Number to Aegean numerals (Linear B)
An additive base-10 system of strokes, dots and circles found on clay tablets from Knossos and Pylos, shown here in Unicode signs.
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How to use it
- Enter number.
- The result appears straight away and updates as you edit.
- Copy the result, or copy a link that keeps the same values to share it.
How it is calculated
Each non-zero place gets one ready-made sign for the digit times its place value (such as 2000, 20 and 6), written largest first: units are vertical strokes, tens horizontal bars, hundreds circles and thousands rayed circles.
Example
Inputs: Number = 1,450. Result: In Aegean numerals: 𐄢𐄜𐄔; Number of signs: 3.
Limits and caveats
- Unicode packs each place into one sign, while scribes drew the marks separately; the value is the same.
- You need a font with Aegean numbers, such as Noto Sans Linear B.
Questions about this tool
Where were Aegean numerals used?
On Linear A tablets in Minoan Crete and Linear B tablets in Mycenaean Greece, mostly to count crops and livestock.
Does the system have a zero?
No. An empty place is simply left out, as in Egyptian numerals.
How is 20 written in Aegean numerals?
With two horizontal bars, shown in Unicode as the single sign AEGEAN NUMBER TWENTY.