DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1793#0064
56
LINEAR SCRIPT B: THE PALACE ARCHIVES OF KNOSSOS
But on 610 ^jj| .f ^A'" *s followed by ^fyj', without epithet, and there are other qualifications; ftjf.T'
on 619, 624, 630; compare the use of ljl with |( above; ^fjj | on 190, 620, 624; ^/( ^ on 620; so the
classification may have been extended.
As the general form of the documents in which women and children are mentioned is that of the
'commodity' tablets, with a principal name, and one or more subsidiaries, it would seem that they
deal with tribute, or sales, of women with their offspring; that is, with some form of slave-trade. The
same conclusion must be drawn from the association of men, and of children, with 'banner' signs
denoting other commodities (602-5). This should help to explain the qualifications, especially of the
women, as indications of value, like those of other commodities: age, appearance, accomplishments.
The full formula is preserved on 612, in three lines of items:
(1) Principal name.
,>£',«
III
III
III
(3) ?ffl •??' M TfT
(4)?tf.nW(*7A"]
and can be restored, except the numerals, from others of the series. Sometimes there are two groups
of women: on 616-17 there are two principals, or a patronymic.
For the 'overseer' sign \fc B 76, 77 see p. 30.
It was naturally assumed by AE that the sign-groups in 1516, 1517, and similar texts were not only
the names of persons, but of those persons who made up the totals in 11. 11, 19. But on 597, 600, 601,
603 and elsewhere the numeral is ", '", or jjj, and even larger numbers (9 on 601; 25 on 600), and 237
(with k) on 807. These numerals must refer to persons other than the bearer of the preceding name-
group. Cowley (Essays on Aegean Archaeology (ed. Casson), 1927, pp. 5-7) suggested that these were
persons to whom slaves or prisoners were allotted, 'or of persons who provided slaves to carry out
public works. . . . The slaves did not require to be named, any more than if it were "1 horse",
"1 ox".' Similarly, on 217-66, pictorial representations of a horse, a chariot, a cuirass, and other
objects are preceded by 'name'-groups which cannot be individual names for such objects. This view
is supported by the lists of women above which include both male and female children. All such
assignments or assessments must obviously fall on named individuals; and the two kinds of lists—
(1) nominal rolls and (2) masters of squads under a head-man—must be considered separately.
Chariots, Chariot-bodies, Wheels, and Tires. Inventory § N
Tablets dealing with chariots and their parts occurred in several deposits:
(a) In the 'Chamber of Chariot Tablets': B 217-66 (with fragments 269-309, 310-25, and 1562):
The chariots are complete with wheels and yoke, and accompanied by a horse-head, a 'saw
sign, a whip (sometimes), and a cuirass, sometimes cancelled (246, 247) or replaced (248, 249)
by an 'ingot' sign or Q (266). PM IV. 786-7; SM I. 40-3.
(b) In the 'Area of the Bull-Relief where the North Entrance Passage reaches the Central Court:
B 879-902: The chariots have no wheels or yoke (879-93); wheels occur alone (894); horses
alone (895-902); and horses with other livestock (903-7).
(c) In the 'Arsenal' building, north-west of the Palace: 04. 01-52: the chariots (04. 01-29) and their
wheels (04. 30-52) are as in Series (b) (PM IV. 786-7). The 'chariot' tablets are larger than the
average, and usually contain two lines of writing, though only one entry. There is one principal
group, and several subsidiaries, selected from a small panel of names, and set in variable order.
LINEAR SCRIPT B: THE PALACE ARCHIVES OF KNOSSOS
But on 610 ^jj| .f ^A'" *s followed by ^fyj', without epithet, and there are other qualifications; ftjf.T'
on 619, 624, 630; compare the use of ljl with |( above; ^fjj | on 190, 620, 624; ^/( ^ on 620; so the
classification may have been extended.
As the general form of the documents in which women and children are mentioned is that of the
'commodity' tablets, with a principal name, and one or more subsidiaries, it would seem that they
deal with tribute, or sales, of women with their offspring; that is, with some form of slave-trade. The
same conclusion must be drawn from the association of men, and of children, with 'banner' signs
denoting other commodities (602-5). This should help to explain the qualifications, especially of the
women, as indications of value, like those of other commodities: age, appearance, accomplishments.
The full formula is preserved on 612, in three lines of items:
(1) Principal name.
,>£',«
III
III
III
(3) ?ffl •??' M TfT
(4)?tf.nW(*7A"]
and can be restored, except the numerals, from others of the series. Sometimes there are two groups
of women: on 616-17 there are two principals, or a patronymic.
For the 'overseer' sign \fc B 76, 77 see p. 30.
It was naturally assumed by AE that the sign-groups in 1516, 1517, and similar texts were not only
the names of persons, but of those persons who made up the totals in 11. 11, 19. But on 597, 600, 601,
603 and elsewhere the numeral is ", '", or jjj, and even larger numbers (9 on 601; 25 on 600), and 237
(with k) on 807. These numerals must refer to persons other than the bearer of the preceding name-
group. Cowley (Essays on Aegean Archaeology (ed. Casson), 1927, pp. 5-7) suggested that these were
persons to whom slaves or prisoners were allotted, 'or of persons who provided slaves to carry out
public works. . . . The slaves did not require to be named, any more than if it were "1 horse",
"1 ox".' Similarly, on 217-66, pictorial representations of a horse, a chariot, a cuirass, and other
objects are preceded by 'name'-groups which cannot be individual names for such objects. This view
is supported by the lists of women above which include both male and female children. All such
assignments or assessments must obviously fall on named individuals; and the two kinds of lists—
(1) nominal rolls and (2) masters of squads under a head-man—must be considered separately.
Chariots, Chariot-bodies, Wheels, and Tires. Inventory § N
Tablets dealing with chariots and their parts occurred in several deposits:
(a) In the 'Chamber of Chariot Tablets': B 217-66 (with fragments 269-309, 310-25, and 1562):
The chariots are complete with wheels and yoke, and accompanied by a horse-head, a 'saw
sign, a whip (sometimes), and a cuirass, sometimes cancelled (246, 247) or replaced (248, 249)
by an 'ingot' sign or Q (266). PM IV. 786-7; SM I. 40-3.
(b) In the 'Area of the Bull-Relief where the North Entrance Passage reaches the Central Court:
B 879-902: The chariots have no wheels or yoke (879-93); wheels occur alone (894); horses
alone (895-902); and horses with other livestock (903-7).
(c) In the 'Arsenal' building, north-west of the Palace: 04. 01-52: the chariots (04. 01-29) and their
wheels (04. 30-52) are as in Series (b) (PM IV. 786-7). The 'chariot' tablets are larger than the
average, and usually contain two lines of writing, though only one entry. There is one principal
group, and several subsidiaries, selected from a small panel of names, and set in variable order.