Now we turn to the older script, the one the Minoans of The Minoans of Crete used and the Mycenaeans borrowed (A Family of Aegean Scripts). Linear A has been known since Evans's time, and it is still unread. Before asking why, look at what there is to read.
Key idea
Linear A is the Minoan script, used from about 1800 to 1450 BC. About 1,400 inscriptions survive, with about 7,400 signs in all, most of them short lists from Hagia Triada, Zakros, Chania and Phaistos.
| Site | What was found |
|---|---|
| Hagia Triada, near Phaistos | The largest group: about half of all Linear A inscriptions, including over a hundred tablets |
| Zakros, eastern Crete | Many tablets and sealed documents |
| Chania (ancient Kydonia), western Crete | Tablets, roundels and sealings |
| Phaistos | Some of the earliest Linear A |
| Islands and beyond | A few inscriptions on Thera, Melos, Kea and other places outside Crete |
What kinds of texts
- Clay tablets: lists of words and numbers, like Linear B accounts.
- Roundels, nodules and sealings: small clay pieces with seal impressions and a sign or two, used in administration.
- Stone libation tables and vessels: offering objects from sanctuaries, carved with short religious texts (The Libation Formula).
- Other objects: inscribed pottery, and a few metal objects such as gold and silver pins.
Why it works
Why does the size of the corpus matter so much? Compare: about 7,400 signs of Linear A, against tens of thousands of words of Linear B. Every pattern a decipherer finds must be seen many times to be trusted. With little text, and much of it lists of names and numbers, there are few patterns to test.
Common mistake
Thinking Linear A is a large body of texts. It is small: about 7,400 signs in all, mostly short lists, many damaged. Check: the whole corpus would fit in a few pages of a book, while the Linear B archives fill large volumes.
Worked example: Where most of it is
Which single site has produced the most Linear A?
- Hagia Triada, near Phaistos, has about half of all Linear A inscriptions.
Answer: Hagia Triada.
Worked example: How much?
About 1,400 inscriptions have about 7,400 signs in all. About how many signs is that per inscription, on average?
- 7,400 ÷ 1,400 is a little over 5.
Answer: About 5 signs per inscription: most are very short.