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The race to decode a mysterious language - Susan Lupack

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TEDEd Animation

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In the early 1900s, archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans uncovered nearly 3,000 tablets inscribed with strange symbols. He thought the script, dubbed Linear B, represented the Minoan language, while others came up with their own theories. Was it the lost language of the Etruscans? Or an early form of Basque? Its meaning would elude scholars for 50 years. Susan Lupack explores the mysterious inscriptions.

Michael Ventris made a great mental leap in his hypothesis that Linear B represented Greek. What clues helped him to get to the point of making that leap?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Susan Lupack
  • Director Gavin Edwards
  • Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Art Director Gavin Edwards
  • Storyboard Artist Gavin Edwards
  • Animator Gavin Edwards
  • Compositor Gavin Edwards
  • Music Stephen LaRosa
  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Script Editor Soraya Field Fiorio
  • Fact-Checker Madeleine I. Stevens

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