Linear A Sign A580

Treat A580 as an identifier, not a word. It is a modern catalogue label for a documented Linear A sign; refer to it as Linear A A580 rather than assigning it an English gloss.

The sign catalogue analyzes A580 as a combination of AB120, a logogram (a sign used for a word or concept), and A702, a sign used for fractions. This describes the entry’s structure; it is not a reading or translation.

How old is A580?

Linear A is securely attested by Middle Minoan IIA. That period belongs to Minoan Crete; the date applies to the script’s secure record, not specifically to A580. Earlier seal inscriptions from Archanes are disputed: some scholars classify them as early Linear A, while a palaeographic reading (based on writing’s shapes) identifies them as Cretan Hieroglyphic. Linear A is more consistently attested by Middle Minoan IIB.

Linear A developed alongside Cretan Hieroglyphic, and Linear B later reused much of its sign repertoire. Researchers infer possible sound values by comparing shapes shared with deciphered Linear B. Those comparisons are tentative, and a Linear B value cannot simply be assigned to A580.

What was Linear A used for?

Surviving Linear A records are mostly clay tablets tracking goods coming in and going out. Some non-administrative inscriptions appear to be ritual, including libation formulas—short texts used when pouring an offering. As of 2026, the open sign catalogue lists A580 in two documents, too little evidence to establish a distinct meaning for this sign.