An interdisciplinary approach to the Cypro-Minoan script
The decipherment of Linear B in 1952 raised the possibility for further decipherments among the Aegean scripts. This unrealised prospect has coloured studies hitherto published on the Cypro-Minoan script with the result that there has been no large-scale systematic study that has employed a pragmatic and exhaustive perspective with a view to establishing a corpus and a critical re-assessment of the applicability of a decipherment method. This thesis aims at filling such a lacuna and responds to the need for a systematic analysis of the script through a corpus of all the inscriptions, here in Volume II (Catalogue) and a full analysis, in Volume I (Text), of the script from historical, archaeological, epigraphic and palaeographical perspectives. The historical conditions for the birth of literacy in Cyprus at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age are investigated in Chapter I, and are founded on a model that considers the material aspect of writing (script as part of the archaeological record, the extent of literacy, the geographical distribution of the inscriptions, the geo-political configuration of Cyprus, the concept of complexity), the functionality of the script (ideological and/or utilitarian applications),
Ferrara, Silvia
An interdisciplinary approach to the Cypro-Minoan script. The decipherment of Linear B in 1952 raised the possibility for further decipherments among the Aegean scripts. This unrealised prospect has coloured studies hitherto published on the Cypro-Minoan script with the result that there has been no large-scale systematic study that has employed a pragmatic and exhaustive perspective with a view to establishing a corpus and a critical re-assessment of the applicability of a decipherment method. This thesis aims at filling such a lacuna and responds to the need for a systematic analysis of the script through a corpus of all the inscriptions, here in Volume II (Catalogue) and a full analysis, in Volume I (Text), of the script from historical, archaeological, epigraphic and palaeographical perspectives. The historical conditions for the birth of literacy in Cyprus at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age are investigated in Chapter I, and are founded on a model that considers the material aspect of writing (script as part of the archaeological record, the extent of literacy, the geographical distribution of the inscriptions, the geo-political configuration of Cyprus, the concept of complexity), the functionality of the script (ideological and/or utilitarian applications),
interdisciplinary minoan script decipherment linear raise possibility decipherment among aegean script prospect colour study hitherto publish minoan script large_scale systematic_study employ pragmatic exhaustive perspective view establish corpus critical re_assessment applicability decipherment method aim_fill lacuna responds need systematic_analysis script corpus inscription volume catalogue full analysis volume text script historical_archaeological epigraphic perspective historical condition birth literacy cyprus begin late_bronze_age investigate found model considers material aspect writing script part archaeological_record extent literacy geographical_distribution inscription geo political configuration cyprus concept complexity functionality script ideological and utilitarian application