Ernst Sittig German linguist Date of Birth: 01.02.1887 Country: Germany

1. Early Life and Education
2. Academic Career
3. Research on Linear Script
4. Linear B Decipherment
5. Support for Ventris and Chadwick
6. Unsuccessful Attempts

Early Life and Education

Ernst Sittig was born in Germany, and his pursuit of linguistics led him to specialize in Greek philology. He went on to establish himself as a renowned expert in the field.

Academic Career

In 1926, Sittig attained the esteemed position of professor at the University of Königsberg. From 1927 to 1945, he further distinguished himself as a professor of Indo-Germanic and Slavic studies at the University of Tübingen.

Research on Linear Script

Sittig dedicated his research efforts to deciphering texts written in Cretan and Cypriot script. During World War II, his expertise was requisitioned by the military, and he engaged in cryptanalytic endeavors.

Linear B Decipherment

Inspired by the belief that Linear B inscriptions represented a Greek language, Sittig embarked on a deciphering attempt using statistical methods. However, his lack of rigorous textual analysis and erroneous assumptions led him to incorrect conclusions.

Support for Ventris and Chadwick

Upon the publication of Michael Ventris and John Chadwick's groundbreaking Linear B decipherment, Sittig acknowledged their achievement and abandoned his own previous interpretation.

Unsuccessful Attempts

Despite his successes, Sittig's attempts to decipher the Phaistos Disc and Cypro-Minoan script, both of which he believed were written in Greek, ultimately proved unsuccessful.