The Linear B Tablets of the Northern Entrance Passage at Knossos
An Interdisciplinary Reassessment
This volume presents a systematic and interdisciplinary analysis of the 546 Linear B documents discovered in the Northern Entrance Passage (NEP) in the Palace of Knossos. This major collection, which includes tablets found in the Passageway and the adjacent North-West Insula, stands apart due to the high number of scribes attested and the variety of topics recorded. Drawing inspiration from prior research on the Room of the Chariot Tablets (RCT), this study employs a holistic methodology, encompassing archaeological, pinacological, epigraphic, palaeographic, linguistic, and textual approaches. The primary objectives are to precisely define the relative date of the NEP tablets and to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the deposit and its administrative relationship to other collections within the palace. The archaeological reassessment utilizes original excavation notes by Evans and Mackenzie to reconstruct the architectural history and depositional processes (taphonomy) in the NEP area. The findings indicate that the tablets were preserved by fire during a violent destruction event in the LM IIIA2 period, thereby predating the final abandonment of the palace.
This chronological placement positions the NEP deposit as representing an intermediate administrative phase between the earlier RCT tablets and the later Knossian archives. Through a detailed analysis of scribal hands, style, linguistic features, and content, the volume fully characterizes this crucial corpus. This evidence supports the hypothesis that the NEP represents the remnants of a centralized administrative "pre-archive" before documents were transferred to perishable materials.
This interdisciplinary work significantly contributes to resolving the long-standing debate concerning the destruction(s) of the Palace at Knossos, advancing a convincing framework for dating the Linear B documents and illuminating key facets of Mycenaean economic management during the advanced Late Bronze Age.
Voor meer informatie over BTW en andere belatingsmogelijkheden, zie hieronder "Gegevens
- Uitgever
- Presses universitaires de Louvain
- Auteur
- Ophélie Monthuy,
- Collectie
- AEGIS | n° 31
- Taal
- Engels
- BISAC Subject Heading
- LAN001000 LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Alphabets & Writing Systems > SOC003000 SOCIAL SCIENCE / Archaeology > LAN009010 LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / Historical & Comparative
- BIC subject category (UK)
- HDD Archaeology by period / region > CBX Language: history & general works > HDDK Classical Greek & Roman archaeology > CFLA Writing systems, alphabets
- Onix Audience Codes
- 06 Professional and scholarly
- CLIL (2013)
- 4030 Langues anciennes
- Voor het eerst gepubliceerd
- 09 februari 2026
- Subject Scheme Identifier Code
- : Archéologie
: Langues classiques
Paperback
- Publicatie datum
- 09 februari 2026
- ISBN-13
- 9782390616696
- Omvang
- Aantal pagina's hoofdinhoud : 246
- Code
- 109736
- Formaat
- 21 x 29,7 cm
- Gewicht
- 634 grams
- Packaging Type
- No outer packaging
- Aanbevolen verkoopprijs
- 50,00 €
- ONIX XML
- Version 2.1, Version 3
- Publicatie datum
- 09 februari 2026
- ISBN-13
- 9782390616702
- Omvang
- Aantal pagina's hoofdinhoud : 246
- Code
- 109736PDF
- ONIX XML
- Version 2.1, Version 3
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Preface 1
1. Introduction 3
1. Methodology: a pluridisciplinary approach 3
2. The discovery of the Linear B tablets at Knossos 5
3. The palace at Knossos during the advanced Late Bronze Age 10
3.1. 'Mycenaean Crete' – Some chronological considerations 10
3.2.General considerations about the palace 11
3.3. The Neopalatial period (MM IIIA-LM IB) 12
3.4. The Final Palatial period (LM II-IIIA2) 13
3.5. The Postpalatial period (LM IIIA2-IIIB) 16
4. The date of the Linear B tablets and the problem of the destruc tion(s) of the palace 17
4.1.Two traditions: LM IIIA1-A2 vs. LM IIIB 17
4.2.Popham, the scale tips in favour of a LM IIIA2 date 18
4.3.Hallager, back to LM IIIB 19
4.4.Driessen, how many destructions? 20
4.5.An on-going debate 20
2. Archaeological approach 22
1. Introduction 22
2. Original documentation (excavation sequences and sketches) 24
2.1.The campaign of 1900 25
2.2.The campaign of 1901 40
3. The discovery of the Linear B tablets: a summary of the 1900-19 01 excavations 41
3.1.The Insula 41
3.2.The Passageway 44
4. Architectural and stratigraphic description 47
4.1.The Room of the Lotus Lamp [RLL] 47
4.2. The Room of the Saffron Gatherer [RSG] 52
4.3.The Room of the Stirrup Jars [RSJ] 53
4.4.The Room of the Knobbed Pithos [RKP] 55
4.5.The Room of the Spiral Cornice [RSC] and its northern compartment 56
4.6.The Passageway 59
5. Material from the excavation 65
5.1.Clay objects: vases and sealings 65
5.2.Stone objects 68
5.3.Fresco fragments and plaster reliefs 70
5.4.Contribution of the archaeological material to the dating process 74
6. Reconstruction of the architectural history of the NEP 75
6.1.Before the Neopalatial period 75
6.2. MM IIIA-MM IIIB (Neopalatial I) [ca. 1750/1700-1700/1675 BCE] 75
6.3. LM IA-IB (Neopalatial II [ca. 1700/1675-1470/1460 BCE]) 76
6.4. LM II-IIIA2 (Final Palatial [ca. 1470/1460-1320/1300 BCE]) 78
6.5. LM III A2-IIIB (Postpalatial [ca. 1320/1300-1200/1190 BCE]) 80
6.6. Presence of an upper floor 82
7. Taphonomy of the deposit 85
7.1.Conjectural depositional scenario in the Passageway 85
7.2.Conjectural depositional scenario in the Insula 89
8. Results of the archaeological study 91
3. Pinacological and epigraphical approaches 93
1. Identification of the tablets and unity of the deposit 93
1.1. The Passageway (I2-I3-I3bis) 94
1.2.The Insula (I1-I4) 97
2. Pinacological analysis 99
2.1.Manufacture 99
2.2.Shape and size 100
2.3.Palmprints 105
2.4.Cutting 106
2.5.Clay and colour 108
2.6.State of preservation 109
2.6.1. Evaluation of conservation according to size 115
2.6.2. Evaluation of conservation according to number of signs preserved 116
3. Epigraphical approach 117
3.1.Preparation of the tablets 117
3.2.Recording process 119
3.3.After writing 124
4. Scribal analysis 126
1. Introduction 126
2. Scribal hands of the NEP 127
2.1.Overview 127
2.1.1. The Passageway 129
2.1.2. The Insula 142
2.2.Discussion 143
2.2.1. Scribal cross-references 144
2.2.2. Scribal specialisation 148
3. Palaeographical analysis 149
3.1.The creation of Linear B 150
3.1.1. Why? 150
3.1.2. How? 150
3.1.3. When? 153
3.1.4. Where? 153
3.2.Palaeographic traditions as chronological landmarks? 154
4. The language of the NEP scribes 158
4.1.Linear B communication strategies 159
4.1.1. Use of syllabograms and logograms 159
4.1.2. Syntactic strategies 161
4.1.3. Ancient communication vs. modern understanding 162
4.2.The language behind the writing 162
4.3.The linguistic identity of the NEP 163
4.3.1. Scribal errors 164
4.3.2. Spelling variations due to the writing system and scribal tradition 165
4.3.3. Language variations and features 165
5. Textual analysis 168
1. Daily matters: general information 168
2. An example: Military topics 171
2.1. Offensive weapons 172
2.2.Protective gear 172
2.3.Chariots 173
2.4.Links between the deposits? 175
3. Toponyms 177
4. Prosopographical study 182
4.1. Prosopography: definition and contribution 182
4.2. Using the method within the NEP 184
4.2.1. Single anthroponyms 185
4.2.2. Anthroponyms with titles and functions 189
4.2.3. Individuals referred to by titles and functions only 191
6. General interpretation 197
1. Unity of the deposit 197
2. Chronology of the NEP deposit 198
3. Nature of the deposit 201
7. Conclusion 205
8. Bibliography 207