Archaeology breakthrough as Greek alphabet 'centuries older' than previously thought

The Greek alphabet is undergoing a major revaluation thanks to ground breaking research. (Image: Getty)

The Greek alphabet, traditionally believed to have emerged in the eighth century BC, is now undergoing reevaluation thanks to groundbreaking research at Leiden University. The writing system is derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet and is the earliest known alphabetic script to systematically write vowels as well as consonants.

In Archaic and early Classical times, the Greek alphabet existed in many local variants. However, by the end of the fourth century BC, the Ionic-based Euclidean alphabet, made up of 24 letters from alpha to omega, had become standard throughout the Greek-speaking world. It is a version that is still used for Greek writing today. Associate Professor Willemijn Waal’s investigation aims to explore whether the Greek alphabet, initially recorded on perishable materials, might be centuries older.

The earliest Greek inscriptions found on pottery push the alphabet's origins back by at least a century. (Image: Getty)

“In the 1930s, the prevailing theory was of an ‘alphabetic bang,'” said Prof Waal, according to The Greek Reporter. “It was thought that in the eighth century BC, the Greek alphabet as we know it today swiftly developed, spread, and diverged into other alphabets like those used in Anatolia and Italy, eventually leading to the Latin script.”

However, new findings suggest a more gradual evolution and dissemination of the alphabet. Carbon dating—a key tool in archaeological research—has revealed that the earliest Greek inscriptions found on pottery date back to the ninth, or even tenth century BC, pushing its origins back by at least a century.

What's more, the oldest surviving inscriptions are unlikely to be the first texts ever written in the Greek alphabet, due to the fact that most alphabetic scripts were recorded on less durable materials such as papyrus and wood, which rarely survive over a long period of time.

This reevaluation challenges the notion of a long “Dark Age” in Greece, where no alphabetic writing took place for a period of about four centuries. It also prompts a reconsideration of ancient literacy in the Aegean region and potentially changes our understanding of cultural milestones, including those of Homer’s the Iliad and Odyssey.

The reevaluation potentially changes our understanding of cultural milestones, including those of Homer’s the Iliad and Odyssey. (Image: Getty)

These epic poems, previously believed to have been orally transmitted for centuries prior to being written down in the eighth century BC, may have been influenced by earlier alphabetic traditions.

“The longstanding belief that both the Greek alphabet and Homer originated in the eighth century BC has been widely accepted for nearly a century,” added Prof Waal. “Challenging this established knowledge will likely face resistance. Yet, questioning and evolving our understanding is what drives scientific discovery—it’s where the excitement lies. Science is a continuous journey of learning.”

Today, the Greek alphabet serves as a source of international symbols in maths, science and engineering. For example, lowercase alpha (α) can represent an angle while pi (π) represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

When COVID-19 occured, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to name the various strains of the virus by using Greek letters, to avoid naming any strains after countries where they might have originated and so prevent any stigmatism. Omicron is 15^th in the 24-letter alphabet.