Minoan Linear A Temple Workshop Tags from Malia (1700 BCE)

Eastern Minoan Crete. Malia is located in the upper center part of this map. It was destroyed by an earthquake around 1700 BCE which preserved a moment in time. This earthquake was not due to the volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini which has recently been dated to 1620 BCE (Höflmayer 2012).
Malia’s earliest palace-temple complex had an adjacent workshop area. Both were built starting around 1900 BCE in what is known as the Minoan First Temple Period or Proto-palatial Period which lasted until about 1700 when the earthquake destroyed most buildings. The new rebuilt temples were larger and in the style of Knossos suggesting that the city of Knossos now controlled the territory.

References

Höflmayer (2012) The Date of the Minoan Santorini Eruption: Quantifying the “Offset” Radiocarbon, volume 54, Issue 3-4. Cambridge University Press. Published online on July 18, 2016 at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/radiocarbon/article/date-of-the-minoan-santorini-eruption-quantifying-the-offset/F2FB5ECEE5D46FCF9272EA357364CCDF

The Minoan City of Malia

(July 11, 2022), The Minoans were a trading culture. This is certainly demonstrated by the trading texts found at Malia on the north coast of Crete. Most of the Linear A texts presented here were found in the workshop area adjacent to Malia’s first large temple/palace complex. The workshop area consisted of two large buildings of some importance as well as workshops, courts and paths linking the various parts of the area together. The workshops produced seals, pottery, ceramic ware, stone vases, and bronze goods. The workshops themselves seem to have been located on the second floor of the buildings which left the ground floor for living space and/or public trading.

These updated translations are based upon the 3rd edition of the Alphabetic Akkadian Lexicon. Latest paper with full translation justification (but using the 2nd edition) is:

Olmsted, D.D. (December 16, 2021) Many Minoan Linear A Ritual Supply Texts Surrounding a Drought Translated in Alphabetic Akkadian (1700 BCE). DOI Permanent URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/5xms-3m71. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/64764366/Many_Minoan_Linear_A_Ritual_Supply_Texts_Surrounding_a_Drought_Translated_in_Alphabetic_Akkadian_1700_BCE

Top image shows ash amounts in cm that fell from the Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption in either 1567 BCE or 1628 BCE. Bottom image of Crete shows where tsunami evidence has been found prior to its discovery on Malia. The height of the Tsunami which hit Crete was probably around 5 meters (15 feet so it did not go far inland.
Image from: Lespez and all (July 29, 1921) Discovery of a Tsunami deposit from the Bronze Age Santorini eruption at Malia (Crete): impact, chronology, extension. Online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94859-1#Sec2

Thera Eruption Ended Minoan Trading Power and Allowed the Rise of Greeks and Phoenicians

(August 1, 2022) The dating of the Thera eruption seems to have been finally resolved into two possibilities by Erlich, Regev, and Boaretto, (2021). They show that calibrated radio carbon dating for the event has two probability peaks, one at 1628 BCE and the other at 1567 BCE. (So, take your pick).

References

Erlich, Y., Regev, L., and Boaretto, E. (2021) Discovery of annual growth in a modern olive branch based on carbon isotopes and implications for the Bronze Age volcanic eruption of Santorini. Online at: https://www.pubfacts.com/detail/33436660/Discovery-of-annual-growth-in-a-modern-olive-branch-based-on-carbon-isotopes-and-implications-for-th

Bronze Age letter chart showing their Akkadian origin page 1

Translation Resources Used

All texts translated to the scholar's standard.

Lexicon Used

Olmsted, D.D (January 1, 2022) Mediterranean Akkadian Lexicon 3rd Edition – 2022. DOI Permanent URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/nbb6-wg16. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/66851810/Mediterranean_Akkadian_Lexicon_3rd_Edition_2022

Letter Chart Used

Bronze Age Letters and Phonetic Signs

Minoan workshop tag with inscriptions from Malia

Notice the hole for twine at the tip just like modern shipping tags. Sign assignments by Olmsted (Image from foldout 3 of Goldart and Poursat 1978)

Modern shipping tag

Minoan Malia Tag 3 Side A for Shipping Items which Prevent Energy from Affecting Thread Connections (Minoan Text 1.3.1)

(July 11, 2022) It reads from point to flat (right to left):

Translation into Akkadian

gi pu qi ya |

Into English

For emotional-energy not to affect thread-empowered openings | ____

This tag describes some as yet unnamed items for use in rituals to inhibit the ability of the motion powers (energy, Gi) from affecting the life powers. Specifically, from inhibiting the flow of the fertility fluids in the threads (channels) which trigger the manifestation of life on earth.