Syllabic Writing on Cyprus and its Context

An interdisciplinary treatment of syllabic writing in ancient Cyprus and an invaluable resource for anyone studying Cypriot epigraphy or archaeology.

Philippa M. Steele (Edited by)

9781107026711, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 March 2013

208 pages, 13 b/w illus. 7 tables
22.3 x 14.4 x 1.5 cm, 0.42 kg

This volume offers a new and interdisciplinary treatment of syllabic writing in ancient Cyprus. A team of distinguished scholars tackles epigraphic, palaeographic, linguistic, archaeological, historical and terminological problems relating to the island's writing systems in the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age, from the appearance of writing around the fifteenth century down to the end of the first millennium BC. The result is not intended to be a single, unified view of the scripts and their context, but rather a varied collection that demonstrates a range of interpretations of the evidence and challenges some of the longstanding or traditional views of the population of ancient Cyprus and its epigraphic habits. This is the first comprehensive account of the 'Cypro-Minoan' and 'Cypriot syllabic' scripts to appear in a single volume and forms an invaluable resource for anyone studying Cypriot epigraphy or archaeology.

Introduction: syllabic writing on Cyprus and its context Philippa M. Steele
1. The development of Cypriot syllabaries, from Enkomi to Kafizin Jean-Pierre Olivier
2. Non-Greek languages of ancient Cyprus and their scripts: Cypro-Minoan 1-3 Yves Duhoux
3. Writing in Cypro-Minoan: one script, too many? Silvia Ferrara
4. Late Cypriot writing in context Susan Sherratt
5. From the Cypro-Minoan to the Cypro-Greek syllabaries: linguistic remarks on the script reform Markus Egetmeyer
6. The Cypriot syllabary as a royal signature: the political context of the syllabic script in the Iron Age Maria Iacovou
7. Rethinking some alphabetic and syllabic Cypriot inscriptions Massimo Perna.

Subject Areas: Classical Greek & Roman archaeology [HDDK], Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], Palaeography [history of writing CFL], Historical & comparative linguistics [CFF], Language: history & general works [CBX]