonetic values and logograms (or ideograms) with semantic values.

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Linear B is assigned Unicode Range 10000–1007F for syllabic signs and 10080–100FF for logograms.

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