2021/09/30 by Ester Salgarella · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · Mathematics · #Ancient Near East History #Maritime and Coastal Archaeology #Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History #Sign (mathematics) #Bronze Age #Context (archaeology) #Scripting language #Interpretation (philosophy) #Ancient history #Art #Meaning (existential) #History #Literature #Linguistics #Archaeology #Philosophy #Computer science #Mathematics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s0068245421000034
published in The Annual of the British School at Athens 116, 63-94 (Cambridge University Press)
openalex publication_date 2021/09/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
What's in a sign? What is there to be ‘seen’ in a sign? This paper sets out to explore the sources and processes of sign creation in the scripts of the Bronze Age Aegean, namely Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear A, in use on Crete from c . 1900–1600 bce (Middle Minoan IB/II–Middle Minoan III) and c . 1800–1450 bce (Middle Minoan IIA–Late Minoan IB) respectively. Linear B, developed out of Linear A to write Greek ( c . 1450–1190 bce ), will also be touched upon where relevant. By investigating contemporary iconographic production and putting forward a methodological framework for the analysis and interpretation of visual motifs, a theory will be tentatively proposed for understanding the process(es) of selection of sign shapes, their incorporation into a script as script-signs and their transmission from one script onto a graphically related one. The underlying research questions leading this enquiry are the following: how did ‘images’ find their way into script(s) to become ‘signs’ in the Aegean context? Are we able to reconstruct such a process to shed light on the origin of script-signs?