Linear A

E200350

Linear A is an undeciphered ancient script used by the Minoan civilization on Crete and nearby Aegean islands during the Bronze Age.

All labels observed (6)

Label Occurrences
Linear A canonical 22
Linear A (in Minoan areas) 1
Linear A inscriptions 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient script
undeciphered script
writing system
addedToUnicodeVersion Unicode 7.0
archaeologicalContext palatial archives
villa sites
associatedCulture Minoan culture
linked to: Minoan civilization
chronologicalPhase Neopalatial period
Protopalatial period
contains fraction signs
ideograms
logograms
numerical signs
deciphermentStatus undeciphered
earliestUse circa 1800 BCE
foundAt Akrotiri on Thera
linked to: Akrotiri (Thera)

Hagia Triada
Keos
Knossos
Malia
Phaistos
Zakros
geographicContext eastern Mediterranean
hasUnicodeBlock Linear A
influenced Linear B
ISO15924Code Lina
languageWritten unknown Minoan language
latestUse circa 1450 BCE
medium clay tablets
metal objects
pottery inscriptions
stone inscriptions
numberOfSigns approximately 70–90 core signs
primaryFunction administrative record-keeping
economic accounting
relatedTo Cretan hieroglyphs
Cypro-Minoan script
scriptFamily Aegean scripts
Cretan scripts
scriptType linear script
successor Linear B
timePeriod Bronze Age
UnicodeRange U+10600–U+1077F
usedBy Minoan civilization
usedInRegion Aegean islands
southern Aegean
usedOn island of Crete
writingDirection left-to-right
writingSystemType syllabary

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (27)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Knossos associatedScript Linear A
Linear B derivedFrom Linear A
Linear A hasUnicodeBlock Linear A
Cretan hieroglyphs relatedTo Linear A
Gournia writingSystem Linear A
Unicode 7.0 addsBlock Linear A
Minoan religion scriptUsed Linear A
Aegean Numbers script Linear A
subject linked to: Aegean Numbers block
Aegean Numbers writingSystem Linear A script
subject linked to: Aegean Numbers block
linked to: Linear A
Aegean cultural sphere hasWritingSystem Linear A (in Minoan areas)
linked to: Linear A
Cnossus hasWritingSystem Linear A
Linb relatedScript Linear A
Scripta Minoa subject Linear A
Scripta Minoa, Volume II subject Linear A
subject linked to: Scripta Minoa
Scripta Minoa documents Linear A inscriptions
linked to: Linear A
Aegean scripts includes Linear A
Hagia Triada writingSystem Linear A
Cypro-Minoan script influencedBy Minoan Linear A
linked to: Linear A
Cypro-Minoan script influencedBy Minoan Linear B
linked to: Linear A