The undeciphered Aegean scripts : linguistic investigations into the languages they encode / Brent Davis

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Davis, Brent Eric, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Inscriptions, Linear A--Translations.

Inscriptions, Linear A.

Translations.

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations (black and white), maps

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2026

Summary:

"The decipherment of Linear B, an early form of Greek used by the Myceneans, by Michael Ventris and John Chadwick has long been celebrated. But five other scripts from the Bronze-Age Aegean remain undeciphered. In this book, Brent Davis provides a thorough introduction to these scripts and uses statistical techniques drawn from linguistics to provide insights into the languages lying behind them. He deals most extensively with the script of the Minoan civilization on Crete (“Linear A”), whose decipherment remains one of the Holy Grails of archaeology. He discusses linguistic topics in clear language and explains linguistic terms in a comprehensive glossary. The book also includes all data on which the various analyses of the scripts are based. It will therefore be of great interest and use not just to experts in the undeciphered Aegean scripts, but to novices and aficionados of decipherment as well"-- Cambridge Core

Contents:

Overview of the Aegean scripts

Evidence relevant to the character of the language that Linear A encodes

Linear A phonology

Linear A morphology

Linear A syntax and orthography

Syllabotactic analysis : A new methodology for investigating the languages behind the undeciphered Aegean scripts

Syllabotactic analysis of Linear A

Syllabotactic analysis of the Phaistos Disk script against Linear A

Syllabotactic analysis of Cretan Hieroglyphic against Linear A

Syllabotactic analysis of Cypro-Minoan

Syllabotactic analysis of Eteocypriot and Linear A against Cypro-Minoan

Epilogue : Final summary

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (Cambridge Core, viewed March 24, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Davis, Brent Eric Undeciphered Aegean scripts

ISBN:

9781009562331

1009562339

9781009562317

1009562312

OCLC:

1552154469

Publisher Number:

CIPO000304552

CIPO000320432

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license