Linear A sign A701/A

It is catalogued as a fraction sign, but no exact value is settled. A701/A is its sign-list label, not a recovered pronunciation or translation.

Is A701/A one sixth? No. The Unicode chart calls that value possible, not secure; treat it as a proposal rather than a reading.

Where did Linear A begin, and what was it used for?

Linear A first appears in Crete and served records and ritual inscriptions. It is attested there from the 18th century BCE and later appears elsewhere in the Aegean. It was likely created locally, with influence from writing systems of the Near East, the lands east of the Mediterranean.

Clay archive records tracked goods entering and leaving storerooms. Other inscriptions appear on stone libation vessels—used to pour offerings—and on objects connected with worship or burial.

These are uses of Linear A as a whole; A701/A’s label alone cannot tell us what role 𐝀 had in a particular inscription.

Why are Linear A and Linear B different?

Linear B inherited much of Linear A’s syllabary, but they are distinct scripts. Shared sign shapes do not guarantee shared sounds or values.

Cretan Hieroglyphic was a neighboring script used in the same broad period, with some sign overlap and accounting influence. It was not a straightforward ancestor of Linear A.