Maurice Pope (linguist)

Maurice Pope (1926-2019) was a British classical scholar and linguist known for his work on deciphering Linear A, an undeciphered writing system used in Minoan Crete. He was born in Surrey, England and educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied Classics.

Pope's academic career was primarily spent at the University of Cape Town, where he held a professorship in Classics. Although his primary focus was on Linear A, he also contributed to the understanding of Linear B, which had been deciphered by Michael Ventris in the 1950s.

His most notable contribution to the field was his comprehensive study of Linear A inscriptions and his theories about their possible linguistic affiliations. He argued that Linear A was likely related to languages of Anatolia, and specifically proposed connections with Luwian. While his proposed decipherment has not gained universal acceptance within the scholarly community, his work remains a significant point of reference for researchers.

Pope's book, The Story of Decipherment: From Egyptian Hieroglyphs to Maya Script, is a well-regarded overview of the history of decipherment efforts and provides valuable insight into the challenges and methodologies involved in unlocking ancient scripts. He also published extensively in academic journals and presented his findings at conferences worldwide. He advocated for a cautious and methodical approach to decipherment, emphasizing the importance of rigorous linguistic analysis and the avoidance of premature conclusions.