Michael Ventris
Michael Ventris | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael George Francis Ventris 12 July 1922 Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England |
| Died | 6 September 1956 (aged 34) Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England |
| Education | Architectural Association School of Architecture |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Known for | Decipherment of Linear B |
| Spouse(s) | Lois "Betty" Ventris (née Knox-Niven, 1920–87) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Francis Ventris (grandfather) |
| Awards |
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Michael George Francis Ventris, OBE (/ˈvɛntrɪs/; 12 July 1922 – 6 September 1956) was an English architect, classicist and philologist who deciphered Linear B, the ancient Mycenaean Greek script. A student of languages, Ventris had pursued decipherment as a personal vocation since his adolescence. After creating a new field of study, Ventris died in a car crash a few weeks before the publication of Documents in Mycenaean Greek, written with John Chadwick.