engleski

Understanding the transition from Linear A to Linear B script

This thesis argues that the origin of Linear B was not limited to a single source. Its understanding is improved if approached from two different angles: the origin of the script itself, and the origin of the administrative practice rendered by the script. Whereas Linear A remains the main source for the first, the latter appears to have partly relied on the Cretan Hieroglyphic administration, despite the chronological gap. In order to grasp the extent of the Linear A influences - and the process of the transition from one script to the other - a detailed comparison has been undertaken between the latest Linear A documents, as represented by records from Haghia Triada, and the earliest in Linear B, those from the Room of the Chariot Tablets (RCT) at Knossos. The results reveal considerable similarities, as well as striking differences. This Hieroglyphic influence is a persuasive reason for concluding that Linear B originated on Crete, and not on the Mainland. Apart from the sources of its origin, an analysis of the aforementioned features provides insights into the development of Linear B script and administration. A distinciton is proposed between those modifications which occured at the very outset of the script, and those that developed over time (immediate versus gradual changes). The RCT deposit appears tranisitional, which is taken as an indicator that the date of the origin of Linear B should be sought in the LM IB or early LM II period.

linear A; linear B; transition; script

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