A new interpretation of a Linear A inscription from Bronze Age Crete may offer clues to the early origins of two major gods of later Greek religion. The study, led by Michael Schümann, proposes that the ritual text names two Minoan divine figures, Tinu and Ida-Mate, who may have connections to the later Greek gods Dionysos and Demeter.
The inscription, known as IO Za 2, was engraved on a small stone libation table found at the summit sanctuary of Mount Juktas on Crete. The site was an important religious center in Minoan Crete, where people carried out rituals and left offerings.
Linear A remains undeciphered. Researchers can read many of its signs, but the language represented by the script is still not understood with certainty. As a result, proposed translations remain debated.
Schümann’s study offers a new interpretation based on the inscription’s archaeological setting, comparisons with other Linear A texts, and similarities with words from ancient Indo-European languages. If correct, the interpretation could provide evidence for religious traditions on Crete that preceded the better-documented religion of Mycenaean and later ancient Greece.
Tinu may have a connection to Dionysos
A central part of the study focuses on the sequence “TA-NA-RA-TE-U-TI-NU.” Schümann interprets “TA-NA-RA” as “the sanctuary” or “the sacred place.”
The next element, “TE-U,” is interpreted as “god” or “of the god.” Combined with the final name, the sequence would therefore mean “the sanctuary of the god Tinu.”
The most striking proposal concerns the identity of Tinu. Schümann argues that the name may represent an early Aegean form connected with Dionysos.
The study compares “TI-NU” with the Mycenaean Greek “di-wo-nu-so,” the earliest known written form of the name Dionysos. Schümann points in particular to the “nu” element preserved in both names.
A Linear A inscription from Bronze Age Crete may hold clues to the early roots of Dionysos and Demeter.
A new interpretation links the Minoan deities Tinu and Ida-Mate to two of the best-known gods of later Greek religion. pic.twitter.com/Ud8bTi5jPa
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) August 13, 2026
Under his interpretation, the longer Mycenaean name could represent a later development of an earlier divine name preserved in Linear A.
The possible connection is significant because Linear A belongs to the Minoan world and predates the Greek Linear B writing system used by the Mycenaeans. A link between Tinu and Dionysos could therefore offer clues to how later Greek religious traditions developed from, or interacted with, earlier Aegean beliefs.
However, the identification remains a hypothesis because Linear A has not been conclusively deciphered.
Ida-Mate could point to Demeter
The inscription may contain a second possible connection with later Greek religion.
Its final section is damaged, leaving only the signs “I-DA” clearly preserved. Schümann reconstructs the sequence as “I-DA-MA-TE-QE” based on comparisons with other Linear A inscriptions that contain “I-DA-MA-TE” or “DA-MA-TE.”
He interprets Ida-Mate as a divine name and proposes a connection with the later Greek goddess Demeter.
The reconstructed “QE” at the end is interpreted as the conjunction “and.” If the reading is correct, the inscription would refer to “the sanctuary of the god Tinu and Ida-Mate.”
The appearance of two possible predecessors or related figures of Dionysos and Demeter in the same ritual text could provide new material for studying religious continuity between Minoan Crete and later Greek culture.
The study notes, however, that it remains unclear whether any similarities would represent direct religious inheritance, cultural adaptation or later reinterpretation.
Inscription describes tears and a flowing offering
Beyond the possible divine names, IO Za 2 may preserve details of the ritual itself. Schümann interprets the sequence “JA-SA-SA-RA-ŽA U-NA-KA-NA-SI” as “weep the tears.” Another part of the inscription refers to a libation offering and expresses the wish that it “may flow in streams.”
The study, therefore, proposes that lamentation and the pouring of liquid were connected parts of the ceremony. Tears shed by worshippers may have carried symbolic meaning alongside the liquid offered to the deities.
The inscription also appears to connect two important sacred landscapes of Bronze Age Crete. Archaeologists found the object at Mount Juktas, but Schümann interprets another section as associating the principal deity addressed in the ritual with Dikte.
His proposed full translation reads: “Father of the Bull-Contest of Dikte, weep the tears; may the libation offering flow in streams in the sanctuary of the god Tinu and Ida-Mate.”
If the interpretation is supported by further research, IO Za 2 could provide an unusual glimpse into religious ideas that existed in the Aegean before the emergence of historical Greek religion. It could also add to evidence that some gods and rituals familiar from later Greek tradition had deeper roots in the Bronze Age cultures of Crete.
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