top of page
Michael Ventris Film
DOCUMENTS
New York Times headline, 19th April 1954
From the collection of R. Desmond Healy, with thanks to the Architectural Association Archive. Photo by Martin Pickles
At The Summit Of Everest
Article in The Times on 25th June 1953 describing Sir Edmund Hillary's ascent of Everest.
On The Threshold
An article in the same issue of The Times describing Michael's decipherment, which became known at The Everest of Archaeology, to Michael's considerable embarrassment
Mid-Century Report cover (1950)
In 1949 Michael applies the principles of Group Working to the decipherment: he compiles a questionnaire on Linear B which he sends to the twelve senior academics in the field and then publishes their findings as “The Mid-Century Report” on 7th March 1950.
Mid-Century Report illustration (1950)
Michael's map of the Aegean.
Work Note 20 page 172
Throughout 1951 Michael writes and publishes a series of “Work Notes” about his attempted decipherment, which he circulates around other academics. It is on this page of Work Note 20 that he first suggests a Greek solution to the decipherment problem.
Syllabic Grid from Work Note 15 (1951)
Michael's attempt to organise the Linear B symbols into a grip into rows in terms on which consonant they might begin with and into columns in terms of what vowel they might contain.
Aghia Triada Sarcophagus (1956)
Illustration by Michael Ventris of the Aghia Triada sarcophagus for the book Documents In Mycenaean Greek, written with Cambridge academic John Chadwick and published in 1956.
Catalogue of the British Archaeological Discoveries of Greece and Crete exhibition at Burlington House (1936)
Cover of the catalogue of the exhibition at which Michael met Sir Arthur Evans and saw Linear B tablets for the first time.
British Archaeological Discoveries of Greece and Crete exhibition catalogue
Map of Greece and exhibition layout.
British Archaeological Discoveries of Greece and Crete exhibition catalogue
Contents page.
British Archaeological Discoveries of Greece and Crete exhibition catalogue
Preface.
British Archaeological Discoveries of Greece and Crete exhibition catalogue
Details of items displayed in the North Room, including Linear B tablets.
bottom of page