When did Linear B first appear in history?
The earliest known examples of Linear B date to around 1450 BC. This script appears in the palace archives at Knossos, Pylos, Thebes and Mycenae.
The earliest known examples of Linear B date to around 1450 BC. This script appears in the palace archives at Knossos, Pylos, Thebes and Mycenae.
English architect Michael Ventris deciphered Linear B in 1952 based on research by American classicist Alice Kober. Ventris made his first public announcement about the breakthrough on the 1st of July 1952 via BBC Radio.
Linear B consists of approximately 87 syllabic signs and over 100 ideographic symbols. Each sign represents a monosyllable type V or CV structure while some characters function as diphthongs like ai or au within specific words.
Over 6,058 known inscriptions total include approximately 5,500 fragments comprising about 4,158 tablets from Knossos alone. Pylos contains roughly 1,026 tablets plus sealing nodules labels and stirrup jars.
When buildings housing these tablets were destroyed by fire the clay baked and preserved them. This accidental baking saved what would otherwise have crumbled into dust over millennia.