Mediterranean Bronze Age Dr Elissa Faro April 2, 2008 Guest Lecture 24 Prof. John Cherry What Can We Learn from Linear B? Palace of Nestor at Pylos Tablet P641 — the “tripod” tablet that decisively confirmed the decipherment of Linear B as Greek ti-ri-po-de = Greek tripodes (a vase with “three feet”, i.e. a tripod Linear B deciphered as an early form of Greek by Michael Ventris and John Chadwick in 1952 Many of the signs in the …were adapted in Minoan Linear script… Mycenaean Linear B to write the Greek language Linear B Syllabograms Linear B Ideograms Knossos tablet Co 907 Listing sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle A Knossos Chariot Tablet (Sc230) to-ra-ke i-qi-ja wo-ka i-qo thorakes hippos “corslets” “wheeled chariot” “horse” cf. thorax cf. hippodrome Plan of Palace of Knossos, showing major findspots of Linear B tablets Organization of the Textile Industry at Linear B Knossos Evidence for a “hither” and “further” division of the Mycenaean kingdom of Pylos Pylos Ng02 De-we-ro ai-ko-ra-i-ja SA 1239 To-sa-de o-u-di-do-to SA 457 [Those from this side of Aigaleon: 1239 units of linen and so many have not been contributed: 457 units of linen] Pylos Ng01 Pe-ra3-ko-ra-i-ja SA 200[+ To-sa-de o-u-di-do-to [SA ?] [Those from beyond Aigaleon: 200 units of linen and so many have not been contributed: ?? units of linen] The western part of the territory of the Palace of Nestor at Pylos (at ) The Mt. Aigaleon range in the distance Part of Pylos tablet Jn09 + 829 … me-ta-pa ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm pe-to-no ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm pa-ki-ja-pi ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm pe-to-no ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm a-pu2?-we ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm [a]-ke-re-wa ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm ro-u-so ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm [ka]-ra-do-ro ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm [ri]-jo ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm [ti]-mi-to a-ke-e ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm [ra]-wa-ra-ta2 ko-re-te BRONZE 3.75 kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm [sa]-ma-ra ko-re-te BRONZE 3.75 kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm [a]-sija-ti-ja ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm e-ra-te-re-wa-pi ko-re-te BRONZE 2kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm za-ma-e-wi-ja ko-re-te BRONZE 3.75 kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm e-re-i ko-re-te BRONZE 3.75 kg po-ro-ko-re-te BRONZE 750 gm Linear B tablet Tn316 The “Cup-bearer” fresco at Knossos Knossos tablet Fp1 In the month of Deukios: To the Diktaian Zeus: 12 liters of oil To Daidaleion: 24 liters of oil To Pa-de: 12 liters of oil To all the gods: 36 liters of oil To the augur?: 12 liters of oil At Amnisos, to all the gods: 24 liters of oil To Erinus?: 6 liters of oil To *47-da-: 2 liters of oil To the priestess of the winds: 8 liters of oil Total: 136 liters of oil Knossos tablet Gg704 Knossos tablet Gg705 In the month of…? At Amnisos: one jar of honey to Eleuthia One jar on honey to the Earthshaker One jar of honey to all the gods One jar of honey….