• DOI:10.1515/KADMOS.2010.002
• Corpus ID: 124902710

A Classification Proposal of Linear A Tablets from Haghia Triada in Classes and Series

@inproceedings{Montecchi2011ACP,
  title={A Classification Proposal of Linear A Tablets from Haghia Triada in Classes and Series},
  author={Barbara Montecchi},
  year={2011}
}

• Barbara Montecchi
• Published 2011
• Education

The aim of this paper is to propose an easy and useful classifi cation of the Linear A tablets, starting with those from Haghia Triada because they represent the bulk of the Linear A tablets that we have (147 tablets or fragments). The two major aims that I have are: 1) to establish classes of tablets comparable to those of the Linear B tablets classifi cation and, at the same time, suitable for the peculiarities of the Linear A tablets; 2) to leave open the possibility of expanding and adding new classes according to the characteristics of other Linear A tablets. Furthermore, I will consider the possibility of recognizing sets of homogeneous tablets on the basis of subject matter, text arrangement, fi nd spot and scribe, in a specifi c geographic and chronological context, that of Haghia Triada in the period of LM IB (fi g. 1). Linear B tablets are conventionally classifi ed into different classes indicated by a capital letter (e.g. A-class), on the basis of their subject matter (ideograms), and then grouped into series indicated by a small letter (e.g. Aa series), on the basis of the variation occurring in the arrangement of the text and contents1. This system of classifi cation has not been successfully applied to Linear A tablets, because many tablets record heterogeneous commodities, many of which are indicated by logograms and acrophonic abbreviations different from those used in Linear B tablets. Moreover, since we do not know either the language or Minoan conventions in record keeping, it is extremely problematic to establish the purpose for which an individual tablet was written, whether as registrations of tributes or as allocations or as inventories of goods and people. However, the biggest impediment to the study of Linear A tablets is the fragmentary state of preservation