The decipherment of linear B
by John Chadwick · first published 1958
11mentions
6recommended by
8HN commenters
2013–2024first – last mentioned
75% recommend25% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A readable account of how Michael Ventris cracked Linear B. It covers the decipherment process and the human story, along with background on the Bronze Age Cretan civilization. Written for lay readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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I you are at all interested in this sort of thing then I recommend this book: John Chadwick - The Decipherment of Linear B It is written for the lay person and describes the process of cracking linear B and some of the human story as well as info about the ancient civilization.
on “Minoan language Linear A linked to Linear B in new research” ↗…found at Knossos and elsewhere. If you're interested in how this puzzle has come together over the decades, and enjoy stories about patient dedication to patterns and problem solving, John Chadwick's 'The Decipherment of Linear B' is an excellent read, documenting the work of Michael Ventris as he solved the SAT/constraint problem of mapping the Linear B script to the Greek language.
on “The Griffin Warrior Tomb Upends What We Know About the Roots of Mycenae” ↗…Singh, but also Neal Stephenson novels to some extent (couched in fiction), etc. And, though more of a witness' account rather than critical writing, the favorite book of my youth, John Chadwick's "The Decipherment of Linear B".
on “Oysters That Knew What Time It Was” ↗John Chadwick's "The Decipherment of Linear B" is a fascinating book. Michael Ventris had a sad death, from a car accident at 35. I see it's in kindle. I must get it, can't find my paperback. https://www.amazon.com/Decipherment-Linear-Canto-Classics-eb...
on “A short introduction to the undeciphered Aegean writing systems” ↗Your post reminded me of one of my favorite books of all time, Chadwick's The Decipherment of Linear B. Linear B is the name given to a syllabic script used on clay tablets excavated on Crete around 1900. Chadwick's book recounts the tale of how Michael Ventris ultimately deciphered it and revealed the…
on “Vatican Library Puts 4,000 Ancient Manuscripts Available Online for Free” ↗"The Decipherment of Linear B" by John Chadwick is the story of how Michael Ventris, an architect with no formal education in linguistics and cryptanalysis, defied conventional (and his own) dogma and revealed the ancient Linear B…
on “Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?” ↗Did you ever read The Decipherment of Linear B by John Chadwick? Highly recommended.
on “A Partial Decipherment of the Unknown Kushan Script” ↗I love John Chadwick's original The Decipherment of Linear B. It's my favorite book of all time for its nostalgic value. A taut detective story about science and discovery, following the evidence with great integrity even when it challenges your own assumptions…
on “Cracking the code of Linear B” ↗…interesting information, not so compelling as a narrative: - Open: How Compaq Ended IBM's PC Domination - Elon Musk (bio by Vance) - Softwar (Larry Ellison) Related to tech, but not really tech: - The Decipherment of Linear B - Oglivy on Adviertising - The Great Beanie Baby Bubble
on “YC’s Summer Reading” ↗…perhaps. "Ventris was the very model of a solitary, tortured genius - so much so that the deciphering of Linear B has often been portrayed as his accomplishment alone." I happen to have here a copy of The Decipherment of Linear B by John Chadwick (Cambridge University Press, 1958). Chadwick certainly portrays Ventris as brilliant, but says "His brilliance is witnessed by his achievement; but I cannot do justice to his personal…
on “Alice Kober: Unsung heroine who helped decode Linear B” ↗My understanding is that Ventris and Chadwick's decipherment of Linear B was eventually accepted, but its process is questionable since there were still many unknowns that took time to resolve. The parent particularly refers to the 1965 article Is Linear B deciphered? by Douglas…
on “Cracking the code of Linear B” ↗