In 1952, a young British architect, Michael Ventris, did discover the meaning of Linear B. 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.

Who unlocked Linear B?

The tablets recorded Europe’s earliest known writing, dating back three and a half thousand years ago to Europe’s Bronze Age. Arthur Evans called the written script ‘Linear B’. The mysterious script was unlocked in 1952 by another Englishman, Michael Ventris.

When was Linear B first used?

Linear B is an adapted form of Linear A, which was borrowed from the Minoans by the Mycenaean Greeks, probably about 1600 bc. Its language is the Mycenaean Greek dialect. Linear B script is attested on clay tablets and on some vases, both dating from about 1400 bc to roughly 1200 bc.