Overview

For a long time many scholars hesitated to transliterate Minoan Linear A as long as there was no decisive evidence that the phonetic values of Linear A signs were essentially the same as those of their Linear B counterparts. The question as to whether graphic identity of Linear A and B signs does or does not reflect phonetic identity was tested with the help of computer methods by D.W. Packard, first in an unpublished doctoral thesis at Harvard, A study of the Minoan Linear A tablets, 1967, then in two articles, and finally in a monograph Minoan Linear A, Berkeley-Los Angeles-London 1974. He constructed nine fictitious decipherments redistributing the Linear B phonetic values among the Linear A signs in such a way that no sign had the same value in any of them. To avoid unwarranted variations affecting the results he re-allocated the values only to signs within the same range of frequency. In a tenth 'decipherment' he used the Ventris's values of signs showing graphic identity in Linear A and B. Considering the results within Linear A the ratio of so-called confirmatory alternations is just over 2: 1 in favour of decipherment by the Ventris's values over the average result of the fictitious decipherments. M. Pope, and J. Raison, 'Linear A: Changing perspectives' in Études minoennes I, BCILL 14 (1978), ed. Y. Duhoux, 24-25, found that Packard's results were even better (3: 1), if they were adjusted for context. Rightly they argued that confirmatory alternations are more significant, if the contexts are similar so that we are likely to be dealing with words and names from the same semantic sphere. Likewise, comparing Linear A with Linear B, the ratio of confirmatory alternations is just over 3: 1 in favour of decipherment by the Ventris's values, and what is more important: if the Linear A matches with Linear B from Knossos are separated from those from the mainland, the ratio is 5: 1 for Knossos and 4: 3 for the mainland. These results offered so much confidence that J. Raison and M. Pope could provide 'Le vocabulaire du linéaire A en translitération' in the same issue of Études minoennes I, 131-190. All texts are provided with information about the joins that have been made, inventory numbers in the musea, certain (c.q. probable) dating based on the finding place and datable context, bibliographical information, a critical apparatus, in which the different readings of respective editors are compared. The author hopes that this publication will contribute to the quality of philological and linguistic research on Linear A. It is advisable to consult the editions with good photographs of the texts, in particular L. Godart - J.-P. Olivier, Recueil des inscriptions en linéaire A, Vol. 1-5, Études Crétoises XXI, 1-5, Paris 1976-1985. The revised edition of the Corpus contains a new Linear A text found during the recent excavations at Gournia and some new readings. The first Linear A grid contained The main Linear A phonetic signs according to the Linear B syllabary. The revised edition contains a second Linear A grid in which the phonetic signs correspond with Hurrian cuneiform phonetic values. Based on confirmatory matches the phonetic values of some Linear A signs could be identified, cf. Volume I, Part I, Chapter 12: From undeciphered to deciphered Linear A signs. These values are now incorporated in the transliterated Linear A texts.

Full Product Details

9789083275475

Table of Contents

Reviews

Jacques Raison (Paris) wrote a review in the REVUE DES ETUDES GRECQUES, Tome XCVII, Nos 460-461, 1984, p. 87: Du meme auteur (Peter G. van Soesbergen, BICS 28, 1981, p. 163, resume une conference du 28-5-80 sur le meme sujet 'The historical significance of onomastic data from Linear A and B texts' (texte complet fourni sur demande par la revue). .... Sans pousser jusqu'a l'hieroglyphique, trop mal connu, Van Soesbergen, entre autres preuves, remonte aux origines du lineaire A, dont les traits 'agglutinants' et les caracteristiques orthographiques du syllabaire (inferees de celles du syllabaire B, son heritier), lui paraissent avoir ete concues pour une langue comme celle du Mitanni. Rapprochement de mots du lineaire A et hourrites (assez interessant, quand ils sont suffisamment longs); essai, finalement, point tellement loin d'une esquisse de dechiffrement partiel. Sous la meme signature, bref retour, mais ferme, sur les traits 'hourrites' du lineaire A dans 'Progress in Linear A research', communication au congres EIRENE de septembre-octobre 1982, a Prague (a paraitre dans les actes de cette reunion). En preambule, resume des acquis anterieurs concernant l'ecriture evoquee: il est retenu, comme assure, un peu de chacun et annonce un livre sur The onomastics of the 'Minoan Linear A' and 'Linear B' documents and their historical significance , ainsi qu'un Corpus of transliterated Linear A texts .

Jacques Raison (Paris) wrote a review in the REVUE DES ÉTUDES GRECQUES, Tome XCVII, Nos 460-461, 1984, p. 87: ""Du même auteur (Peter G. van Soesbergen, BICS 28, 1981, p. 163, résume une conférence du 28-5-80 sur le même sujet 'The historical significance of onomastic data from Linear A and B texts' (texte complet fourni sur demande par la revue). .... Sans pousser jusqu'à l'hiéroglyphique, trop mal connu, Van Soesbergen, entre autres preuves, remonte aux origines du linéaire A, dont les traits 'agglutinants' et les caractéristiques orthographiques du syllabaire (inférées de celles du syllabaire B, son héritier), lui paraissent avoir été concues pour une langue comme celle du Mitanni. Rapprochement de mots du linéaire A et hourrites (assez intéressant, quand ils sont suffisamment longs); essai, finalement, point tellement loin d'une esquisse de déchiffrement partiel. Sous la même signature, bref retour, mais ferme, sur les traits 'hourrites' du linéaire A dans 'Progress in Linear A research', communication au congrès EIRENE de septembre-octobre 1982, à Prague (à paraître dans les actes de cette réunion). En préambule, résumé des acquis antérieurs concernant l'écriture évoquée: il est retenu, comme assuré, un peu de chacun et annoncé un livre sur ""The onomastics of the 'Minoan Linear A' and 'Linear B' documents and their historical significance"", ainsi qu'un ""Corpus of transliterated Linear A texts"".

Author Information

Peter G. van Soesbergen (born in Amsterdam, 7th February 1945) studied Classics at the University of Amsterdam (Doctoral Examination cum laude). He pursued research on The archaeological context of Minoan Linear A for ""The Netherlands Organization for Pure Research"" (report of 400 pp.), published several articles and gave papers at international colloquia and congresses (Heraklion, Bucharest, Sheffield, Nottingham, Prague, Rome, Naples), a Mycenaean Seminar on ""The historical significance of onomastic data from Linear A and B texts"" (Institute of Classical Studies, University of London) and special papers on Linear A at Cambridge and Groningen. He pursued research as a Leverhulme European Visiting Fellow and Independent Research Worker at the University of Sheffield, where he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) on the thesis ""The onomastics of the 'Minoan Linear A' and 'Linear B' documents and their historical significance"". He taught Greek, Latin, Ancient History, Archaeology, Mycenology and Andrological examination. After his retirement he is still pursuing research.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available