These writings date back to the Indus Valley writing around 2400 BC, while the Egyptian Hieroglyphs are placed around 3000 BC
In the middle of the 3rd millennium BC it seems that the Cretan syllabic writings, the ones referred to until now as Minoan writings, are placed, that is, 500 years before the established view, which placed them in 1900 BC. So, these writings are dated parallel to the writing in the Indus River Valley around 2400 BC, while the Egyptian Hieroglyphs are placed around 3000 BC.
The researcher of the Aegean writings points out the above in his publication Dr. Minas Tsikritsis and the Archeology professor Adamantius Sampson in the American scientific journal “Annals of Archaeology” (April 2023) on the website Academia.edu and ResearchGate under the title: “Symbols of Minoan Hieroglyphic Script and Linear A in Melos from the Middle of 3rd Millennium BC”.
As stated in the study by the two researchers, in 1996 and 1997 a group of 90 clay vessels of the Proto-Cycladic III period (Kastri phase) dating to the second half of the 3rd millennium (2500-2200 BC) were found at the Rivari site on the western side of Milos. In this article the archaeologist A. Sampson makes a systematic study of the similarity of the vases, so that they can be dated in comparison with others found in Troy IV, Poliochni Lemnos, Agios Kosmas, Manika, Marathona, Kea belonging to the Kastri period.
Of the 39 finds of A. Sampson, it is noted that 18 undecorated shallow glossy brown or orange-red cups bearing engraved symbols, commonly called “potter’s marks”, are of interest, somewhat resembling the Greek capitals Λ, M, Î , N , T, X, O. At the same time, the archaeologist Christina Televantou in 1997 in an adjacent lacoidal tomb identified 16 small hemispherical containers with similar engraved marks and a symbol on a beak-shaped jug which she published in 2008.
Apart from the finds of the small hemispherical vessels with the inscribed symbols, another interesting object is the presence of the unique house housing model. This model has a pitched roof, with tiles. The find is impressive and difficult to interpret for this era.
After the epigraphical study of the researcher Dr. Tsikritsis, it appears that 12 different symbols, which are repeated inscribed in the center of the small hemispherical containers, have a similarity and can be identified with the syllabic symbols of Linear A and Cretan Hieroglyphic script at a rate of 50% for each script . The results of this study show a common use of Cretan script symbols from about 2500 BC.
It is a surprise that the appearance of the 12 different symbols of the Minoan script is not accompanied by findings of Minoan pottery in the burials at Rivari of Milos. Thus, we have in Rivari Cycladic pottery of “oriental inspiration” with Minoan symbols. Although the sample of 12 different symbols corresponds to a total of 10% of the Minoan writing, the question arises whether this writing should be considered a Cycladic creation, which at some stage spread to the Minoan culture. In the same period in Crete, an invasion of cultural elements from the Cyclades (figurines, vases of the eastern type) is observed in Agia Fotia, Petras and Archanes. In the past there has been debate among researchers regarding the existence of Cycladic colonies on the island of Crete (Dumas 1976), (Davaras and Betancourt 2004, Betancourt 2008) and (Sampson 1985, 1988).
The syllables near the base of the vessels appear to have been engraved by the potter before firing. They may indicate the workshop or the use or contents of the vessel.
Of the total of 39 vessels inscribed with 12 repeated syllabic symbols of interest, the arrow symbol “á” or “â” (line 2 in Table 1.2), which corresponds to the Barley symbol of Linear A, has the highest frequency of occurrence about 30% and appears in 6 small hemispherical receptacles. Possibly, this symbol is an indication that the small hemispherical vessels may have been used as offerings of some sort of “barley” product for the deceased’s afterlife, which strengthens the argument that Rivari was a cemetery.
It is possible that the rest of the symbols that appear on the small hemispherical containers in Table 1 are acrophones of syllabic words, indicating that the corresponding hemispherical container was used as an offering container for products, grain, honey, oil, etc.
The appearing of the Aegean writing in the Rivari of Milos creates a problem in the established opinion which considers that the writing first appears in the Minoan Civilization around 2000 BC.
The great development of the Cycladic Civilization observed in the technology of building houses in the preserved Cycladic figurines that show developed social structures, in its Astronomical knowledge which is reflected in the Pans with the synodal records of the Planets, lead to the conclusion that there was a developed maritime communication, where the development of writing was necessary for the needs of trade.
Based on the epigraphic study carried out by Mr. Tsikritsis and Mr. Samson, it appears that of the total of 12 different repeated signs, half belong to the Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear A script, i.e. 500 years ago it is possible that an Aegean script was developed, which then to be adopted and developed after the 2nd millennium in the Minoan Civilization.
“The number of symbols found corresponds to approximately 10% of a developed syllabic script and we hope that in the future even more will be revealed that will strengthen our opinion that the Aegean script begins in the 3rd millennium BC” emphasizes Dr. Tsikritsis to APE-MPE.
Source :Skai
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