Linear B Script: Early Greek Writing System

Linear B was a syllabic script used for administrative purposes in Mycenaean palaces across Crete and mainland Greece from approximately 1450-1200 BCE. The script consisted of about 90 syllabic signs and ideograms inscribed on clay tablets. Michael Ventris deciphered it in 1952, revealing it recorded an early form of Greek derived from Linear A script. The tablets documented inventories, agricultural production, religious offerings, military equipment, and personnel assignments within palace bureaucracies at sites including Knossos, Mycenae, and Pylos.