Linear A (writing system)
Linear A is an ancient writing system used by the Minoan civilization, which thrived on the island of Crete from approximately 2000 BCE to 1400 BCE. Characterized by horizontal lines organized in square fields, Linear A differs from many contemporaneous writing systems by relying on abstract lines and strokes instead of pictorial symbols. Primarily associated with administrative and religious functions, this writing system remains undeciphered despite extensive scholarly efforts since its discovery in the early 20th century. The Minoans, known for their maritime trade and cultural innovations, used Linear A alongside other writing systems, including Cretan hieroglyphs and the later Linear B, which is linked to the Mycenaean civilization. While Linear B was deciphered in the mid-20th century and identified as an early form of Greek, no successful attempts have been made to connect Linear A with any known language. The decline of Linear A around 1450 BCE coincided with significant cultural shifts on Crete, leading to the dominance of Linear B and the eventual collapse of the Minoan civilization. The mystery surrounding Linear A continues to intrigue researchers, highlighting the complexities of ancient Mediterranean cultures.
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Linear A (writing system)
Linear A was a writing system used by the Minoan civilization, a culture that flourished on the Mediterranean island of Crete more than three thousand years ago. Linear A differed from most writing systems of the era in that it used lines and strokes rather than pictures and symbols. Archaeologists believe it was primarily used for administrative or religious purposes. Linear A was one of three writing systems used in ancient Crete and was first discovered by modern archaeologists in the early twentieth century. Despite more than a century of extensive study, Linear A remains undeciphered.
Background
The Minoans were a prosperous civilization that existed on Crete from about 2000 BCE to 1400 BCE. Crete is a large island about 100 miles (161 km) southeast of mainland Greece. The ancient Minoans were seagoing traders who established one of the first civilizations on the European continent. People are believed to have been living on Crete as far back as 7000 BCE. The island’s inhabitants began trading with other cultures in the Mediterranean, eventually developing an extensive trading network. By about 2000 BCE, the Minoan culture had grown into a regional power, establishing colonial trading outposts on other islands in the Mediterranean. On Crete itself, the Minoans established four administrative and religious centers. The largest was the capital city of Knossos, with the others built at the cities of Phaistos, Malia, and Zakros.
The Minoan civilization collapsed about 1700 BCE, likely the result of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or volcanic eruption. The cities and palaces were rebuilt and the Minoan civilization rebounded for several centuries. About 1450 to 1400 BCE, Crete was again rocked by a cataclysmic event that decimated the island. Archeologists believe a combination of natural disasters and an invasion by the powerful Mycenaean civilization likely contributed to the civilization’s downfall. At the time, the Mycenaeans were a rising political force from mainland Greece. The Mycenaean culture would eventually give birth to the ancient Greek civilization.
Overview
In the year 1900, British archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavating the ruins on Crete. He discovered the remains of a large palace complex in the ancient city of Knossos. Assuming this palace was the home of the legendary King Minos from Greek myth, Evans named the civilization the Minoans. Among Evans’s discoveries were a number of clay tablets containing mysterious inscriptions. Evans studied the inscriptions and eventually realized they represented three distinct writing systems. These writing systems were the first ever used by a European civilization.
The oldest of these systems were known as Cretan hieroglyphs, which consisted of hundreds of pictures and symbols. The Cretan hieroglyphs were an example of a pictographic writing system, a type of writing that uses pictures to represent objects or words. The hieroglyphs were first developed about 2000 BCE and used on Crete until about 1700 BCE. Cretan hieroglyphs were typically found on seal stones, engraved objects used to make indentations on a clay tablet. These impressions acted as a sort of ancient signature. Archaeologists have yet to decipher the Cretan hieroglyphs.
The other two writing systems resembled organized lines and strokes, prompting Evans to name them Linear A and Linear B. Linear A is the older of the two systems and was first used about 1800 BCE. Linear A was written as horizontal lines arranged in square fields. The lines were typically about four to nine lines long. Modern scholars disagree on the number of known Linear A signs, with estimates ranging from a total of 77 to more than 120. Examples of Linear A have been found in the ruins at Knossos, Phaistos, and several other sites on Crete and neighboring islands.
Both Linear A and Cretan hieroglyphs seem to represent words from the same language, but experts have yet to identify that language. They believe that the symbols in Linear A represent either a word, syllable, object, or abstract idea. Attempts to match Linear A with several known languages from the region have proven unsuccessful. Linguists theorize that the system may represent a language related to ancient Etruscan, a dialect spoken by the people who inhabited Italy before the Romans. However, experts have not had success linking Linear A with that or any other language.
Though Linear A has yet to be deciphered, experts do agree that it was most likely used for accounting purposes or to keep records. Its discovery on objects associated with ritual ceremonies suggests it was also used for religious purposes. The use of the Linear A writing system began to fade about 1450 BCE, and by 1400 BCE it disappeared altogether.
Linear A was replaced with the Linear B system, which was used from about 1500 BCE to 1200 BCE. The two systems have many similarities and it seems likely that Linear B evolved from Linear A. However, Linear B seemed to represent a different language than Linear A. Evans and other scholars of his era were unable to decipher Linear B. In 1939, tablets with Linear B inscriptions were found on the Greek mainland, suggesting that the underlying base language of the tablets may have been Greek.
In 1953, an English linguist named Michael Ventris discovered that the language behind Linear B was an archaic form of Greek spoken during the time of the Mycenaeans. Using this language, Ventris was able to decipher most of the Linear B symbols. Linear B is thought to be the main writing system of the Mycenaean civilization, and its discovery on Crete suggests a Mycenaean influence on the island. However, when linguists tried to use Mycenaean Greek to decipher Linear A, they were unsuccessful. Though the two systems are related, using Mycenaean Greek as a language base for Linear A produced only a garbled translation.
Bibliography
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