The following five sentences are taken from a draft of an essay about the decipherment of Bronze Age scripts. Arrange these sentences in the most logical sequence so that each claim is immediately followed by its supporting evidence or details.
- 1For decades, archaeologists and linguists assumed that Linear B, a writing system discovered on Cretan clay tablets, recorded a non-Greek Minoan tongue.
- 2This consensus persisted largely because the tablets' pictographic characters bore no resemblance to the Greek alphabet.
- 3However, in 1952, amateur cryptanalyst Michael Ventris hypothesized that the script was instead an early, syllabic representative of the Greek language.
- 4He validated this controversial theory by demonstrating that specific syllable combinations corresponded directly to ancient mainland towns like Knossos and Amnisos.
- 5This geographical link proved that the administrative tablets recorded transactions in Mycenaean Greek, rewriting Bronze Age Mediterranean history.
Answer
The sentences should be ordered: (1) introduction of the traditional view of Linear B, (2) explanation of the pictographic basis for this consensus, (3) presentation of Michael Ventris's counter-hypothesis, (4) description of the specific geographical evidence validating his theory, and (5) the conclusion regarding the historical impact of this geographical link.
The paragraph begins with the traditional claim about Linear B, followed by the evidence supporting that view. It then introduces Ventris's counter-claim, followed by the specific evidence validating his claim, and concludes with the overall impact of that evidence.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details