h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Decipherment of Linear B - A3894861
Author: Gnomon - U151503

This is ready for Peer Review now. I've four diagrams, which I have provided on my personal site, with links from the entry, but I'd prefer if these were changed into h2g2 pictures and included in the entry itself. They might need a bit of tweaking before that's possible as two of the diagrams are rather large.

What do people think?

Been looking forward to this.

It must be worth, with an entry like this, pushing the Towers to get an example of Ventris' full table put into the Entry as a graphic.

I think the paragraph on syllabic/logographic languages could use a small expansion. As it stands, it is a bit confusing and, because the logographic/syllabic differene was key to the translation, I think it could do with a very simplistic explanation, step-by-step (maybe with examples?).

As a very minor point, I think the Argentine/Canadian table would look better centred on the page. I think this is approved GuideML, but Jim Lynn has made some odd proclamtions with regard to the tag.

B

Thanks, B. I've added in that CENTER tag.

I don't think there will be a problem with the drawings being converted into blobs, but at the moment there is no system for doing this. I'd like to see a system whereby the sub-editor alerted the editors that a GIF to blob conversion was needed and this was done before the entry hit the front page.

I was going to read this but then I saw that Gnomon wrote it so now I won't bother.

I likes it I'd already read a bit about Linear B (and I love the symbol that looks like a cocktail glass with a bowler hat hanging off it, those minoans must have had some good parties...) and I'll be studying some cryptography next year so presumably I'll hear more about it. Great entry, really interesting stuff

Actually, I've got a bit of trouble with this passage:

'As excavations progressed, it became evident that there were two types of Linear: the oldest tablets used the hieroglyphic script. After these came the earliest Linear tablets, dating from 1650 - 1450 BC, using symbols which were obviously adapted from the hieroglyphs. Finally, the latest tablets used a slightly different set of linear symbols. Evans named the two scripts 'Linear A' and 'Linear B'.'

'the oldest tablets used the heiroglyphic script'

Which heiroglypic script? Egyptian? If so, then Martin Bernal seems to be absolutely right in 'Black Athena' and the controversy surrounding his theory is pretty foundationless.

Or do you mean some sort of proto-Linear ideographic script?

and where does the Phaistos disk fit?

I did actually mention the hieroglyphic script earlier in the entry, so I didn't think I had to explain it again. But if it is not clear, I will emphasize it more.

The Phaistos disk doesn't fit into any of the existing theories. It is in an unknown script. It is the only example of this script ever found. It is printed rather than hand-written. The fact that it is printed suggests that there must have been many such documents printed, and yet none have ever been found. There isn't enough in it to allow us to decipher it. It's only because there were thousands of tablets in Linear B that it could be deciphered.

Do you think it is worth mentioning the Phaistos disk?

I've finished reading, Gnomon. A fine job, as is to be expected.

One further question: At the close, where you mention that no progress has been made on Linear A, should you mention that there have been a number of claims to decipherment (for [amusing] example, the Slavonic interpretation: http://www.openweb.ru/rongo/disk.htm ['Ensign Chekov, have you completed that translation of Linear A yet?')?

Hmm. Might be worth a mention all right. Googling for Massey and Phaestos Disk gives an interesting article as well.

I've clarified the content which mentions hieroglyphic, so it should now be obvious.

I've added a paragraph explaining syllabic scripts in the section on First Steps at Decipherment. Originally, I had a huge section on syllabic scripts, citing examples of Japanese, but I cut it out because it was far too long.

Um, is 'decipherment' a word? I've never heard it before.

Is there any chance that something more standard like 'deciphering' could be used?

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=decipherment

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=deciphering

Point taken. I really ought to look things up before I barge in stating them.

Objection withdrawn, your Honour.

I certainly hope I didn't turn you off Peer Review.

Oh, of course not! I'm never leaving PR. I am a Scout, after all.

I just really ought to look things up.

Linear B is actually the name of my little-known cousin.

B

Not only is decipherment a word, but it is the word that is normally used for this sort of thing, so it is staying.

Ok, fine with me. I'd just never heard it before.