Do You Have What It Takes to Decipher Ancient Scripts?

by Barbara Nickless
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5 books
Scripts from around the world remain undeciphered—the Rongorongo script of Easter Island. Linear A from Crete. The beautiful and mysterious Phaistos Disk. Sometimes the scripts remain silent because there isn’t a large enough database of characters. Other times, scholars can’t get a toehold because they don’t know what language the script is written in. Now and again, the right decipherer simply hasn’t yet come along. Will it be you? Here are some entertaining and enlightening books on the process of decipherment, examples of successes and failures, and insights into the lives of people who dare to venture into this challenging field.
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The Greatest Invention

A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts
Silvia Ferrara, 2022
o If you’re curious about ancient undeciphered scripts, start here! Renowned scholar Silvia Ferrara takes the reader on a world tour of scripts from different cultures, discusses invented scripts, and provides an overview of the decipherment process. Enchanting!

The Writing of the Gods

The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone
Edward Dolnick, 2021
o The Rosetta Stone, discovered during Napoleon’s journey into Egypt, would ultimately unlock the secret of Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Two brilliant men—one from England, one from France—became locked in a battle to decipher the stone and bring glory to themselves and their country. The stakes were high. The result is stunning.

Riddle of the Labyrinth

The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code and the Uncovering of a Lost Civilisation
Margalit Fox, 2014
o Filled with fascinating insights about the people drawn to decipherment and insights into the ancient culture of Crete, this story about Europe’s first written script dives into the lives of three brilliant investigators who hoped to crack the code.

The Man Who Deciphered Linear B: The Story of Michael Ventris

Andrew Robinson, 2012
o Curious about the now-deciphered Cretan script known as Linear B? This book delves into the architect turned decipherer who ultimately cracked the code.

The Puzzler

One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life
A.J. Jacobs, 2023
o For sheer joy, treat yourself to this book on how one man set out to solve the most baffling puzzles in existence. Jacobs dives into crossword puzzles, mazes, Sudoku, Japanese puzzle boxes, Rubik’s Cube, and other befuddlements. He even devotes a chapter to ciphers and secret codes. Actual puzzles are offered for the reader’s entertainment.