Invention of Linear B: What Happened
Around 1450 BC, the Mycenaean Greeks adapted the Minoan script Linear A to write their own language, creating Linear B, the oldest known written form of Greek. Scribes used it to keep detailed palace records on clay tablets, listing sheep, wool, grain, olive oil, bronze, weapons, land and workers. Thousands of tablets have been found at Knossos on Crete and at mainland palaces such as Pylos, Mycenae, Thebes and Tiryns. Ironically, many survive only because the palaces burned. The fires baked the unfired clay hard, preserving records that were meant to be temporary. The tablets reveal a highly organized society run by a king, called the wanax, with officials, craftsmen and slaves. They also mention gods later worshipped by the Greeks, including Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hermes and Dionysus. Linear B disappeared when the palaces collapsed around 1200 BC, and Greece had no writing for several centuries afterward. The script was finally deciphered in 1952 by the architect Michael Ventris, working with the scholar John Chadwick, proving it was Greek.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Linear B?
Linear B is a script used by the Mycenaeans from around 1450 to 1200 BC to write an early form of Greek. It is the oldest known written form of the Greek language.
Who deciphered Linear B?
Linear B was deciphered in 1952 by Michael Ventris, a British architect and amateur linguist, working with the scholar John Chadwick. Their breakthrough proved the script recorded Greek.
What do Linear B tablets say?
Most tablets are palace records listing goods and people, such as sheep, wool, grain, olive oil, weapons, land holdings and workers. They also name gods such as Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and Dionysus.
Where have Linear B tablets been found?
Linear B tablets have been found at Knossos on Crete and at mainland palaces including Pylos, Mycenae, Thebes and Tiryns. The largest collections come from Knossos and Pylos.
Why did Linear B survive?
Ironically, many tablets survived because the palaces burned. The fires baked the unfired clay hard, preserving records that were only meant to be temporary.
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