Abs ac
The pape discusses he possibili y ha wo o he Linea B eco ds classed as Mc a Knossos
da e om a di e en phase (o di e en phases) in he his o y o he palace om he emaining
eco ds o hei ype.
Key wo ds: Knossos, Linea B eco ds, Mc 1508, Mc 5187.
Resum. Una no a sob e les aule es Mc de Knossos
L’a icle discu eix la possibili a que dos dels documen s en Lineal B classi ica s com Mc
a Knossos es emun in a una o di e ses ases de la his ò ia del palau di e en s d’aquella a la qual
pe anyen la es a de documen s d’aques a mena.
Pa aules clau: Knossos, documen s en Lineal B, Mc 1508, Mc 5187.
The Linea B able s om Pylos, one o he wo p incipal si es om which eco ds
come, almos all da e om he single las yea be o e he inal des uc ion o he
palace c. 1200 B.C. The only appa en excep ions a e a ew agmen s which
T. G. Palaima has assigned o hand 91 and which he plausibly a gues on bo h epi-
g aphical and a chaeological g ounds da e om an ea lie phase in he his o y o he
si e1. A Knossos, howe e , ou o he majo sou ce o able s, he si ua ion is e i-
den ly di e en . Fi s , as J. D iessen has pe suasi ely a gued, he able s om he
Room o he Cha io Table s (RCT) a e likely o p eda e he ea lies o he emain-
ing able s om he si e by abou a gene a ion2. And, second, i is open o ques-
ion whe he a leas a ew able s elsewhe e a he si e do no de i e om a di -
e en des uc ion han ha which p ese ed o he s in he pos -RCT palace3.
1. T. G. PALAIMA, The Sc ibes o Pylos, Rome, 1988, 111-113.
2. J. DRIESSEN, An Ea ly Des uc ion in he Mycenaean Palace a Knossos. A New In e p e a ion o
he Exca a ion Field-No es o he Sou h-Eas A ea o he Wes Wing, Leu en, 1990.
3. Fo a lis and discussion o isola ed able s which A. J. E ans and o he s ha e sugges ed all in o
his ca ego y, see J.-P. OLIVIER, Les sc ibes de Cnossos (he ea e Sc ibes Cnossos), Rome, 1967,
117-121. Mo e ecen ly, J. D iessen has o e ed he much mo e adical sugges ion, based on bo h
palaeog aphical and a chaeological e idence, ha a om he able s om he pos -RCT palace
Fa en ia 30/1-2, 2008 47-52
A No e on he Knossos Mc able s
J. T. Killen
Uni e si y o Camb idge. Jesus College
CB5 8BL. U.K.
Recei ed: 21/10/2008
Two o he able s abou which such ques ions a ise a e ound among he ex s
classed as Mc, which eco d p opo ional axa ion in ou commodi ies: *150; she-
goa s; *142; and ho ns. As E ans poin ed ou , he dis inc i e o m o he CORN (=
HORN) ideog am sugges s ha hese a e he ho ns o he C e an ag imi goa 4; and his
in u n sugges s ha he she-goa s (CAP ) a e likewise ag imi. *150 in ol es a
liga u e o he goa ideog am wi h he syllabic sign a, and may s and o ‘buck
ag imi’; while he ou h commodi y *142 is no ce ainly iden i ied, hough a case
can be made in a ou o Ven is and Chadwick’s sugges ion in Documen s1 ha
i may be beeswax: pe haps, as VC sugges , a p oduc o he moun ain-sides whe e
he goa s we e hun ed5. Fo u he discussion, see Killen 20086.
The main g oup o Mc able s a e he wo k o sc ibe 132, and we e ound in he
A senal. The ex o Mc 4455, a ypical example o hese eco ds, is gi en below.
Mc 4455 + 8449 + 8554 + . ASHM (1910.217)/HM (132)
.A ‘a-pa-sa-ki-jo’ *150 28 CAP 17
.B ku- a- o / *142 M12 CORN 24
Besides hese, howe e , wo o he able s su i e whose subjec is clea ly simila
o ha o he hand 132 eco ds, and which a e also classi ied as Mc. These a e
Mc 1508 and Mc 5187, whose ex s a e gi en as ollows in KT5and CoMIK7.
Mc 1508 + 1564 (132?)
.A .
]*150 16 CAP 10 [
.B. .
]da-*22- i-jo CORN 12 *142 M6[
↓
..
]OVIS ‚‚6‚3 ‚o o-pi ‚C‚O‚R‚N[
Mc 5187 (132?)
.A ]5 ‚o *150 ‚o ‚1‚7 [
.B ] CAP 8 *142 M20 [
48 Fa en ia 30/1-2, 2008 J. T. Killen
s emming om a single des uc ion, hey we e baked and p ese ed by as many as ou di e en
con lag a ions, wi h o ins ance he eco ds om he No h En ance showing a mo e conse a-
i e w i ing s yle han hose om he A senal o he Wes e n Magazines (J. DRIESSEN, «Le palais
de Cnossos au MR II-III: combien de des uc ions?», in La C è e mycénienne. Ac es de la Table
Ronde enue à l’École ançaise d’A hènes du 26-28 ma s 1991 (BCH Supplémen 30), Pa is,
1997, 113-134).
4. A. J. EVANS, The Palace o Minos, London, 1935, IV, 832-833.
5. M. VENTRIS and J. CHADWICK (VC), Documen s in Mycenaean G eek, Camb idge, 1956, 302.
6. J. T. KILLEN, «The commodi ies on he Pylos Ma able s», in Colloquium Romanum. A i del
XII Colloquio In e nazionale di Micenologia, Roma, 20-25 Febb aio 2006, Pisa, Rome, 2008,
445-446.
7. KT5: J. T. KILLEN and J.-P. OLIVIER, The Knossos Table s: Fi h Edi ion, Camb idge, 1989. CoMIK:
J. CHADWICK,L. GODART,J. T. KILLEN, J.-P. OLIVIER, A. SACCONI and I. A. SAKELLARAKIS, Co pus
o Mycenaean Insc ip ions om Knossos, Camb idge, Pisa, Rome, 1986-1998.
Al hough he hand o hese eco ds is gi en by Oli ie in Sc ibes Cnossos
and hence also in KT5and CoMIK as 132?, he e can be li le doub , as R. J. Fi h and
J. L. Melena ha e poin ed ou , ha nei he is by he same sc ibe as w o e he main
g oup o Mc eco ds8. On 1508, he *22 in he ini ial e m, he CORN ideog am and
he ‘ea ’ o *142 all ha e signi ican di e ences om hei equi alen s on eco ds
in h. 132; and he e a e also clea di e ences be ween he *142 and she-goa
ideog ams on 5187 and hose on he majo i y g oup o eco ds. I is less clea
whe he 1508 and 5187 a e by he same sc ibe o a e in di e en hands. Apa om
he di e en o de in which he commodi ies a e lis ed on 5187, he e appea o be
di e ences be ween he she-goa signs on he wo eco ds; bu bo h he absence o
CORN om 5187 and he badly c acked su ace o he able make any inal decision
abou au ho ship impossible. I gi e below he d awings o bo h able s ha a e
published in CoMIK, oge he wi h he d awing in CoMIK o he majo i y g oup
eco d Mc 4456, on which mo e will be said la e .
A no e on he Knossos Mc able s Fa en ia 30/1-2, 2008 49
8. R. J. FIRTH and J. L. MELENA, «Iden i ying he Linea B able s om he A senal and Li le Palace
a Knossos», Minos 33-34 (1998-1999), 114.
1508
5187
4456
I is also clea ha 1508 and 5187 ha e a di e en ind-spo om ha o he
majo i y g oup o Mc able s. While he la e we e ound in he A senal, 5187 is
om he Eas -Wes Co ido in he Eas Wing o he palace; and 1508 appea s o
ha e had a simila loca ion, hough i s exac ind-spo emains unce ain. As Oli ie
no es in Sc ibes Cnossos9, he able shown as 1508 in Sc ip a Minoa II10 is in ac
ano he copy o he e so o he ex lis ed as 1528. 1508 is epo ed by E ans as
coming om he same Eas -Wes Co ido as 5187, and R. J. Fi h gi es his as i s
loca ion in his ecen su ey o he ind-places o he able s11. 1528, howe e , joins
wi h 1564, which E ans eco ds as coming om he Co ido o he Swo d Table s
(Oli ie ’s J3); and i seems sa es he e o e o ollow Oli ie in Sc ibes Cnossos
in gi ing i s loca ion as J3 que y12.
Wha is he unc ion o each o hese able s? Beginning wi h 1508, i is di i-
cul o doub ha , like he majo i y g oup o Mc able s, his is a eco d o an
assessmen o ax con ibu ions on he place e e ed o a he beginning o he
ex . This is clea o he majo i y g oup om he ac ha hey show mo e o less
ixed a ios be ween he amoun s o he ou commodi ies lis ed, and in pa icula
om he ac ha none o he eco ds ei he con ains he e m a-pu-do-si, ‘pay-
men ’, o shows a de ici en y, p e ixed by he sign o= o-pe- o, ophelos. Exac ly
he same holds good o 1508. In con as , he e is good e idence o show ha 5187
is a eco d o ac ual paymen s o axes. Al hough he obe o e he *150 ideog am
on l. A o he eco d is gi en in KT5and CoMIK as do ed, i is di icul o see wha
else i could be; and gi en ha he o he eco ds o he commodi ies ha a e lis ed
on he able a e conce ned wi h he axa ion o hese i ems, i is di icul no o
conclude ha his is a axa ion paymen s eco d, wi h os anding o ‘de ici ’ as
egula ly in his con ex 13.
Bu wha is he ela ionship be ween hese eco ds and he much mo e nume ous
‘s anda d’ Mc able s? To begin wi h 1508, his deals wi h he same place da-*22- o
as is deal wi h on he ‘s anda d’ eco d Mc 4456. The ex s o bo h eco ds a e se
ou below.
Mc 1508 + 1564 (132?)
.A .
]*150 16 CAP 10 [
.B. .
]da-*22- i-jo CORN 12 *142 M6[
↓
..
]OVIS ‚‚6‚3 ‚o o-pi ‚C‚O‚R‚N[
50 Fa en ia 30/1-2, 2008 J. T. Killen
9. J.-P. OLIVIER, op. ci . (n. 3), 25.
10. A. J. EVANS, Sc ip a Minoa II, edi ed by J. L. MYRES, Ox o d, 1952.
11. R. J. FIRTH, «A e iew o he ind-places o he Linea B able s om he Palace o Knossos»,
Minos 35-36 (2000-2001), 244.
12. J.-P. OLIVIER, op. ci . (n. 3), 194.
13. Fu he suppo o his conclusion may be a ailable. To judge om he pho og aph in he Camb idge
collec ion (see oo he pho og aph in CoMIK), he e is a slan ing ace on he le -hand edge o l.
A o he able which i i is a genuine s oke and no simply a c ack could be he igh -hand side
o a u he *150 ideog am. I i is, his and he ollowing nume als will be pa o he ‘posi i e’
*150 en y which we should ha e expec ed o p ecede a eco d o a de ici in his commodi y.
Mc 4456 + 4477 + . (132)
.A .
]‘si-nu-mo- o’ *150 16 CAP 10 [
.B .
]da-*22- o / *142 M7 CORN 14 [
Apa om i s sc ibal hand, 1508 does ha e some di e ences om 4456. Like
mos a leas o he majo i y g oup o eco ds, 4456 begins wi h he simple o m o
he place-name, while 1508 begins wi h he de i ed e hnic ]da-*22- i-jo14. In addi ion,
he commodi ies on 1508 a e lis ed in a di e en o de , wi h CORN be o e *142, no
a e ; and he igu es o CORN and *142 each di e sligh ly om hose on 4456: 12
and 6[ (p esumably comple e) on 1508; 7 and 14 on 4456. These, howe e , a e
mino di e ences: in pa icula , he di e en igu es o CORN and *142 on he wo
ex s a e bo h wi hin he ole ance allowed by he s anda d a ios be ween he ou
commodi ies ound elsewhe e on he ‘no mal’ g oup o eco ds15. In sho , in e ms
o i s con en , 1508 is a i ual duplica e o 4456; and his is likely o ha e impli-
ca ions as a as i s da ing is conce ned. Elsewhe e in he a chi es axa ion eco ds
appea no mally o ela e o annual con ibu ions, as wi ness e ms like ‘ his yea ’ and
‘las yea ’s’ on he Pylos Ma able s; and while we appea o ha e e idence o
mul iple assessmen s and con ibu ions ela ing o he same yea a Mycenae, he
able s conce ned he e we e no only w i en by he same sc ibes bu we e ound
in he same loca ion16. Agains his backg ound, he e o e, i is emp ing o con-
clude ha 1508 and 4456, wi h hei di e en hands and ind-spo s, e lec assess-
men s on da-*22- o o wo di e en yea s, and hence we e p ese ed by wo di e en
des uc ions o he palace. I so, his will lead o he u he conclusion ha a dis-
ic ’s assessmen o he axes ha a e deal wi h on he Ma able s could emain
i ually iden ical om yea o yea ; hough we ha e un o una ely no clue, i 1508
and 4456 do ela e o assessmen s o di e en yea s, how a apa in ime hey a e.
Tu ning inally o Mc 5187, i is possible in heo y, since his is a ‘paymen s’
eco d, ha i ela es o he same yea as ei he 4456 o 1508. The o me , howe e ,
seems ex emely unlikely, since elsewhe e a Knossos and Pylos ‘assessmen ’ and
‘paymen s’ eco ds ela ing o he same yea we e (a) w i en by he same sc ibe
and (b) iled in he same place. I is less easy o exclude he possibili y ha 5187 is
a ‘paymen s’ eco d w i en in he same yea as 1508, since bo h could jus be by
he same sc ibe and bo h ha e app oxima ely he same ind-spo ; bu he e mus
be a leas some doub abou his. The badly c acked su ace and agmen a y s a e
o he able p e en us om saying any hing o ce ain abou he a ios be ween
he commodi ies on 518717; bu e en allowing o he ac ha a leas one oen y
A no e on he Knossos Mc able s Fa en ia 30/1-2, 2008 51
14. The only possible —bu a om ce ain— case o an e hnic on he majo i y g oup o eco ds is ] i-
na-‚j‚o[ on Mc 5818.
15. Fo de ails, see M. PERNA, Reche ches su la iscali é mycénienne (É udes Anciennes 28), Nancy,
2004, 282.
16. J. T. KILLEN, «On he Mycenae Ge able s», in Res Mycenaeae. Ak en des VII. In e na ionalen
Mykenologischen Colloquiums in Nü nbe g om 6.-10. Ap il 1981, Gö ingen, 1983, 229.
17. M. PERNA’s s a emen , op. ci . (n. 15), 274, ha Mc 5187 shows di e en a ios om hose elsewhe e
on Mc able s does no ake accoun o he ac ha he *150 en y on l. A is a de ici en y, and
ha he same could be ue o he SHE-GOAT en y on l. B.

has had o be included on he eco d i s a angemen seems signi ican ly di e en
om ha o 1508, wi h a SHE-GOAT en y appea ing on l. B a he han on l. A.
In sum, hen, i is a guable ha among he eco ds classed as Mc a Knossos
we ha e able s da ing om wo di e en phases in he his o y o he palace, and
possibly as many as h ee.
52 Fa en ia 30/1-2, 2008 J. T. Killen