Linear B and The Beginnings of writing in Greece

Sample of Linear B (From Wiki Commons)

I remembered that I had the topic of the Greeks to study and report for a written history. The thought kind of shook me since there is so much to the early Greek alphabet and its meaning for us today, however then I remembered that I am writing specifically about the Mycanaeans, a warrior-like people, a much more manageable and yet intriguing topic. Their writing pre-dates the first greek alphabet and was in wide use all the way until the Dorian invasion around 1100 BC ( which on a side note, although referenced as an invasion where pre-classical dialects and language was replaced by the classical, there is still no evidence that it was actually an invasion which caused the culture shift. They just had cool sayings apparently!). I find most interesting the content which was recorded during this volatile and seemingly transitive period.

Linear B Symbols

Discovered writings of an interesting markings were discovered in the early 19th century with forms that looked like this (to the right). Imagine that you are trying to uncover which culture or language this belongs to as you stare at the symbols. These appear to have origins in everyday objects one might see, giving credence to its being a hieroglyphic language, however they are used repeatedly in their writing. This must be at a transitive period when the object oriented writing was being replaced with the more easy to learn and more phonetically appealing syllabic languages. May we call it a Logophonetic language ? (i.e. icons and objects represent consonants and consonant-vowel structures).

Well, if this is as far as you got, pat yourself on the back! It took until 1953 when Michael Ventris, an architect and hobbyist linguistic, deciphered the language and found that it was an early form of Greek. It goes to show that you don't need to be the expert to do something great! (PS This is a great poem to remember the deciphering of the language, ignore the hippo in the corner though). 

Linear B as it came to be known was in widespread use by the Mycenaeans whose writing style changed after the conquest of the Minoans and integration of what is known as Linear A. It has many very wonderful connections between objects from the language and the words they represent. Below are a few (from the Ancient Scripts Website) examples of words.

Cup Buried in a Tomb dating to 15th Century B.C.
Although not heiroglyphic like Egyptian, Many of
Linear B symbols are representative of objects or
 items. (from UO Fine Arts Page)

The first documents and the majority of those thereafter deciphered surprisingly were not narratives and stories as one may have expected. Instead they represented item lists, transactions and business. Stories are in large part absent, making this writing system mostly an economic or administrative one. This may suggest that oral knowledge was still to be highly regarded as its own medium for purposes of delivering 'mother tongue' advice and wisdom. Experience and sweat from learning may not have felt adequately expressed yet from a wary and still largely illiterate populace who left the things on tablets to those who cared. 

For the Mycenaeans, War was important
(Remember this Trojan horse ?)  For this reason,
simiilar to phoenician, many symbols in writing
may represent war instruments. (Link)

These early writings open the mind to wonder, 'If I created a new writing system, what would I write? What would I use as symbols?' . Would they be religious in nature, easy objects to imitate. Also artisianship must not get in the way of usability (if I'm no artist the elegant horse that represents the letter 'h' may simply look like a sawhorse when I write it). Personally I would want to write things like my journal or important quotes however before these may be more essential things such as, what is the balance of my rent due or how much do I need to save to finish college. As in these cases, I believe that narrative forms were reserved until writing became more accepted as a medium to write human emotion and convey story. Until that point it would carry the most essential services of trade, economy and governmental operations.

(If you are interested in being a pioneer and starting your own language: this site is for you, have fun!).