Updated on April 29, 2012 [This article presumes knowledge about both the Minoan civilization and the Linear A transcriptions.] A hallmark of Minoan architecture is ashlar masonry, which refers to stone that has been cut and finished (dressed). Ashlar masonry is common throughout prehistoric Crete and Greece. The width of large ashlar, as used on […]
Archives for December, 2011
Updated on September 24, 2014 Archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans is credited with naming the Minoan civilization for the legendary King Minos [“Evans”]. However, evidence suggests that both the king and the people were named after a reference to the land, which appears to have been named for the Egyptian god of fertility In the Odyssey, […]
Updated on December 7, 2014 The Ryukyuans have a legend that refers to the Other Realm, an island paradise, which they call Nirai Kanai (ニライカナイ) [Atsushi]. The orientation of this paradise depends upon the cultural source of the legend and is, alternately, east or west across the ocean. Nirai Kanai is the source of life, […]
Updated on July 01, 2013 Linguists generally dismiss language correlations among societies unless there is demonstrated non-random genetic affinity [“Genetic Distance”] through one or more DNA markers, which identify ancestral clans. Consequently, despite the language similarity, linguists dismiss Japanese as the underlying language of Linear A because the DNA research, as typified in the haplo-group […]
u.di.mi | u.su | Return to Toponyms in Linear A Texts. u.di.mi HT 117 (HT Scribe 9) 氏見 (ujimi) | † clan visitation 氏 (uji, uji-, shi) | family name, surname; bclan, lineage 見 (mi) | seeing, viewing ウシーミ (ushiimi) > † Σύμη (Syme or Symi, Simi) | Symi island, Greece Symi island [Greece] The […]
si.di.ja | Return to Toponyms in Linear A Texts. si.di.ja HT 126 (HT Scribe unknown) しじや (shijiya) | Ash Shidiya, Jordan Wadi Ash Shidiyah, Jordan Although the Phoenicians have been credited with the production of Tyrian purple, evidence suggests that, as early as the middle Minoan period (1900 to 1700 BCE), the Minoans had learned […]
qe.ku.re | qe.ri.ja | Return to Toponyms in Linear A Texts. qe.ku.re HT 20 (HT Scribe 10) qe.ku.re | 隠れ (kakure) | concealed, hidden; crypto-, underground ku.ra | 倉 (kura) | a cellar, a depository, a granary, a magazine, a treasury, a warehouse Κόρκῡρα (Korkyra) | Kerkyra, Corcyra, Corfu [Kerkyra, Greece] A notable example of […]
pa.ta.ne | pi.sa | Return to Toponyms in Linear A Texts. pa.ta.ne HT 94 (HT Scribe 9) HT We 1019 (HT Scribe unknown) パタネ (patane) | Patane (unknown name) カタネ (katane) | Catana, Katane κατάνη (katane) | the skinning place Κατάνη (Katane) | Catania, Sicily [Catania, Sicily] The surname, Patanè, is specific to Patané, a district […]
ma.di | Return to Toponyms in Linear A Texts. ma.di HT 3, 69, 85, 97, 118 (HT Scribes 3, 7, 9, unknown) ma-di KN As 603+, Db 1168+ (Scribes 103, 117) 蠱 (maji) | (1) charmed or cursed (arch.); (2) something that bewilders; something that leads one astray; the work of demons 真風 (maji) | […]
ki.da.ro | ko.sa.i.ti | ku.re.ju | Return to Toponyms in Linear A Texts. ki.da.ro HT 117 (HT Scribe 9) キダル (kidaru) | Kidal [Kidal, Mali] Isolated in northwestern Mali, Kidal is known not for its mining but for its handicrafts: gold and silver jewelry, leather goods, and swords, particularly Tuareg cutlasses and sabers. An interesting parallel […]
ja.qif | Return to Toponyms in Linear A Texts. ja.qif HT 28 (HT Scribe 13) 邪気 (jake, jaki, zake) | maliciousnous, noxious gas 邪鬼 (jake, jaki, zake) | devil, evil spirit, imp ᾿Ιακή (Iake) (fem. form of Ἰακός) | Ionic τζάκι (tzaki) | fireplace, furnace [Aci, Sicily] Locally shortened to Aci or Jaci, Jaciriali (Acireale) […]
da.ne.ku.ti | de.di | ]di.ra.di.na | di.re.di.na | di.ri.na | Return to Toponyms in Linear A Texts. da.ne.ku.ti HT 117 (HT Scribe 9) †ダネ口 (daneguchi) | †the Danube (river) as passage da.ne | prob. from PIE *dānu | river ku.ti | 口 (kuchi or guchi) | (1) entrance, exit; door, gate; (2) mouth, opening (i.e. beginning); […]
a.ri.su | Return to Toponyms in Linear A Texts. a.ri.su HT 118 (HT Scribe 3) アーリス (aarisu) | Arliss [Arles, France] Situated on the Rhône River, ancient Arles, France, was an important Phoenician trading port when it was much closer to the Mediterranean coast. Moreover, Arles may have acted as a staging area for traffic […]
Updated on November 4, 2019 The Minoan, the ancient Greek, and the Japanese cultures share many similarities that are worth exploration. The following list is intended to provide a comprehensive resource for scholars who are interested in Minoan/Japanese studies. For the moment, however, it is simply a parking lot for observations. What have prominent scholars […]
Konosos 
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