L I N E A R · B
Introduction
Linear B
Decipherment
Links

WHAT IS LINEAR B?
Linear B is a writing system discovered on the isle of Crete which was used by the Mycenaean (Ancient Greek) civilization that developed there. It includes both a syllabary (where each symbol corresponds to a spoken syllable) and logograms (where a symbol corresponds to an idea). Because the system doesn't match precisely with Greek, it is believed that perhaps it was originally used by an earlier civilization that didn't speak Greek and that when the Mycenaeans came, they simply adjusted the written language of the original people to suit their needs.


The Syllabary

In addition to the Syllabary shown above, Linear B also including symbols that were combinations of other symbols, later discovered to represent diphthongs (two vowels that combine together to make one vowel sound).


Examples of the Logograms



NUMBERS

created by elizabeth smit for math 187, introduction to cryptography