The Decipherment of Linear B and the Ventris-Chadwick Correspondence An exhi mn to celebrate the 50” anniversary of the publication of the decipherment organised by the Mycenaean Epigraphy Group Faculty of Classics, Cambridge At the Fitzwilliam Museum 9 September - 21 December 2003 Exhibition Catalogue L.M. Bendall Cambridge 2003Table of Contents Acknowledgements Minoan Crete Mycenaean Greece Acgeon Bronze Age Srits The Challenge of Decipherment ‘The Ventt-Chadwick Corespondence ‘The SO" Amiversaryof ‘Evidence’ Prof Positive: The Language is Greek! Documents in Myeenean Greek ‘Travels in Greece: Mycenae, Knosos, Emporio ‘The World ofthe Tables ‘Te Comité Internationa Permanent ds tudes Myedninnes ‘The End ofthe Correspondence Biography of Michael Venis Biography of John Chadwick How the Liner B Sit was Deciphered Further Reading List of Exit Pitre Cres as “ se o Acknowledgements “This exibition has ban devised and assembled by Lisa M. Bend withthe advice and asistance of otler members ofthe Mycenaean Epigraphy Group, Faculty of | ‘Casi especialy JT. Killen, A. Kamava and V, Jackson, Many thnks ae abo ‘dueto J Beat, RE Thompson, T: Meidner and G. Horrocks “The Group particularly wishes to thank Loca Burn, Keeper of Antiquities inthe Fitzwilliam Museu, fr the oppotnity to hold his exhibition at the Museum and forall he time and wok in helping to mount it We would ike to hank the Director ‘ofthe Meum for his kind permisin oho the exibition, andthe Museum sta fr thor teciclasstane (especialy Bob Boure, Louise Jenkins Jo Dillon aa All the conservation team). Nigel Casi produced photographs of objets n the ‘splay ange with the poster Anew Mons prepared the image of Mycense, Dr Elizabeth French kindly lone items ffom the Wace Archives to goin the ‘olay, ad offered much helpful advice and information. ‘The photograph of John Chadwick in Alesandria was kindly provided by Mrs Chadwick ‘We would like to thank the Faculty of Classics fo thet loan of items fom the Myeentcan Epigraphy Archives and fr us of fies preparing the exibition. Particular thanks go 10 A. Foster and Z. Meare for computer supp, and 1 P Uni. ‘We would ao ik o thank the Mascum of Cascal Archaeology forthe lan of ‘tems from the teaching collection. Parcular thnks go to M. Milt and 3. oraldeon, and wo. Strawbrgefrbep with edveatonelaspocts andthe postr Funding fr the exhibition an catalog was generously provided by the Chadwick and, Faculy of Classis, and we ae grateful tthe Managers of the Fund Arelted webitef now on tine a ww lasses eam acl Everyonetinear, Organisation of the Catalogue “Te catalog text closely follows tat of the infomation panes shown in the xhbion ‘Catalogue numbers given in rel ialic peat refer to items in the exhibition» compete ist of which i given tthe bake The numbering follows hat ‘ne in he exibtion, but forthe purposes of formating the eaalgue, it has bees ove f plac some of th ilsation out of tee tt exibiton ede.‘Mycena > Chania Js is & Minoan Crete + Other sites, 14, Facsimile of “snake goes (ef) 1D. Terracatta figurine from a peak a 1c. we votive urn (gh) Minoan Crete — ‘When Sir Anhur Evans began his excavations at Knossos in 1900, he discovered a hitheno unknown civilisation, which he dubbed “Minoan” After the legendary King Minos, The Minoans founded the first ieste and urbanised etre in Europe, Emerging fom the indigenous Crean culture, thy” began to. build ‘spectacular palsss around 2000 BC. They traded withthe [New East and especially Eayp, ant creat fine and ‘eauifal works fart in ston, clay and eco. Religion was important and some ofthe mos sirking Minoan at ears stake goldesses (4; 1B is a famous forgery), votive Figurines (JC, D & £) and even blleapers,rellng the lasial Grek legends of Theseus andthe Minotaur ‘Brn wth bls ‘ead on from —and the Scripts of Knossos Jews the search for early European Srp that Jed Evans to Koosis inthe fs place. Bick in 1889, when he was Keeper ofthe Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the tmuscum was presented with «corel seasons, engraved with signs that Evans ‘ecognised as «hitherto unknown wring system He raced similar objets to Crete ‘nee they were known as "il-sfons’ a were worn as flit charms by he Teel peasant women, The stones would tum out be some 4000 years ol. Evans sare for eary serps was well warded at Knossos. Within days of spade first hing ground, Linear 1 ables came to ight Inthe en, Evans found 0 ast ‘one, but tre ancient cris, which he aed: Cretan Hieroglyphic, Line Sep A Sand’ Linear Sept B. He recognised that Cretan Hieroglyphic wat the erie, Followed by Linear A tbe Linear B. But why the change in scrips? Evans rejected ‘he notion that Linear A and B wee used for writing diferent languages and if ‘Linear A was Mino’ be thought Linear B mist be 10. Forgery’ now of ancguaria interest 18, Figurine of pig from a ‘peak sanctuary” A