30th March 1900: Archaeologists discover the first Linear B tablet at the ancient site of Knossos скачать в хорошем качестве

30th March 1900: Archaeologists discover the first Linear B tablet at the ancient site of Knossos

A team led by British archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavating the ruins of the Minoan palace on the island of Crete on March 23, 1900. Within a week the first tablet inscribed with a previously-unknown script, later named Linear B, was unearthed. The discovery marked a major breakthrough in the study of ancient Aegean civilizations and provided valuable insights into the history and culture of the Minoans. Evans had been aware of what he called a ‘linear system of writing’ that originated from Crete since the late 1880s, and the discovery of a number of caches of tablets during his later excavation confirmed that this was the written language of the Mycenaean civilization of ancient Greece during the Late Bronze Age. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s that architect and cryptographer Michael Ventris was able to decipher them, based on research by American classicist Alice Kober. The tablets are inscribed with a series of symbols that represent syllabic sounds, allowing researchers to decipher the script and gain insights into the language and writing system used by the ancient Minoans. Evans’ excavation of the Linear B tablets at Knossos shed light on the complex and sophisticated nature of the Minoan civilization. They contain records of economic transactions, administrative matters, and religious rituals. Furthermore they provide evidence of a centralized bureaucracy and administrative system at Knossos, suggesting a highly organized society with complex political and economic structures that continues to inspire the academic study of ancient Aegean civilizations.