Glossary · Term · script

Linear B

c. 1450–1200 BCE · 15th century BCE

Linear B is the syllabic script used by the Mycenaean palaces of Greece and Crete from about 1450 to 1200 BCE to record an early form of Greek. Adapted from Linear A, it survives on clay tablets from Knossos, Pylos, Mycenae, Thebes and other sites, listing goods, workers, land and offerings. Michael Ventris deciphered it in 1952.

Linear B
Image: Sharon Mollerus · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Ancient Greek religionOrigins, SummaryAncient GreekOrigins, Summary

Mentioned in 7 state histories

Palace State of KnossosKingdom of MycenaeKingdom of PylosMycenaean Kingdom of ThebesKingdom of TirynsMycenaean Kingdom of LaconiaAptera

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Linear B. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/linear-b
MLA
“Linear B.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/linear-b. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Linear B.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/linear-b.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Linear B’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/linear-b (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻