Linear B

E192255

Linear B is an ancient syllabic script used to write Mycenaean Greek, making it the earliest known form of written Greek.

All labels observed (8)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient script
syllabic script
writing system
archaeologicalSite Chania
Knossos
Mycenae
linked to: Mycenae and Tiryns

Pylos
Thebes
Tiryns
linked to: Mycenae and Tiryns
associatedCivilization Mycenaean civilization
category Bronze Age writing system
decipheredBy Michael Ventris
deciphermentContributor John Chadwick
deciphermentMethod structural analysis and comparison with Greek
deciphermentYear 1952
derivedFrom Linear A
earliestAttestation circa 1450 BCE
earliestFormOf written Greek
geographicRegion Aegean region
linked to: Aegean Sea region

Crete
Peloponnese
mainland Greece
linked to: Greek mainland
hasSignType logograms
numerals
syllabic signs
hasUnicodeBlock Linear B Ideograms
linked to: Linear B

Linear B Syllabary
linked to: Linear B
influenced study of Greek historical linguistics
ISO15924Code Linb
languageWritten Mycenaean Greek
latestAttestation circa 1200 BCE
materialForm clay tablets
inscribed stirrup jars
notUsedFor literary texts
numberOfSyllabicSignsApprox about 87
primaryUse administrative records
economic records
reasonForPreservation accidental firing in palace destructions
scriptContinuity predecessorOfDebatedRelationTo
scriptFamily Aegean scripts
linked to: Cretan hieroglyphs
scriptUsageContext palatial bureaucracy
timePeriodUsed circa 15th century BCE to 12th century BCE
UnicodeRange U+10000–U+1007F
U+10080–U+100FF
usesScriptType syllabary
writingDirection left-to-right
writingMedium wet clay impressed with stylus
writingSystemFor Mycenaean Greek
writingSystemStatus deciphered

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (23)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Linear B inscriptions writtenInScript Linear B script
linked to: Linear B
Greek language writingSystemUsedIn Linear B (for Mycenaean Greek)
linked to: Linear B
Mycenaean Greek writingSystem Linear B
Knossos associatedScript Linear B
Supplementary Multilingual Plane contains Linear B Syllabary block
linked to: Linear B
Supplementary Multilingual Plane contains Linear B Ideograms block
linked to: Linear B
Unicode 4.1 addsBlock Linear B Syllabary
linked to: Linear B
Unicode 4.1 addsBlock Linear B Ideograms
linked to: Linear B
Linear B hasUnicodeBlock Linear B Syllabary
linked to: Linear B
Linear B hasUnicodeBlock Linear B Ideograms
linked to: Linear B
lawagetas usedInWritingSystem Linear B
Michael Ventris studied Linear B
Michael Ventris proved Linear B represents an early form of Greek
linked to: Linear B
John Chadwick workedOn Linear B
Linear A successor Linear B
Linear A influenced Linear B
Cretan hieroglyphs relatedTo Linear B
Greek language earliestWritingSystem Linear B
subject linked to: Greek