How was the ancient Linear B script deciphered?

Linear B was an ancient syllabic script used for writing Mycenaean Greek during the Late Bronze Age. After disappearing with the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, the script remained a mystery until it was successfully deciphered in 1952. The breakthrough was achieved by English architect and self-taught linguist Michael Ventris, building upon the foundational research of American classicist Alice Kober.

What we know

• Linear B was deciphered in 1952 by English architect and self-taught linguist Michael Ventris. [2, 5]
• Michael Ventris based his decipherment of Linear B on the prior research of American classicist Alice Kober. [2]
• When deciphered, the underlying language of Linear B was found to be Mycenaean Greek, the earliest attested form of the Greek language. [2, 4]
• Linear B consists of around 87 syllabic signs and over 100 ideographic signs representing commodities or objects. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Alice Kober?
• compared withWhat is Linear A?
• what caused itWhat caused the Late Bronze Age collapse?
• whereWhere were the Linear B tablets found?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the most famous script decipherments in history?
• an unexpected connectionHow did an architect manage to crack a lost ancient language?Although Michael Ventris was a trained architect rather than a professional academic philologist, he pursued the decipherment of Linear B as a personal vocation since adolescence before finally cracking it.

Sources

• [1]Linear B (Wikidata Q190102) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Linear B · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Decipherment · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Linear A · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Michael Ventris · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

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