Amateur may have cracked Linear A, a 120-year-old puzzle
7 hours ago
- #Archaeology
- #Linguistics
- #AI
- AI engineer Tom Di Mino claims to have deciphered the ancient Minoan script Linear A, a breakthrough pending review by linguists.
- Di Mino proposes Linear A represents an extinct Semitic language, similar to biblical Hebrew, challenging prior unsupported theories.
- The decipherment hinges on analyzing a prayer inscription formula, identifying a verb root 'nawaya' meaning 'to dwell', linking to Hebrew and Akkadian.
- Di Mino used Claude Code AI to develop an engine for organizing symbols and testing hypotheses, enabling his work and potentially aiding other undeciphered scripts.
- Key outputs include proposed readings for 37 signs, a lexicon of 383 terms, and a draft manuscript, with potential implications for Linear B translations.