Inscribed cups

So, if we cannot read the Linear A inscription on this cup, what can we say about this inscription?

The fact that there is writing on pottery is not that surprising. From the classical Greek period we know, for example, that names of the maker or owner were written on vases and cups. Administrative inscriptions also appear on vases or pots to indicate what and/or how much they contain. Finally, libation formulas appear on drinking cups. Even though we can't read Linear A, it is plausible that Minoans could have written these kinds of texts on their vessels. Some of the few dozen inscribed vessels which are left consist of one or more single signs. Other longer texts are broken, because only a potsherd remains of the complete vessel that contained the complete text. These single signs or incomplete texts make it difficult to guess their meaning. This cup and inscription is a special find in that respect because it is intact. As far as we can say something about the text on this cup, it is not likely that the text is purely administrative or that it refers to its producer or owner, because the length of this text seems to contain more information. In combination with the striking old shape of this cup, the text could have had a ceremonial or religious purpose. That it is a religious formula seems, therefore, a reasonable estimation.

Whereas an inscription on a drinking cup occurs in different cultures and different times, the placement of this inscription on the Minoan drinking cup is very striking. It is written on the interior of the cup and was, therefore, only readable for its user. The exterior does not seem to have been decorated with Linear A signs or other embellishments. There are some resemblances with later drinking vessels. The Greek kylix, a shallow and wide bowl, was often decorated and sometimes inscribed on the inside. Another striking resemblance is with the so-called incantation bowls often written in Aramaic, which were found more than two millennia later. Those wheel-made wide bowls contain incantations and magical texts written in ink which spiral from the inside to the outside, like this Minoan cup. Despite the big time gap, it raises the suggestion that this Minoan cup could have had a similar religious purpose. However, it remains exceptional that this inscription is not written in a shallow and wide bowl, but in such a high and narrow cup.

As far as the Minoan cups are concerned, there are no other cups with an interior inscription, except for this one and the one that was found next to it. Somewhat similar to this remarkable interior inscription are the inscriptions found on the flat rim at the top of a drinking cup. There is another interesting difference with other Minoan inscribed vessels. Almost all inscriptions on vessels, interior or exterior, are engraved with a sharp stylus. This inscription, together with a handful of other inscriptions, is likely painted with cuttlefish ink. Perhaps the exceptional place of this inscription and the use of paint are related: engraving the inside of a high and narrow cup seems almost an impossible task, while painting, although still difficult, must have been an easier option.