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The Phaistos Disk THE PHAISTOS DISK: A ONE HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD HOAX? The 10th in a series of articles by the Editor-in-Chief of Minerva, Jerome M. Eisenberg, Ph.D., dealing with the problems of forgery and ancient art.

INTRODUCTION The Phaistos Disk (Figs 1, 2, 13, 14) is a small clay disk stamped with a series of unique ‘hieroglyphs’ purportedly exca- vated in July 1908 by Luigi Pernier in the palace of Phaistos on the island of Crete. It may not ever rank in the pub- lic’s mind with the Piltdown Man as an object of great renown in the field of man’s attempt to fool both the public and countless numbers of scholars. However, its exposure as the most famous fabrication of an ancient script should certainly end the long-standing controversy over its origins and the translation of its intriguing hiero- glyphs. On this 100th anniversary of its ‘discovery’, the writer hopes to bring to light its dubious origin. One of the most fascinating aspects of the attempts to decipher the disk is its innumerable interpretations and those of the individual glyphs. In fact, Fig 1. The Phaistos eight additional pages have been added Disk, side A. to this issue of Minerva in order to pre- sent a comprehensive listing of these decipherments and the various inter- pretations of the different signs. The interpretations of the script range from

scholarly discussions of its relationship to ancient Greek scripts such as Proto- Ionian and, obviously, Minoan, to Ana- tolian (Hittite and Luwian), as well as often far-fetched links to Basque, Indo- European, Proto-Slavonic, Rhodian, Coptic, Semitic, Proto-Byblic, Tatarish- Turkish, scripts from the Black Sea area (South Caucasian/Georgian, Kartvelian, Colchian, Mingrelian-Laz), and even West Finnish or Old Estonian, Indian, Chinese, and Polynesian. Attributions have been made of the ‘text’ on the disk relating to deities and events in Greek mythology including Zeus and the Minotaur, Theseus and Ariadne, Dionysos, and Icarus; in the Near East to the Hittites and Philistines; and in Egypt to Osiris and Isis, Thoth, and the pharaohs. Over the past 100 years it has been interpreted variously as an adventure narrative, a poetic verse, a hymn, a prayer, a sacred text, a magic inscrip- tion – perhaps a curse, an aid-in-heal- ing ritual, a funerary record, an almanac, or a calendar-diary. Others Fig 2. The Phaistos suggest an administrative document, a Disk, side B. record of gifts made to a temple, a judi-

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Fig 3 (far left). both by making a discovery that would cial court list, a political treaty, a palace Minoan bead seal astound the archaeological commu- schedule, a palace site plan description, with hieroglyphic nity. He had found nothing at Phaestos proof of a geometric theorem, a call to saw sign. that could in any way surpass or even arms, a list of soldiers, or a text for Cf. disk sign equal the amazing finds at Knossos by no. 16, the saw. teaching reading. It has also been inter- Evans, begun in 1900. By 1903 Evans preted by some as a board game or Fig 4 (left). had uncovered much of the founda- game of chance, even musical notes for Linear A tablet tions of the Palace (that he later a stringed instrument. Not to be out- from the palace famously overly-reconstructed), in of Phaistos, done, a Russian scholar recently pro- c. 1750 BC. addition to the Throne Room, the won- posed it as a device for the manufacture drous frescoes, and the faience female of metal wares. noted Federico Halbherr. He was most Fig 5 (above right). figurines. Evans also found many Lin- Pseudo-archaeology, or the unscien- famous for his discovery in 1884 at Linear B bar 066 ear A and Linear B tablets during the tific, often fantastic, interpretation of Gortyna of the early 5th century BC from the course of his excavations at Knossos. ancient remains comes into play with ‘Great Inscription’ inscribed on the hieroglyphic archive many interpretations by amateur walls of the city’s Odeum of the earliest at Knossos, Inspiration for the Phaistos Disk c. 1750 BC. archaeologists or historians of the disk’s legal code found in Europe. The long What could Pernier ‘discover’ to bring contents. They have suggested that it is Greek text detailed the statutes for him fame and glory and to rival that of a ‘number-philosophical’ document guilty individuals and the punishments Halbherr and Evans? He soon came up from Atlantis, a message from extrater- for crimes. Halbherr, an epigraphist, with the answer – the creation of a relic restrials, and even a portal or ‘stargate’ concentrated on the study of ancient with an untranslatable pictographic with which a wormhole (a theoretical Greek inscriptions from 1884 to 1888 text - the Phaestos Disk. Evans was connection in time or space) can be and was compiling a corpus of Cretan obviously quite excited about the dis- created to enable one to achieve tele- inscriptions with his mentor Domenico covery of the disk. In Scripta Minoa he portation to cosmic distances. Comparetti. Later, Halbherr and his published the preliminary details of the It would be very difficult to actually Italian colleagues, Roberto Paribeni, unearthing of the Phaistos Disk and a decipher the disk, if genuine, unless André Savignon, and especially Luigi 21-page analysis based upon Pernier’s further texts with additional glyphs Pernier, conducted excavations uncov- publication of the disk in 1908: ‘Il disco were discovered. Statistically it is too ering the Minoan palace complex of di Phaestos con caratteri pittografica in short and it does not provide enough Phaistos, between 1900 and 1907. Ansonia III, 255-302 (a 48-page study clues as to its content. Also, if the Halbherr had often expressed his published in the same year of its dis- writer is correct in his assessment of the wish that written texts would be dis- covery). It must be emphasised that disk as a 100-year-old forgery, it would covered at Phaistos. In 1900 he wrote forgeries are not just made for financial be virtually impossible to provide a cor- that the excavation of the palace of gain, but often to boost the reputation rect translation. Then, the only person Phaistos ‘has produced some very of an excavator or scholar, as in the who could disclose the ‘meaning’ of lovely Mycenaean vases, terracotta fig- case of the Piltdown Man in 1912. the glyphs is the one who invented urines… But to date there are no Pernier (1874-1937) was trained as them. The writer doubts that they actu- inscribed tablets, though we are hope- an archaeologist in Italy and among his ally represent any kind of text but that ful that they will be found elsewhere.’ readings he would have been quite they were cleverly chosen to purposely At the same time, the renowned Eng- familiar with the discovery of the Fig 6 (below left). confuse the scholarly world. lish archaeologist (Sir) Arthur Evans The Etruscan lead Magliano Disk, found in Magliano, (1851-1941), had already received Magliano Disk, c. Italy in 1884, and published by L. A. Background much acclaim for his studies of the 475-450 BC, found Milani in 1893. This near-round lead The story of the disk begins with the early hieroglyphic inscriptions on Cre- in Magliano, Italy, disk (Fig 6) contained an Etruscan excavations of the Italian archaeolo- tan seals, and especially later on for his in 1884. The inscription spiraling inward on both inscription spirals gists in Crete in the 1880s, led by the excavations of the site of the palace at inward on both sides. Since the Etruscan language had Knossos. Evans visited Crete in 1894 to sides, but the other not yet been deciphered, its contents investigate the earliest pictographic side does not have remained a mystery. Perhaps Pernier script, or hieroglyphics, that appeared the spiral line. could create a similar disk – but for the Note the three on Cretan seals (Fig 3) and also the two vertical dots other unknown scripts: Linear A (Fig 4), near the top c. 1750-1450 BC, and Linear B (Fig 5), used once c. 1450-1375 BC. Just one year later for punctuation Evans published his Cretan Pictographs compared to the five used on the and Prae-Phoenician Script. In it he called Phaistos Disk. the Minoan ‘hieroglyphs’ ‘pictographs’ and Linear A and B ‘Prae-Phoenician’. Later this small book would be Fig 7 (right). expanded into his classic work Scripta Minoan clay label Minoa (vol. 1, 1909; vol. 2, 1952). in the form of a flat bivalve shell, In the opinion of the writer, Pernier with ‘hieroglyphic’ was jealous of the success of Halbherr script, from the and Evans and decided to outdo them palace of Knossos.

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Minoans. Lead was rarely used in Crete AB54; and no. 45, similiar to AB76; and metre-high hills rising from the Mes- except for smaller objects. It would four for Linear B (Fig 10: Sign no. 12, sara Plain on the west of the island, have seemed more logical to make it an elaboration of Linear B 78; no. 14, a 5km from the coast. It was named after out of clay, since most of the larger version of 87; no. 36, an elaboration of a grandson of Herakles. Legend has it inscribed objects found on Crete were 30; and no. 45, an elaboration of 76. that an oracle ordered him to go to made of clay, such as the many tablets Some epigraphers link even more Crete. Phaistos was the legendary home from Knossos that were later published of the Phaistos Disk signs to Linear A of Rhadamanthys, its ruler, and one of in detail by Evans in Scripta Minoa in and Linear B. For instance, Torsten the three sons of Europa and Zeus. 1909. Perhaps another source of inspi- Timm demonstrates 19 links just for With his brother Sarpedon, ruler of ration for the design of the disk were Linear A. The forger then quite often Malia, he was forced to depart from the two offering tables found at Phais- rotated the direction of a sign some Crete following an argument with tos with relief spiral decorations men- 90 degrees or more, especially those of Minos, the third brother and the ruler tioned by Halbherr in a 1900 letter to the cat head, sign no. 29. This how- of Knossos. The first palatial building at Comparetti. He may also have taken ever, was a mistake, for it would not Phaistos was erected c. 1900 BC, at notice of the stamped designs on large be the practice of a scribe carefully about the same time as the palaces at Cretan pithoi (large storage pots) of the executing such a sophisticated script. Knossos and Malia. This Early Palatial period. In addition, another source of Period ended c. 1700 BC as the result of inspiration may have been the semi- The Uniqueness of the Phaistos Disk a major earthquake and the consequen- round clay labels with ‘hieroglyphic’ In making the clay disk, he made the tial burning of the palaces. This script from the palace of Knossos (Fig error of creating a terracotta ‘pancake’ destruction was previously thought by 7). with a cleanly cut edge. Ancient clay some scholars to be due to foreign The ploy was to create a completely tablets do not have such sharp edges, invasions, perhaps by Greeks or by new script that would confound Evans because they would easily have dam- Luwians from Anatolia. The palaces and the other scholars since it would be age from usage. He also fired the fine were rebuilt, but another disastrous virtually untranslatable. He would clev- hand-formed clay disk uniformly. It is earthquake, or a military invasion by erly construct new, more elaborate therefore unique in that Minoan clay the Mycenaean Greeks, took place symbols that would not just, in part, Fig 8. tablets were not fired purposefully, c. 1450 BC. This time only Knossos and mimic the yet-undeciphered three Luwian hieroglyphs only accidentally. They were only one other palatial site, Archanes, were from Anatolia. other scripts, but would elaborate upon baked as a result of the fires accompa- rebuilt. them. He would also include elements nying the destruction of the palaces. According to Pernier, the disk was that would reflect influence from for- Pernier may not have realised this at found on the ground in Room 8 of the eign sources, such as the Luwian hiero- the time. palace, close to the north-east corner, glyphs from Anatolia, an early form of It is unique on several other more about 50cm above the bedrock, in dark Luwian used by the Hittites between important counts. Second, there is no earth that was mixed with ash, char- c. 1400 and c. 1200 BC (Figs 8, 34). For other ancient ‘moveable type’, in fact coal, and some pottery sherds. The example, the writer has found four def- none until Gutenberg (AD 1454). earth, however, was not compacted inite parallels (Fig 8) - compare no. Third, there is no other large, thin and contained objects from other peri- 128C5 to disk sign no. 12, no. 12932 to clay disk in the Bronze Age. Last, but ods including part of a Hellenistic vase. disk sign no. 15, no. 1287A to disk sign certainly not least, there is no other Nearby was a Linear A tablet, PH1, with no. 26, and 128CD to disk sign no. 38. hieroglyphic script of this type. The which he fixed the date of the disk at Epigraphers would certainly suggest only advanced Aegean or Mediter- Middle Minoan III, c. 1700-1600 BC. several more links since there are over ranean hieroglyphic scripts are those There are several other proposed dat- 500 signs in the Luwian hieroglyphic of Egypt and Luwian and these are ings. The earliest is 2100 BC, proposed text. A monumental Luwian inscrip- not related, except for the few signs by Victor J. Kean, the latest, c. 1100 BC, tion was first described in 1850, that Pernier borrowed or adapted. by Kristian Jeppesen. Most scholars another in 1870, and a third in 1884, These counts of uniqueness, each in a agree with Pernier that it was made c. so it certainly would have been familiar completely different category, point 1700-1600 BC. It should be noted also to a scholar versed in Bronze Age lin- to the disk as a forgery. that the room contained several Middle guistics in the early 1900s. This mixture Minoan IIIB vases that date c. 1650- on the disk of Minoan and Luwian ele- Find Spot of the Disk 1600 BC. ments would also puzzle scholars since The palace grounds and town of Phais- it was not necessarily created at Phais- tos are located on one of the three 70- Creation of the Disk tos but could have come from another The disk is a hand-formed, irregular undiscovered Cretan site with an Ana- disk of fine-grained clay. It has been tolian influence. It could also have noted that the clay, even though as originated from another Aegean site or fine as that used for the local Kamares even Anatolia itself. To add further ware pottery, did not appear to be of a confusion, a link to Egyptian hiero- local origin, perhaps not even from glyphs is found in such signs as nos.18 Crete. The diameter varies from 15.8 to and 45, and especially to Egyptian wall 16.5cm and the thickness from 1.6 to paintings of the New Kingdom, as in 2.1cm. Side A is thickest at the edges, signs nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. side B is thickest at the centre. It was To further confuse the linguists perfectly fired, unlike the tablets and Pernier included several signs that seals that were baked by fires created by resemble those of Linear A and Linear B the destruction of the different sites. – according to the writer, a total of Fig 9. Linear A Opinions differ as to the way that about ten that show a relatively close signs relating to the two sides were printed. Ernest Gru- or exact link. Six for Linear A (Fig 9): Phaistos Disk signs. mach (1969) thought that each side Sign no. 12, an elaboration of AB78; was imprinted separately, then the two Fig 10 (right). no. 15, similar to A364; no. 16, simi- Linear B signs sides joined. ‘…the seam can still be lar to AB87; no. 17, somewhat similar relating to clearly seen along the edge of the Disk’. to A322; no. 24, an elaboration of Phaistos Disk signs. Reinier Van Meerten (1977) suggested

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Fig 11. Michigan relic forgeries: sandstone stamps with symbols. The tin box in which they were kept dates to c. 1910. Photo: courtesy of Eric S. Perkins, Michigan Historical Museum, Lansing.

Fig 12. that the basic disk, about 1.2cm thick, Michigan relic forgeries: sandstone was fired first, then layers 0.3-0.4cm stamps with thick were applied to each side; next it symbols. was inscribed, the edges smoothed, and Photo: courtesy of finally it was fired. Louis Godart (1990) Eric S. Perkins, believed that it was created in one Michigan Historical Museum, Lansing. piece, first imprinted on side A, then side B, the latter being impressed less deeply.

The Stamping of the Disk Different stamps were used for several of the same signs. It has been suggested by various authors that the stamps were made of such diverse materials as gold, silver, bronze, lead, ivory, wood, and even stone. Godart favoured the use of gold for its durability and ‘clarity of the contours’. Pernier had suggested hard wood or ivory, while Evans thought that they were metal cast in matrices of engraved steatite. Stamps were often placed on the disk in different directions – sideways, upside down, and so on. This is not a Fig 13 normal procedure in which such The Phaistos sophisticated symbols would be used in Disk, drawing antiquity. It is apparent that the order of side A. of the signs was not carefully planned and that the sequence was being invented as they were being stamped on the disk. This indicates that it was certainly not an ancient document. The spirals do not end in the centre; the symbols near the centre are crowded; there are overstrikes of the symbols near the centre; and the final two symbols overlie one another. Leon Pomerance (1976) proposed that the inscriptions were not printed with individual stamps, but that each side was prepared from a single lime- stone matrix on which all of the signs were engraved. He based this theory on the fact that there were ‘significant dif- ferences in the outline and shapes of identical symbols.’ Grumach had ear- lier noted these differences. If the disk is ancient why have none of the stamps used to create it ever been found either at Phaistos or at any other site? The writer has previously pointed out that a series of stone stamps with symbols (Figs 11-12) had been made between the 1890s and the early 1900s by the perpetrator of the Fig 14 notorious ‘Michigan Forgeries’ (see ‘The The Phaistos Michigan Relics: An Archaeological Disk, drawing Hoax, Minerva, July/August 2004, pp. of side B.

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45-48). They were apparently used to do – with the exception of signs such press into the soft clay tablets and as the vertical ship and fish. The fre- other clay ‘relics’ which they pro- quency of the signs varies consider- duced. They were said to be the first ably according to the whim of the evidence of the migration of an creator. Thomas Balistier (1998) points ancient Near Eastern people to mod- out that the shield, no. 12, appears 15 ern Michigan. Were these inspired by times on side A, but only twice on side the Phaistos Disk – or were they possi- B, whereas the breast or helmet, no. 7, bly one of the principal sources for appears just twice on side A, but 16 Pernier for the creation of the disk? times on side B. Unfortunately we do not know when Many of the signs on the disk are the Michigan forger, James Scotford, unusually naturalistic, depicting a live- created his stamps, before or after the liness not found to such a great extent ‘discovery’ of the disk. Some were in pictographic scripts of the time, found in a tin dating to 1910. such as Egyptian hieroglyphics. Clearly outlined representations, such The Signs of the Disk as the striding man (no. 1), a bound Of the 45 different signs (Fig 15), there prisoner (no. 4), and a flying bird (no. are 123 signs stamped on side A sepa- 31), are found only occasionally in rated by vertical lines into 31 groups other scripts such as Egyptian and and 119 signs on side B separated into Luwian. Scholars have argued for 100 30 groups. The groups have been years as to which writing system has interpreted as words, sentences, and been employed for this unique relic – even complete verses. The signs basi- do the signs represent words, syllables, cally face to the right as if they were or just letters? meant to be read as pictographs of It has been generally accepted that that verbs are lacking, the script being recognisable everyday objects, as they the signs just represent nouns and a syllabary, the signs acting as sylla- Fig 15 (left). bles and serving as an alphabet. Linear The Phaistos Disk B is a syllabary. Godart points out that signs. The reference there are too few signs for a pictogra- numbers are those phy and too many for an alphabet on initiated by Sir Arthur Evans and the disk. It has been suggested by are still being Günter Neumann (1968) that the used today. script is a syllabary with some signs acting as pictographs. Thomas S. Barthel (1988), J. T. Hooker, and Michaell Trauth (1990) also agree that it is a similar mixture. Fig 16 (top right). In a pictographic script the sign The slanted stroke below the disk sign represents the object that it depicts, no. 18 on the far left of this group of signs on side A of the disk is one of 16 or 17 that appear on the disk. The five dots, as shown on the far right of the group of signs on the disk in Fig 16, might be com- pared to the five dots representing the number 50 on Linear B bar 057 in Fig 44.

Fig 17 (middle right). The Arkalochori axe found by Spyridon Marinatos in 1934.

Fig 18 (right). Inscription on the haft of the Arkalochori axe.

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Fig 19. 16). Furthermore, on each side of the axes found had short inscriptions in The gold ring disk there is a single ‘dotted bar’ com- Linear A. A bronze axe (Fig 17), how- from Mavro Spilio with Linear posed of five dots (some scholars con- ever, was inscribed with 15 hiero- A inscription tend only four) on side A (also Fig 16) glyphic signs in three columns (Fig 18). (Kn Zf 13). and five dots on side B. The strokes and Of the 15 signs, ten of them (with two dotted bars were incised by hand, as repeated) seem to be unique. In her were the main spiral lines and the verti- January/March 1935 American Journal of cal dividers. Archaeology report Elizabeth Pierce Ble- The dotted bars led Alice E. Kober gen mentions the discovery in 1934 of (1948) to surmise that there were other the double axes in silver and gold, and disks and that these were the fourth bronze axes, knives, and swords ‘num- and fifth sides of a long document. bered by the hundreds’, but, oddly, no Rudolf Hoschek considered them to mention of any inscribed items. Godart indicate pages or chapters in a group of stresses that ‘there are no definite com- several disks. It is the writer’s con- parisons between the signs of the Disc tention that the strokes and dotted bars and the syllabograms of the three were added merely to lead scholars known Cretan scripts (Hieroglyphics, astray – another oddity to puzzle them Linear A and Linear B)…’ – and a common trick amongst forgers. Indeed, Dirk Ohlenroth (1996), because The Gold Ring and Silver Pin of the strokes, regards the disk as ‘the from Mavro Spilio oldest example of the use of natural A gold ring found in 1926 at Mavro punctuation’. The writer notes the sim- Spilio, Crete, by Sir Arthur Evans has a ilarity of the five dots on Linear B bar spiral arrangment of the text which the image, not the word as such. 057 (Fig 44) to the five dots on the conists of 19 signs in Linear A (Fig 19). There are too few signs on the disk disk. The dot in Cretan script represent The ring, with an inner diameter of and too many repetitions for this to be the number 10; five dots represents 50 only 13mm, was certainly too small to a functional pictographic script. Such (Fig 15). Was this numbering system wear and, in fact, its authenticity has a system would require many hun- the source for the forger’s dotted bars? been questioned. A silver pin from the dreds or even thousands of signs for The writer notes that the vertical bar same site also has an inscription in Lin- this type of script and it would be represents the Cretan script number ear A. impractical to make a stamp for each 100 – is this the inspiration for the ver- sign. Some scholars, however, such as tical lines of the disk? (See Fig 7 for a The Malia Altar Stone Lienhard Delekat (1979) and Victor J. vertical bar and two dots, Fig 44 for a A stone slab excavated in 1937 in Kean (1996) support this theory. bar and five dots.) Malia, Crete, by Fernand Chaputhier, Ernst Schertel (1948) believed that In 16 instances signs were erased has 16 inscribed hieroglyphs, three the script is a mixture of alphabet and and replaced by different signs. One repeated twice, and is the only example syllabary, while Derk Ohlenroth would not expect so many corrections of a Cretan hieroglyphic inscription on (1996) argued that it was a sophisti- in such an elaborate production if it stone (Fig 20). Alice Kober (1938) stated cated early Greek phonetic alphabetic was an ancient document. Ernst Gru- that ‘…the resemblance between the system with more than double the mach (1962) suggested that the scribe signs of this inscription and that of the number of letters than the regular was not correcting mistakes but actu- Phaistos Disk is very slight.’ Greek alphabet of just 24 letters. ally improving the content or form. The Vladikavkaz Disk The Direction of the Signs COMPARISONS A clay fragment of a disk with 20 signs Although there had been much dis- The Arkalochori Axe (Fig 21) was found in the basement of a agreement about the direction in For years local peasants had been dig- house built in 1880 in Vladikavkaz, in which the signs should be read – from ging in a shallow cave in Arkalochori in the Russian Republic of North Ossetia- the centre out or from the outside in, central-eastern Crete and unearthing a Alania, in 1991. It copies some of the it has been accepted by most scholars large variety of bronze weapons and signs and groups on the Phaistos Disk that it reads from the outside in, from other metal objects. Sadly, many of but they are incised rather than right to left, as with the Egyptian and these have been lost because they were stamped. It is said that it was recog- Anatolian hieroglyphs - towards the often melted down and made into farm nised by the local museum as a forgery direction that the heads of the people tools. A Greek archaeologist, Joseph and returned to the owner but has now and animals face. In Linear A and Lin- Chatzidakis, first excavated the cave in apparently disappeared. It could possi- Fig 20 (below left). ear B the reading direction is from left The Malia altar 1912 and found many weapons - bly be a forger’s prototype for the disk to right, but some scholars such as stone hieroglyphic swords and daggers – and a large group Godart argue that it has no relation- inscription. of votive double axes. Soon thereafter a ship to these scripts. gold double axe was found by some children. The cave was then rapidly The Strokes, Dotted Bar, plundered by the locals. and Corrections Fig 21 (right). In 1934 Spyridon Marinatos, the There is considerable argument regard- The Vladikavkaz Director of the Herakleion Museum, disk. A forger’s ing the meaning of the 16 or 17 slanted prototype or a confiscated many of the objects and strokes that appear below the sign fur- copy of the renewed the excavations. One of 25 thest to the left in some groups (Fig original forgery? gold axes and one of six or seven silver

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or merely an attempt at copying the tion of the elements. original forgery. 3. A unique element in the composi- tion. CONCLUSION 4. A ‘unique style’: the appearance of Several of the errors made by the a fully developed style or type hith- forger of the disk fit into the cate- erto unknown. gories tabulated by the writer in his 5. Repeated favourite ancient motifs ‘Aesthetics of the Forger: Stylistic Cri- and devices of the forger - in periods teria in Ancient Art Forgery’ (Minerva, or regions where they do not ordinar- May/June 1992, 10-15). They include: ily occur, or invented types. 1. A disparity in the style of execution 6. Reversal of image. of the elements. 7. A synthesis of geographically dis- 2. A disparity in the degree of abstrac- parate styles. 8. A disparity in time-placement of elements. 9. Correction by elimination. One can allow for a small number of these elements to occur in a gen- uine antiquity, but the preponderance of such elements for the disk leads to the conclusion that it is certainly a Fig 26. Cretan captive with tattoo from forgery. However, only a thermolumi- Egyptian 18th Dynasty wall painting. nescence test to determine whether Cf. tattoo on face of disk sign the disk was created in the past cen- no. 3, the tattooed head. tury or two or over three millennia ago will finally settle this intriguing problem to everyone’s satisfaction. Fig 22. Sign on Linear A tablet The writer has attempted to have this PH18 from Phaistos. Cf. to disk sign no. 1, the ‘pedestrian’. test carried out several times in the past but to no avail. It is not even possible to physically examine the disk outside of the case at the museum. In a reply to a most recent request to the museum to examine the disk, the Director, Dr Nota Dimopoulou-Rethemiotaki, wrote: ‘Dear Dr Eisenberg, In reply to Fig 24 (below left). your e-mail of July 25, 2007, we Sea Peoples in would like to inform you that unfor- Egyptian 19th tunately we are not able to satisfy Dynasty wall relief. Cf. headdresses to your request to examine the Phaistos headdress of disk disc and the inscribed Arkalochori sign no. 2, the axe. Specifically, the inscribed Arkalo- plumed head. Fig 23. Advancing boxer on Haghia Triada chori axe is encased and stored, Fig 27. Ivory figurine of a child with ‘Boxer Rhyton’. Cf. to disk sign no. 1. whereas the Phaistos disc because of shaven head from Palaikastro. His hands are bound with fist its uniqueness is considered as non Cf. disk sign no. 5, the child. wrappings similar to disk sign no. 8. movable…’

Fig 25. The Luwian sign mu that resembles the plumes on disk sign no. 2, the plumed head. Fig 28. Polychrome clay female figurine from the first palace at Phaistos, c. 1750 BC. Cf. disk sign no. 6, the woman.

Figs 29 (right). Sealstone from the controversial Treasure of Thisbe, Boeotia. Cf. hair and garment of figure at left with disk sign no. 6, the woman.

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Fig 33 (right). Hittite relief at Yazilikaya with procession of deities wearing tiara- type headdress. c. 1250-1200 BC. Cf. headdress disk sign no. 9. Fig 34. Anatolian disk seal of Mursilis II, c. 1322-1295 BC, from the Hittite Empire. Luwian hieroglyphic signs in the centre surrounded by Hittite cuneiform. The Luwian sign Fig 32. for a winged sun Fig 30. Mycenean ivory relief of a man’s Ideogram for an disk resembles the head with a boars’ tusk helmet. arrow on a Linear disk sign no. 11, the Cf. disk sign no. 7, the helmet. B tablet from bow; also, the saw Knossos. Cf. to sign is very close to disk sign no. 10, disk sign no. 16, the arrow. the saw.

ANALYSIS OF THE PHAISTOS DISK SIGNS The 45 different signs on the disk are numbered here according to the system set up by Sir Arthur Evans. The number in parentheses following Evans’ name for the sign (used here with some mod- ification) is the number of times that the symbol appears on the disk. The first notations in most of the sign entries are the possible sources of the sign as suggested by various writers. For full references for the names of scholars mentioned, see Appendix: Attempts at Deciphering.

1. PEDESTRIAN (11) Crete, Egypt. Cf. stick figure on Linear A tablet PH18 from Phaistos (Fig 21); Mycenaeans in 19th dynasty wall paintings in Egypt- ian tombs. JME (the writer): Possible source for Pernier: The advancing box- ers on the Haghia Triada steatite rhyton, Fig 31. An ancient cestus or boxing glove. Cf. to disk sign no. 8, the ‘boxer vase’ (Fig 22), coincidentally the gauntlet. See also Fig 22. excavated (1900-1908) by Halbherr with Pernier. Also see the Luwian signs Meanwhile the disk, which has for ‘walking man’ or ‘walking legs’. long been considered to be ‘One of Fig 35 (below left). Fig 36. Pottery vase the most famous mysteries of archae- Kernos (offering from Knossos with ology’ (Wikipedia) remains an table) from the stamped design. Cf. enigma. Our readers’ comments, as palace of Malia. design to disk sign no. 12, the shield. usual, are welcomed.

Fig 37. Abnormally long Minoan white steatite four-sided bead seal with hieroglyphic sign of mountains (on its side). Cf. disk sign no. 14, the manacles. Fig 38. Minoan white cornelian prism seal from eastern Crete with hieroglyphic pick sign. Cf. disk sign no. 15, the mattock.

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2. PLUMED HEAD (19) Sea Peoples more logical to show two of them. (Pelesedt, Denyen, Tjekker), Egypt; There is no ancient parallel for a sin- Crete. Cf. Sea Peoples in 19th Dynasty gle breast as a sign. wall reliefs on Egyptian temples (Fig 8. GAUNTLET (5) Crete. Cf. boxers 23). It is vaguely similar to one of the with hands bandaged. (Godart: fight- signs on the Arkalokhori axe (Fig 18), ing glove; Dettmer: workman’s glove.) though it is facing; and the hairstyles JME: Possible source for Pernier: the on terracotta male figures from fist wrappings of the boxers on the Traostalos near Ksato Zakros, but far Haghia Triada steatite rhyton – the more sophisticated in its depiction. ‘Boxer Vase’ (Fig 23) - excavated by (Evans, Godard, Pernier: feathered Halbherr with Pernier; or the classical helmet.) JME: Cf. Luwian sign for mu cestus (boxing glove) (Fig 31). (Fig 25). The closest comparison, Fig 39. 9. TIARA (2) Hittite: Cf. seals and Linear A sign however, is the feathered headdress of AB31. Cf. disk rock carvings for similar headgear. the American Indian which required sign no. 19, JME: The most likely source for no visible skull cap. carpentry plane. Pernier would be the nearly identical 3. TATTOOED HEAD (2) Crete, tiara which appears on rock carvings Egypt. Cf. Minoan man with figure- such as the one in a Hittite shrine at of-eight tattoo in Egyptian 18th Yazilikaya, c. 1250-1220 BC (Fig 33). Dynasty wall painting (Fig 26). 10. ARROW (4) Crete: Cf. Linear A (Dettmer: not a tattoo, but a Cretan ideogram. But no arrowhead? (Ohlen- Fig 40 (right). double earring.) JME: It was certainly Obsidian dolium roth: ear of grain.) JME: The Minoan derived from the Egyptian wall paint- shell found in the sign of an arrowhead appears with or ing. Little Palace at without a shaft, but no barbs, as well 4. CAPTIVE (1) Asia Minor, Egypt. Cf. Hagia Triada. as one with no arrow point but with Asian prisoners on 19th dynasty tem- barbs – a complete reversal. However, ple walls. (Aartun: walking farmer dis- on a Linear B tablet from Knossos the tributing seed; Dettmer: female ideogram for an arrow is quite close prisoner.) JME: It was most probably Fig 41 (right). (Fig 32), though simplified since it is Clay seal derived from the Egyptian depictions impression on incised on clay. A comparison made of prisoners with their hands tied document HM 992 to Linear A sign AB79 is rather far- behind their backs, such as those from Phaistos fetched. depicted on Seti I’s Temple of Amon (excavated by 11. BOW (1) Crete. Cf. Minoan seals. at Karnak. Pernier?). JME: Cf. the Luwian sign of a winged Cf. disk sign 5. CHILD (1) Crete. Cf. ivory figurine no. 21, comb or sun-disk (Fig 34). of a child with shaven head from palace plan. 12. SHIELD OR PLATE (17) Crete. Cf. Zakros for the use of a ‘bald’ child in Mycenaean shield examples. (Pernier: Cretan art (Fig 27). JME: The first five It resembles a kernos (offering table) signs for heads and persons all have Fig 42. found at the palace of Malia (Fig 35), bald heads making comparisons with A Lycian rock-cut but it has 34 circular depressions the hairdos of people in other scripts tomb in Anatolia. around the rim, not six; Duhoux: a Cf. disk sign or signs perhaps purposefully diffi- no. 24, a beehive design stamped on a pottery vase cult. The source for the bald heads or structure. from Knossos (Fig 36); Dettmer: a disk was perhaps one or more of the ivory with seven points for the solar year.) figurines of children with shaven JME: Pernier’s source certainly would heads from Zakros and Haghia Triada. have been the Luwian sign for bread, 6. WOMAN (4) Crete, Sea Peoples, 128C5, a disc with up to seven dots, Egypt. Cf. hairstyle to that of the Sea the seven dots being placed in the Peoples in 19th dynasty wall reliefs same positions (Fig 8) or, less likely, a on Egyptian temples. (Evans: sharp similar Egyptian hieroglyph with four contrast to Minoan-Mycenaean or five dots representing corn on the female type; Ipsen: relates it to Cretan threshing floor. Also, Linear A sign garb; Doro Levi: found ‘parallel’ to AB78 is a circle with 3 dots. female idols found at Phaistos.) JME: 13. CLUB (6) Greece. (Evans: club of The apparent source for this sign was Herakles; Dettmer: a plant; Ohlen- a small figurine with pendulous Fig 43. roth: ‘cypress’.) The club of Herakles, breasts, hair flowing behind, and a Ideogram 179 on to which it has been compared, first flounced skirt from room XCVII- Linear B tablet appears considerably later. from Knossos. XCVIII of the first palace at Phaistos Cf. disk sign no. 24. 14. MANACLES (2) (Aartun: foot- (Fig 28) or another perhaps found pre- viously by Pernier. Another source might be the sealstone from the con- troversial Treasure of Thisbe from Boeotia. This depicts a woman with Fig 44 (right). Four-sided Minoan hair flowing behind and flounced clay Linear B bar skirts (Fig 29). 057 with 7. HELMET or BREAST (18) Europe. hieroglyphs. The Cf. Bronze Age helmets. (Godard: hel- vertical bar and met; Evans, Dettmer: breast; Pernier: five dots represent the number 1500. cap.) JME: Possible source for Pernier: Cf. disk sign no. 24 the Phoenician or Bronze Age helmet and five dots on (Fig 30). If it was a breast it would be each side of disk.

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Fig 45 (left). Predynastic Egyptian vase with Nilotic ship; ensign or standard on cabin. Naqada II, c. 3450-3300 BC. Cf. disk sign no. 25, ship.

Fig 46 (right). Gold ring from Mochlos with Minoan ship, c. 1450 BC. angles; Godart: carpenter’s plane.) 20. DOLIUM (2) Crete: Cf. the obsid- ian dolium (sea shell) from Haghia Tri- ada (Fig 40) (Aartun: dry-measure stool; Dettmer: yoke; Evans: manacles container; Dettmer: vessel; Evans: or handcuffs; Pernier: mountains.) Fig 47 (above vase; Godart: ton shell.) JME: The right). Cycladic JME: Cf. a Minoan white steatite bead ‘frying pan’ vessel shading or use of parallel lines is seal with a hieroglyphic sign of with depiction of unique for this sign on the disk. mountains (Fig 37). This sign appears ship, spirals; ‘pubic 21. COMB OR FLOOR PLAN (2) only vertically, not horizontally as triangle’ below. Crete: palace floor plan (Aartun: hoe often depicted. Note ensign on or rake; Dettmer: weaving comb; vertical depiction be considered a prow. Syros, Early 15. MATTOCK OR PICK (1) Crete. Cf. Cycladic II period, Godart: comb.) JME: The source is cer- space-saver?). It is lacking a mast; actual mattocks (or picks); Linear A c. 2800-2300 BC, tainly the sign on Proto-Palatian clay ships as Minoan hieroglyphic signs sign A364; Linear B sign B232. JME: L. 28cm. Cf. disk seal impressions on document HM almost always have masts (Fig 48). Cf. Minoan white cornelian prism seal sign no. 25. 992 (Fig 41) at Phaistos (excavated by 26. HORN (6) (Ox horn) (Aartun: (Fig 38) A similar bronze mattock was Pernier?) The suggestion by Woud- tail.) JME: Cf. Luwian sign no. 1287A found by Pernier at Phaistos. If this huizen that it resembles Swedish rock (Fig 8) which is a more than probable were a Minoan disk, the use of a sin- carvings of a team of plowing oxen is source. gle-headed pick rather than the dou- Fig 48 (below left). a bit extreme. 27. HIDE (15) Crete: Cf. Linear B ble-headed axe would be unusual. Minoan hiero- 22. SLING or DOUBLE FLUTE (5) It ideogram *258 from Knossos and *154 Also, the direction is changed 90 glyphic symbols has been compared to Linear A sign from Pylos. (Evans, Godart: cowskin; for ships. Cf. disk degrees. sign no. 25. A318, but there is little resemblance. Dettmer: goatskin.) JME: Why is the 16. SAW OR KNIFE (2) Cf. Linear A (Aartun: whisk; Dettmer: curve mea- hide inverted twice in the same group sign AB74, though quite different. sure; Evans: double flute; Godart: on side A? JME: Cf. Minoan bead seal (Fig 3) and slingshot or catapult; Ohlenroth: 28. BULL’S LEG or COW’S LEG (2) Linear B bar 066 (Fig 5). A close paral- forked stick.) Crete. Cf. steatite seals with bulls’ legs lel can be found in a Luwian hiero- 23. COLUMN or HAMMER (11) Cf. from Malia. JME: An unusual case of glyphic sign (Fig 34); also an Egyptian Fig 49 (below). Linear A sign AB06, though it consists reversal of image, in this case turning Red cornelian hieroglyphic sign – set. prism with cat with only of lines at right angle. (Aartun: an animal part upside down. There 17. LID or TOOL (1) Crete. Cf. facing head, found club; Evans: hammer; Dettmer: a disk are several instances of a Minoan Minoan and Mycenaean lids; Linear A in 1898; cover stamp; Pernier: column with capital.) hieroglyphic sign for a human leg (Fig sign A322 is somewhat similar, illustration for 24. BEEHIVE or STRUCTURE (6) 49), but none for an animal leg. Cf. Evans’s Scripta though the direction is changed 90 Minoa I (1908). Lycia: cf. rock-cut tomb (Fig 42), Egyptian sign for the leg of an ox. degrees (Fig 9). (Evans: tool for cut- Cf. disk sign no. 29, Egypt: cf. Punt (Somalia) hut on 18th 29. CAT HEAD (11) Crete: Cf. seal ting leather; Godart: lid.) JME: The a head in profile dynasty Hatshepsut temple wall relief; impressions on vases from Malia; fac- source would be the Linear A and quite different. Crete: cf. very simplified Linear A sign ing heads appear in Linear A sign ideogram. AB54 (Fig 9); Linear B sign 179 (Fig AB80, though extremely simplified. 18. BOOMERANG or SET-SQUARE 43), also from Knossos. (Aartun, The direction, however, is changed (12) Egypt. Cf. weapons in Egyptian Fig 50 (below Dettmer: house; Evans: pagoda-like from right profile to a facing head. tombs. (Aartun: corner/angle; Evans: right). Egyptian building, animal coop, or bird cage; Linear A sign L149 is found only on wall painting from carpenter’s angle; Godart: the 18th Dynasty Godart: beehive; Erika Spann-Reinsch: clay tablets. (Evans, Godart, Ohlen- boomerang.) JME: The source could tomb of Useramon covered palanquin.) JME: Cf. Cretan roth: cat; Dettmer: wild dog; Pernier: be the Linear A sign AB37, though it at Thebes, c. 1460 hieroglyph as on a four-sided clay bar bulldog.) JME: Cf. cat with facing has a much narrower angle and the BC, showing (Fig 44). The forger, however, most head on a red cornelian prism found direction is changed 90 degrees; or Cretans carrying probably used the Lycian tomb as the in 1898 (Fig 49). Why is the cat head rhytons (libation the Egyptian sign and amulet for the vessels). Cf. disk main source. imprinted in different directions on set square (kub), though it has an sign no. 30. 25. SHIP (7) Egypt: small Predynastic the disk, some 90 degrees or more angle of 90 degrees. pots, c. 3200 BC, with symbols on the from the horizontal? It would not be 19. CARPENTRY PLANE (3) Crete cabins of Nilotic ships (Fig 44); the practice of a scribe executing such (Aartun: branch; Dettmer: ruler with Cyclades (see below); Crete: gold ring a sophisticated script; this is certainly from Mochlos (Fig 46). (Aartun: saw- bow; Dettmer: plow) JME: Cf. ships on Cycladic ‘frying pan’ vessels, c. 2300 BC (Fig 47) An unusual case of a 90 degree shift in the position of the image to save space; most probably the only instance of a ship repre- sented on its side as a symbol, though it is also depicted horizontally once on side B (therefore why should the

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not a schoolboy’s practice tablet. See the possible explanation below (for sign no. 30). 30. RAM HEAD (1) Some scholars relate this to the Linear A symbol of a ram - sign AB13, but this is a bit far- fetched, as the Linear A sign is highly abstract. JME: An Egyptian wall paint- Fig 51. ing from the tomb of Useramon, c. Linear A sign for 1460 BC, depicts Cretans bringing trib- the eagle, AB81, is ute to Egypt including animal-head quite abstract rhytons (Fig 50). The writer believes compared to the Fig 55. Fresco with partridges (detail) disk sign no. 31, that this may be the inspiration for the from the pavilion of the ‘Caravanserai’ an eagle holding at Knossos. Cf. disk sign no. 32, dove ram head sign (rather than using the a snake. (but probably a partridge). more common bull’s head rhyton. The Minoan hieroglyphic signs for the ram 36. VINE or BUSH (4) Crete. Cf. Lin- do not show the horns projecting ear A sign AB30 or hieroglyph no. beyond the profile of the head, 101, both somewhat similar. (Aartun: although there is a goat head with out- black coral; Dettmer, Godart: wardly curving horns on a Minoan grapevine; Evans: olive branch; seal (Fig 37). The single ram head and Ohlenroth: shrub.) JME: Linear A sign Fig 58. Eight-petal rosettes on two cat heads on side B face upward, AB30 has horizontal branches; it is the ‘rosette krater’ from the first palace at Phaistos. the same position as the animal head not branching out from a single stem. rhytons in the Egyptian wall painting. 37. PAPYRUS (4) Egypt. Cf. papyri on Minoan hieroglyphic sign no. 88 for a It should be pointed out that the Theban wall paintings. (Aartun: piece saffron flower. writer is using the drawing from of straw; Dettmer: flax plant; Godart: 40. OX BACK (6). (Godart: ox’s back; Robinson’s book and he notes that the papyrus; Ohlenroth: lily.) unrecognisable sign to others.) JME: If ram head – on side B - had been mis- 38. ROSETTE (4) Crete. Cf. several 8- it is an ox’s back, it is a unique takenly replaced in the drawing by the petalled rosettes on the ‘rosette krater’ ancient hieroglyphic depiction of an artist for a helmet, disk sign no. 7. We Fig 52. Cretan from Phaistos (Fig 58) and a gold pin animal’s rear end. The suggested com- hieroglyphic sign for have corrected this in our copy of the a dove, quite unlike from Malia. (Aartun: blossom; parison to Linear A signs AB26 and drawing. disk sign no. 32 Dettmer: lotus; Evans: local flower AB27 is extreme. 31. EAGLE AND SERPENT (5) (Aar- representing a dove. adapted from Egyptian lotus blossom; 41. FLUTE (2) (Aartun: bone; tun, Ohlenroth: falcon; Evans, Godart, Ohlenroth: rosette.) JME: The Dettmer: copper bars; Godart: flute.) Dettmer, Godart: eagle.) JME: rosette is a popular symbol for the JME: It is certainly not a flute with Imprinted in different positions: forger. this irregular outline. Copper bars upward, to the left, and to the right. 39. LILY (4) (Aartun: husk; Dettmer: would be in the form of ingots – rec- Signs for the eagle in Crete, AB81 (Fig meadow saffron; Godart: lily; Ohlen- tangular with flaring ends. Why use a 51), and Egypt are quite different, the roth: crocus; Pernier: saffron.) JME: bone for a symbol? former again being highly abstract. The suggested comparison to Linear A 42. GRATER (1) (Aartun: coral; 32. DOVE (3) (Aartun: goose; Dettmer: sign AB28, a trident, is far-fetched, as Dettmer: saw; Godart: grater or rasp.) duck; Evans, Godart, Ohlenroth: is the Luwian sign ‘W’ for a thunder- JME: There are too many dots for a dove.) JME: It is unlike the preening bolt. It is certainly a plant. Cf. to small ancient hieroglyphic sign. and pecking birds of Cretan hiero- 43. STRAINER (1) Crete: Cf. Linear A glyphic script (Fig 52), however the sign AB66. (Aartun, Dettmer: female source is certainly one of the Knossos pubic region; Evans: a puzzling sign; frescoes with partridges (Fig 55), a bird no one has apparently considered pre- Fig 59. Cycladic ‘frying pan’ vessel with viously. triangles filled with dots; ‘pubic triangle’ Fig 53. below. Syros, Early Cycladic II period, 33. TUNNY (6) (Dettmer: the scribe Linear A sign c. 2800-2300 BC, l. 27cm. meant a ‘large fish’, but it is a dolphin; possibly used to Evans, Pernier: tuna.) JME: cf. the fish make a disk sign Fig 56. Minoan bead seal with on a Minoan bead seal (Fig 56). It no. 34, bee. fish. Cf. disk sign no. 33, a tunny. could be an elaboration of a Minoan Fig 57. Cycladic ‘frying pan’ vessel with symbol or the fish on the Cycladic ‘fry- depiction of fish, spirals, and sun. Syros, ing pan’ vessels, as the one from Naxos Early Cycladic II period, c. 2800-2300 BC. with four fish, c. 2500 BC, published Cf. disk sign no. 33, a tunny. by A. K. Stephanos in 1905 (Fig 57). 34. BEE (3) (Aartun: wineskin; Dettmer: bird’s-eye view of cow.) JME: Not a Minoan or Egyptian depiction of a bee, the symbol for which is done in profile. Pernier’s inspiration for using this insect was probably a Linear A sign with the vertical line removed (Fig 53). 35. PLANE TREE (11) Crete. Cf. Linear Fig 54. A sign AB04, though only with one Linear A sign AB76 branch. (Aartun: fruit; Dettmer: oak; is most probably the source for disk Evans: plant or tree; Godart: bush or sign no. 45, branch with broad leaves; Pernier: a wavy band or branch of plane tree.) flowing water.

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Godart: sieve; Ohlenroth: triangle.) Amazon Research Center (web- an astronomically explicit calendar… JME: The granulated triangle is a popu- site) – A claim that some signs are sim- goes beyond the basic zodiac to lar device for the forger (see the ilar to rock engravings in North Africa. include planetary movements... writer’s ‘Aesthetics of the Forger’, no. Balistier, Thomas (2000) – The including the possible reality of 14). Again, there are too many dots for Phaistos Disc – an account of its unsolved Atlantis (in the Atlantic) and the pos- a small hieroglyphic sign. His source mystery (originally published as Der session by the Minoans of extensive may have been the triangles filled with Diskos von Phaiphos: Zur Geschichte knowledge of the outer solar system.’ small dots on the so-called Cycladic eines Rätsels und den Versuchen seiner This is a good example of ‘pseudo- ‘frying pans’ (Fig 59). Auflösung (1998). Discussion of deci- archaeology’. 44. SMALL AXE (1) (Aartun: aquatic pherments of Aartun, Ohlenroth, Caratelli, Pugliese G. (1945) – ‘Le plant leaf; Dettmer: bull’s hide; Dettmer, and others. ‘…today, how- Iscrizione Preellenici di Hagia Triada’ Godart: small hatchet.) JME: None of ever, it seems rather absurd to assume in Creta e della Grecia Peninsularia, these suggestions would properly fit it is a fake.’ Annuario. Cretan, comparable to the this oddly-shaped sign; it is too irregu- Ballotta, Paola (1974) – Le glyphs on the Arkalachori axe and the lar. déchiffrement du Disque de Phaistos. Malia altar stone. 45. WAVY BAND or FLOWING Ideographic writing. Chadwick, John (1958) – The Deci- WATER (6) (Dettmer: water channel; Barger, Jorn (2001, website) – pherment of Linear B. Godart: wavy bundle; Ohlenroth: Probably the funeral psalm of King Chadwick, John (1987) – Linear B wave; Pernier: flowing water as in the Arion, c. 1800 BC, from islands near and Related Scripts. A simple syllabic Egyptian hieroglyphic sign.) JME: The Troy. system. ‘None of the more compli- source is probably the identical Linear Barthel, Thomas S. (1988) – cated and thus distinctive signs can be A sign AB76 (Fig 9), Linear B sign 76 ‘Forschungsperspektiven für den paralleled. Its Minoan origin must thus (reversed), or the equivalent Luwian Diskos von Phaistos’ in Münchner rest in doubt until more evidence is sign. Beiträge zur Völkerkunde, vol. 1, 9-24. available.’ ‘…the world’s first typewrit- There are 22 disk signs that are The differences in content from side A ten document’. ‘It has been a millstone closely or somewhat related to Linear to side B represent ‘a thematic change round my neck for decades.’ A or Linear B, especially the former, from day to night and male to female’ Coppens, Philip (2000) – ‘The but there are no double axes, horns, (Balistier). Phaistos Disk’ in Frontier, January-Feb- bull heads, or octopuses, symbols that Best, Jan, and Woudhuizen, Fred ruary. It could be used for both a are closely linked to Minoan Crete. C. (1980) – Ancient Scripts of Crete and chance game and a ‘rule game’, like Cyprus. backgammon. APPENDIX: ATTEMPTS AT Best, Jan, and Woudhuizen, Fred Corsini, Marco Guido (2002-2005, DECIPHERING THE PHAISTOS DISK C. (1989) – Lost Languages from the website) – ‘The Apotheosis of Seqe- Aartun, Kjell (1992) – ‘Der Diskos von Mediterranean. Best: an abstract of cor- nenra Tao II/Rhadamanthys, c. 1544 Phaistos; Die beschriftete Bronzeaxt; respondence between King Nestor of B.C. (on the Phaistos Disc)’. Greco- Die Inschrift der Taragona-tafel Wies- Achaia (outgoing letter on side A of Creto-Egyptian, c. 1600-1540 BC. It is baden’ in Der Minoische Schrift, Sprache the disk) and the King of Phaistos the Disk of the Ra/Sun Rhadamanthys. und Texte, vol. 1. A South Semitic syl- (Tarhuntiwaqtas or Kunawa?) (incom- ‘Rhadamanthys was a pharaoh of labic text in metrical style, spoken in ing letter on Side B). (See Fred C. Greek origins (and, following the the south of Arabia (Yemen) before the Woudhuizen.) Best dates it to the first Greek tradition, king of Phaistos). The Bronze Age, and a language to which half of the 14th century BC. Apotheosis of Rhadamanthys was then modern Arabic and some Ethiopean Blohm, Hans, Stafford Beer, and deposited in the archives of the final languages belong. He believes that the David Suzuki (1987) - Pebbles to Com- phase of the first palace of Phaistos. writing system is the same as that on puters – The Thread. A two month cal- Rhadamanthys was born in a Greek the Arkalokhori axe. ‘…a Near East- endar for daily activities in the palace, speaking city, probably Phaistos (fol- ern/Semitic class in ancient Crete c. 1700 BC. lowing the tradition that he was born which provided political leadership Bossert, H. (1931) - ‘Unentzifferte in Gortyna, which descended in origin and cultural guidance during the und unübersetze Inschriften’ in from Phaistos, the capital of the Mes- Minoan era.’ An extremely erotic Atlantis. Länder/Völker/Reisen, 249-256. sara), where since 1700 B.C. the Ioni- poem, a ‘prescription for the execution An import from Anatolia. Similarity to ans adopted the scripture.’ ‘Blissful of sexual rites in the Palace of Phais- Hittite, syllabic hieroglyphic script. lady of the labyrinth, blissful Isonoia, tos.’ We hesitate to quote from it, Bowden, Edgar (1992) – Cybele the lady of the coffins and protectress of except for the mild beginning: ‘I want axe-goddess: Alliterative verse, linear B the pyramid. The daughter of Creon to wet, plow, your field, I want to wet, relationships and cult ritual of the phais- Megara consecrate there to You, the deep plow, your arable under the tos disc. Greek alliterative verse metri- daughter of Creon in the cella of the yoke!’ ces describing an Anatolia religious labyrinth, the daughter of Creon Achterberg, Winfried, Jan Best, cult of ‘Cybele Axe Goddess and Posei- Megara consecrate there to You the Kees Enzler, Lia Rietveld, and Fred don Hippios’. dead.’ Woudhuizen (2004) – The Phaistos Burdic, Steve (1998, website) – An Crombette, Fernand (1880-1970) – Disc: A Luwian Letter to Nestor. An Ana- astronomical interpretation using the Clartés sur la Crete (vols 1-3). Monosyl- tolian hieroglyphic script. A Luwian solstices. It refers to the cycle of the labic, pictographic signs in a Coptic document of land ownership, a letter sun over the year. text. Of Basque origin. Relates the from Great King Tarkhundaradus of Burrage, Champlin (1921) – ‘Stud- adventures of Icarus; used as a board Arzawa in Anatolia to King Nestor of ies in the Minoan Hieroglyphic game. Crombette believed that the first Pylos in Akhaia. ‘In Mesara is Phaistos. Inscriptions’ in Harvard Studies in Clas- king of Crete was the son of the first To Nestor, to the great [man] in sical Phililogy, 32, 177. Interpreted as king of the 1st Dynasty of Egypt. Ahhiyawa’. First half of the 14th cen- Semitic. (From JME notes, 1968-71.) Crystal Links (website) – ‘The tury. Butler, Alan (1999) – The Bronze disk speaks about the spiraling nature Aleff, H. Peter (1982, e-book) – Age Computer Disc. A system of measur- of reality and creation which links to The Board Game on the Phaistos Disk. ing time, space, and distance. ‘The pri- Sacred Geometry - the Golden Mean An ancient gameboard related to the mary meaning of the text was Spiral - Phi Ratio - the manner in Egyptian senet and snake games. mathematical rather than linguistic… which consciousness moves between

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realities.’ ‘In conclusion, the Phaistos putable Minoan artifacts.’ He claims of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Uni- Disk is another one of the ‘Games of that the signs have ‘clear affinities versity, 200-217. He found Polynesian Thoth’ created to bring awareness with the Arkalokhori axe’. elements and suggested early contacts about the nature of reality.’ Dunand, Maurice (1945) – Byblia between the two civilisations. Cuny, Albert (1911) – ‘De Grammata. There is a strong resem- Fell, Howard Barraclough (1976) l’employ des ‘Virgules’ sur le disque blance to the Proto-Byblic script. – ‘The Decipherment of the Phaistos de Phaestos’ in Revue des Études Anci- Eisenberg, Jerome M. (1999) – In Disk’, The Epigraphic Society Occasional ennes, 13, 297-312 (and vol. 14, 1912). a letter to The Economist, 16 January: Publications and Papers, 4, 79. An Ana- Egyptian, syllabic-ideographic script ‘a joke perpetrated by a clever archae- tolian language. A verse in feminine (from Wikipedia). ologist from the Italian mission to rhyme, ‘an oracular aid in the inter- Davaras, Costis (1967) – ‘Zur Crete upon his fellow excavators… pretation of omen’. Other side: In Herkunft des Diskos von Phaistos’ in Taking a thermoluminescence test, prose, ‘how a priest may determine Kadmos, 6, 101-105. Because of the which should date the firing of the the fate of a client by observing the finding of the clay ‘plumed’ heads (cf. clay at about 100 years ago, can solve behavior of birds’. sign no. 2) at Traostalos near Kato the mystery of the disc.’ Fischer, Steven R. (1988) – Evi- Zakros, the disk’s non-Cretan origin is Ephron, Henry D, (1962) – dence for Hellenic Dialect in the Phaistos ‘losing more and more credibility’. ‘Hygieia Tharso and Iaon: The Phais- Disk. Greek dialect, syllabic script. A Davis, Simon (1967) – The Deci- tos Disk’ in Harvard Studies in Classical Minoan call to arms to repel Carian pherment of the Minoan Linear A and Philology, 66, 1-91. Late Minoan invaders from Anatolia. ‘Like Ventris, Pictographic Scripts. An acrophonic syl- period (from Wikipedia). Fischer gradually came to the idea labary in a Minoan or Hittite lan- Evans, Arthur J. (1909) – Scripta that he might be dealing with early guage. A resemblance to Anatolian Minoa I, the written documents of Greek or at least Indo-European.’ ‘The hieroglyphs. Relating to the manufac- Minoan Crete… Non-Minoan, from translation offered involves a pub- ture of seals. ‘…sealings spirals stamps Asia Minor (1921). The human figures lished announcement, or the tran- sealings I made stamps sealings great and costume are non-Minoan and ‘no scription of a speech, by the (one) stamps.’ Duhoux terms this more than ten more or less resemble commander of a Minoan naval force, translation ‘virtually gibberish’. Cretan hieroglyphic forms’. He com- urging his troops on to battle (appar- Delekat, Lienhard (1979) – ‘Der pared sign no. 2, the plumed head, ently near Naxos) against invaders Diskus von Phaistos – Entwurf einer with the Philistine headdress and sign from Anatolia.’ ‘Hear ye, Cretans and Textlesung und –deutung’ in Ugarit- no. 24, the building, with the Lycian Greeks: my great, my quick! Hear ye, Forschung – Internationales Jahrbuch für rock-cut tombs. Possibly a hymn or Danaidans, the great, the worthy! die Altertumskunde Syrien-Palästina, 11, religious chant to the earth goddess, Hear ye, all blacks, and hear ye, 165-178. Greek pictographs. An invi- the goddess of fertility, or the Anato- Pudaan and Libyan immigrants!’ tation to the Anthesteria festival lian Great Mother who was wor- Fischer, Steven R. (1997) – Glyph- (Feast of Flowers, dedicated to shipped in both Asia Minor and Breaker. It is written in a Hellenic Dionysos). ‘Helmsman’s-rhythm-beat- Crete. dialect of Minoan, ‘a sister language ing-call of the blossoming (Antheste- Fattah, Nurihan (n.d.) – The Lan- of Mycenaean Greek’. ria-festive) radiant heaven’s-tree guage of Gods and Pharaohs. The disk is Franklin, Kenneth (with Leon dweller (Dionsysos): With both arms a text in Tatarish-Turkish about the Pomerance) – A calendar or an fish-waving, ye lamb-herdsman (peo- feast of a nobleman. Fattah, a Kazan almanac (see Leon Pomerance). ple of Tyr), go to Amyclae…’ University professor, also claims that Frenkel, M. (1999) – ‘The Phaistos Dettmer, Otto (1989) – Das Rätsel the written and spoken language in disk as an astronomical calculator.’ A des Diskos von Phaistos: Das schwerste Atlantis was Turkish. paper presented at the Oxford VI and Kreuzwordrätsel de Welt. A syllabary of Faucounau, Jean (1975), (1999, SEAC 99 Conference (27 May 1999). Messenian origin (the western Pelo- 2001) – Le déchiffement du disque de Georgiev, Vladimir (1976) – On ponnese). ‘In invocation to the earth Phaistos. Preuves et Consequences. He the similarity to Luvian (Hittite) hiero- goddess Gea in the cave of Ino to pre- claims that it comes from the Syros glyphs and Linear B. An acrophonic, vent earthquakes…’ in a ‘rare form of culture of the Cyclades. ‘Proto-Ionic’ syllabic hieroglyphic script (noted ear- Greek with phonetic values for the Greek dialect, a syllabic acrophonic lier by H. Bossert (1932) and Simon pictographs.’ ‘A greeting by Talaio, script comparable to Linear B. The Davis (1967). A story in Luwian about king or god of the Aegeatians, to the invention of an early Aegean people, the Cretan king Minos. surviving Cretans following the earth- the Proto-Ionians’, borrowing the idea Gleye, Arthur (1912) – Kretische quake.’ (from Balistier). from 6th Dynasty Egypt. A funerary Studien. Die westfinnische Inschrift aud Dow, S. (1954) – ‘Minoan Writing’ hymn to Arion, child of Argos, dem Diskus von Phaestos. The language in American Journal of Archaeology, 58, destroyer of Iasos. Duhoux states: ‘In is West Finnish or Old Estonian. 2 (80pp.) He thought that the disk fact, this study commits enough seri- Godart, Louis (1990, 1995) – The was too fragile an object to be an ous errors of all sorts to warrant a Phaistos Disc – the enigma of an Aegean import from Anatolia. secure place in the anthology of mis- script. From an Aegean culture. Middle Duhoux, Yves (1977) – Le Disque guided decipherments.’ He mixes true or Late Minoan, c. 1550-late 13th cen- du Phaestos. Archeologie. Epigraphie. syllabograms (representing sounds) tury BC. ‘Among the written testimo- Edition Critique. Luwian. with some purely alphabetic conso- nia from ancient Crete there is not a Duhoux, Yves (2000) – ‘How not nants, a combination unknown in single text that permits us to define to decipher the Phaistos Disc’, Ameri- deciphered Aegean scripts. any relationship whatsoever with the can Journal of Archaeology, 104, 3, 597- Faure, P. (2003) – ‘Tourne disque, Phaistos disc. Thus we can say with 600. Cretan provenance, c. 1850-1600 l’énigme du disque de Phaistos’ in certainty that the script on the disc is BC. Could be related to Linear A. A Notre Histoire, 213, October 2003. He totally alien to the scripts of Minoan- review of Faucounau’s Le déchiffement considers the disk to be a forgery. Myceneaean Crete.’ Godart points out du disque de Phaistos. Preuves et Conse- Fell, Howard Barraclough (1973) that ‘there are no definite compar- quences. ‘The Minoan character of the – ‘Polynesian tablets and Protopolyne- isons between the signs of the Disc disc, regularly debated in the past, is sian. A newly deciphered European and the syllabograms of the three assured thanks to an impressive series tongue of the Minoan subgroup. The known Cretan scripts (Hieroglyphics, of points in common with indis- Phaistos disk ca. 1600 B.C.’ in Museum Linear A and Linear B)…’

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Gordon, Cyrus H. (1966) – Evi- toric Crete. Originating in Asia Minor. Macalister, R. A. S. (1914) – ‘The dence for the Minoan Language. A syl- Imperiali, Massimo (website, Philistines’ in Palestine Exploration labic acrophonic legend in a Semitic n.d.) – Possibly a political treaty with Fund Quarterly, 141 (JME notes, 1968). text. a list of geographical places. It has a Libyan connection and simi- Gordon, F. G. (1931) – Through Ipsen, Gunther (1929) – ‘Der larity to several Egyptian hieroglyphs. Basque to Minoan: transliterations and Diskos von Phaistos. Ein Versuch der A judicial court list, dated, with the translations of the Minoan tablets. A Entzifferung’ in Indogermanische magistrates’ and witnesses’ names. hymn to the ‘rain lord’, associated Forschungen, 37, 1-41. From some- Mackenzie, Duncan (c. 1908) – with Aquarius, in a language allied to where in the Aegean, but non-Cretan. Cretan Palaces. Mackenzie, Field Direc- Basque. ‘…dogfish smiter on the Symbol values inspired by cuneiform; tor for Sir Arthur Evans and an expert creeping flower; the lord, smiter of shapes inspired by Egyptian hiero- on Cretan clay tablets and sealings, the horse-hide; the dog climbing the glyphs. thought that the clay is of foreign ori- path, the dog emptying with the foot Jensen, Hans (1925) – Geschichte gin. the water pitchers, climbing the cir- der Schrift. Of Cretan origin. Marinatos, Spyridon (c. 1935-39) cling path, parching the wineskin…’ Jeppesen, Kristian (1962) – ‘Some – A sacred script. He considers the Grumach, Ernst (1962) – ‘Die Kor- remarks on the Archaeological Placing disk and the Arkalokhori axe (found rekturen des Diskus von Phaistos’ in of the Phaistos Disc’ in KUML, 180- by Marinatos) to be ‘cultural artifacts Kadmos, 1, 16-26. Of Cretan origin. 190. A similarity to several Egyptian of the same kind’. He suggests a change in content at a hieroglyphs. After 1400 BC, probably Martin, Adam (2000) – Der Diskos point near the end of side A from a c. 1100 BC. von Phaistos - Ein zweisprachiges Doku- male to female theme. Johnson, Glenn (n.d.) – Ancient ment geschrieben in einer fruhgriechis- Grumach, Ernst (1967) – ‘Zum Cretan Languages (The Phaestos Disk). A chen Alphabetschrift Erhaltlich. Herkunft des Diskus von Phaistos’ in south-western Anatolian-Syrian ori- Greek-Minoan bilingual alphabetic Akten des 2. Internationalen Kretologen- gin, relating to Anatolian and Indo- text. Side A is an early Greek text for a Kongresses I, 281-296. Aryan scripts. A listing of nobilities, funeral service meant to console a Gwynn, B. V., and N. Kolyvanos, perhaps representing a funerary bereaved person. Side B is the Minoan N. (1977) – The Phaistos Disc. An early record. version of the same text. form of Greek, of administrative sig- Kaulins, Andis (1980) – The Phais- Massey, Kevin and Keith, A. J. nificance. tos Disc: Hieroglyphic Greek with Euclid- (1997-2003, website) – ‘Mysteries of Haarmann, Harald (1990) – Lan- ean Dimensions – The ‘Lost Proof’ of History Solved’. A magical text, per- guage in Its Cultural Embedding. Ideo- Parallel Lines. Proof of a geometric haps a curse, in an Indo-European syl- graphic writing. A sacred text of a theorem in Greek hieroglyphics. ‘…a labic script. ‘this Proto-Byblic script funerary rite, the symbols represent- geometric proof in rather odd Greek, which is demonstrated by the Massey ing persons, gods, spirits, offerings, written in an Egyptian-based syl- twins as being a closely related ortho- events, places, attributes, and reli- labary’. graphic system to the Phaistos Disk’. gious activities. Kean, Victor J. (1985) – The Disk ‘The underlying language of the Hagen, Ole 1988, 2001 – The from Phaestos. Pictographs filled out Proto-Byblic script was Semitic. It is a Phaistos Disk – Alias the Minoan Calen- with text, 2100-1900 BC. ‘…the linear script which displays many dar. A calendar with the names of printed record of the journeys of an identifiable objects, like weapons, months. ‘He claims that the images early Minoan who crossed to the human figures, and body parts.’ Later, describe ceremonies or duties that coast of North Africa and headed an unknown Greek script for an should be performed on the appropri- deeper into the harsh conditions of inventory of goods ‘similar to most of ate date’. the Sahara in the hope of persuading the Linear B tablets.’ What may have Hall, H. R. (1911) – ‘A Note on the one particular group of nomadic happened in the world of the Phaistos Phaistos Disk’ in Journal of Hellenic hunters to cease their destructive way Disk is that farmers and merchants Studies, 31, 119-123. Non-Cretan, of life.’ brought commodities to a palace, from Asia Minor (1927). He suggests Kober, Alice (1948) – ‘The Minoan temple, or treasury and deposited that the plumed head sign has a Scripts: Facts and Theory’ in American them in this central location. For this feathered helmet, showing Philistine Journal of Archaeology, 52, pp. 82-103. deposit, they would be given a record, origin. Of Cretan origin until proven other- somewhat like a receipt. This is what Hansel, Stanislaw (1999, website) wise. Linear B tablets tended to be, listings – It is probably written in a Semitic Kretschmer, Paul (1931) – ‘Die of commodities and goods. The Phais- language that he calls Keftian after Ältesten Sprachtschiften auf Kreta’ in tos Disk is the same thing. the Egyptian name for Crete – Keftiu. Glotta. A Carian document with a list Matz, Friedrich (1972) – The Art of Hausmann, Axel (2002) – Der of soldiers. A possible link to the Illyr- Greece and Early Greece: the Prelude to Diskus von Phaistos. Ein Dokument aus ians and to the Etrusco-Venetic and Greek Art. It originated in Asia Minor. Atlantis. An ideographic script from late Greek scripts. McEvedy, Colin (2002) – The New Atlantis, c. 4400 BC. Ktistopoulos, Konstantinos D. Penguin Atlas of Ancient History. ‘It has Hemple, George (1911) – ‘The (1951) - ‘Die antike Punktierung und to be a hoax.’ Solving of an Ancient Riddle: Ionic der Diskus von Phaistos’ in Minos, 1, Meerten, Reinier J. van (1977) – Greek before Homer’, Harper’s Monthly 7-25. According to Mark Newbrook, ‘On the start of printing of the Phais- Magazine, 122, 728, January, 187-198. he ‘decided that the text was in a tos Disc’ in SMII, Journal of Linguistic Ionic Greek, syllabic script. ‘Lo, Xipho Semitic language and dealt with gods, Calculus, 29-36. A Semitic text. the prophetess dedicates spoils from a stars, prophecies and the white of Mellink, Machteld J. (1964) – spoiler of the prophetess.’ Perhaps the eggs.’ ‘Lycian Wooden Huts and Sign 24 on earliest published attempt at its deci- Kvashilava, Gia D. (2006) – The the Phaistos Disk’ in Kadmos, 3, 1-7. pherment. Phaistos Disc – Colchian Goldscript. Syl- She links sign 24 with a motif of a Henke, Christoph (2003) – Die labic-logograms in Old Colchian. The wooden hut on a large Lycian burial Hierarchie der Zeichen auf dem Diskus disk was brought from the Black Sea vase even though the vase is from the von Phaistos. He interprets it as ‘a hier- area through trades to Crete. 3rd millennium BC. archy of characters’. Louise, Olivier M. (website) - Meyer, E (1909) – ‘Der Diskus von Hutchinson, R. W. (1973) – Prehis- Greek, about a destruction of Thera. Phaestos und die Philister auf Kreta’

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in Sitzugsberichte der Königlich Preussis- been first recorded somewhere in the Rjabchikov, Sergei V. (1998) – chen Aademia der Wissenschaften, 33, latitude of Crete at around the time to Proto-Slavonic dialect, syllabic script. 1022-1029. Related to the Philistines which the Disk is dated.’ ‘he makes the observation that the because of the plumed head sign, no. 2. Pendlebury, J. D. S. (1939) – The Phaistos Disk signs are the decorative Muenzer, Paul J. (1985) – The Archaeology of Crete. The disk is an version of the Linear A script. He ‘reads Phaistos Disk Deciphered. It is a Greek import from Anatolia. the Disk - and Linear A - as early Slavic, text. Pernier, Luigi (1908) – ‘Il disco di more specifically as instructions for rit- Myres, J. L. (1930) – Who were the Phaestos con caratteri pittografici’ in uals; he also believes that Etruscan was Greeks? An Anatolian import. Ausonia, 3, 255-302. Of Cretan origin. close to early Slavic.’ Nahm, Werner (1975) – ‘Vergleich The contents are of a ritual nature. Robinson, Andrew (2002) – Lost von Zeichen des Diskos mit Linear A’ in Plagnol, Philippe (2007) – Languages. He quotes the writer (JME) Kadmos, 14, 2, 97-101. – Of Cretan ori- Ideograms. It shows a greater relation- in his letter to The Economist, 16 Janu- gin, made at Phaistos. Comparison ship to Egyptian hieroglyphs ‘than to ary, 1999: ‘…a joke perpetrated by a with some symbols to Linear A – the the rectilinear and austere tablets of the clever archaeologist from the Italian walking man, no. 1, to L148 and the syllabic writings rediscovered with it’. mission to Crete upon his fellow exca- cat’s head, no. 29, to L149, th two Polygiannakis, Efi (2000) – The vators… Taking a thermoluminescence found only on tablet PH8 from Phais- Phaistos disk speaks in Greek. A prayer in test, which should date the firing of the tos. a syllabic Greek script. clay at about 100 years ago, can solve Neumann, Günter (1968) – ‘Zum Polymeros, G. (website) – A Greek the mystery of the disc.’ Forschungsstand beim ‘Diskos von language. ‘Palace’s Priestess/shout loud Roolvink, Hedwig (1999, website) Phaistos’ in Kadmos, vol. 7, no. 1, 27- so that I get healed/holy clothes I have – ‘The Disk of Phaistos. The millen- 44. Of Cretan origin. It cannot be dated brought up here to you./Respectable, nium problem of Crete solved?’ An much earlier than the Arkalokhori axe. perfect (animals for sacrifices) I have Anatolian script of pictograms, proba- Ballistier quotes Neumann: ‘…whoever brought up here to you for the Palace’ bly a very primitive Luwish script.. ‘an chooses this document as the object of (from www.UniLang.org). account of the expedition of a group of his research must soberly assess the Pomerance, Leon (1976) – The people who lived in the mountains and limits of his possibilities, if he does not Phaistos Disk: An Interpretation of Astro- went in search of flat land.’ wish to experience that no one but nomical Symbols. Of Cretan origin. An Rowe (1919) – From Cyprus. In himself believes his theories to be cor- astronomical document in a pictorial Transactions of the Royal Society of Aus- rect.’ He notes a clay ritual plate from form of symbolic communication. He tralia, 43, 142. Also in American Journal Phaistos with figures of cattle and spi- suggests that the entire design had of Archaeology, 25, 1921, 176 (JME rals stamped around he edge. He con- been ‘cut into a soft limestone matrix notes, 1968-71). siders the disk, the Arkalokhori axe, for each side and then impressed on a Sankarananda, Swami (1968) – and the Malia altar stone scripts to be pancake of soft clay. The two disks of Decipherment of Inscriptions on the Phais- ‘individual or local forms’ of the same clay were then trimmed around the tos Disc of Crete. The language is Indian. pictographic script. edges, not quite accurately, placed back Schachermeyr, Fritz (1964) – Die Ohlenroth, Derk (1996) – Das Aba- to back, and joined with slipped clay’. minoische Kultur des alten Kreta. He ton des lykäischen Zeus under der Hain der This would mean that it was not just a explains the differences between the Elaia. Of Cretan origin, made at Phais- case of individual stamps being used à disk, the Arkalochori axe, and the tos, c. 1850-1550 BC. Free verse in a la Gutenberg, but that is was indeed an Malia altar stone by the existence of Greek dialect, a phonetic, alphabetic amazingly early precursor of precast different schools of writing in different script, the pictography almost doubling linotype. places and that they showed their inde- for the Greek alphabet signs. It is about Pravilov, Victor (2006? – website, pendence from one another. For him, two sanctuaries in the Peloponnese in in Russian) – A device for the manufac- the walking man (no. 1) and flying bird mainland Greece and is a votive offer- turing of metal wares. Semantic signs (no. 31) signs are ‘typical Minoan ing for the appeasement of the gods, for a ‘polyideographic language’. It is images of movement’. probably made following the eruption similar to the internal structure of the Schertel, Ernst (1948) – ‘Der Diskos of Thera. On one side, an execration deep-sea cephalopod nautilus pompilius. von Phaistos. Wege zu Entzifferung’ text cursing those who enter the shrine Prendergast, Jane (website) – (Ways towards its Decipherment) in of Zeus on Mount Lycaeon in the ‘Notes on the Phaistos Disc’. A Hittite Würzburger Jahrbücher für die Altertum- south-west of Arcadia; on the other side origin because of: (1) the similarity swissenschaft, vol. 3, 334-365. Indo- an invocation of the night goddess between the number of differing sym- European, closely cognate with Latin; Elaia (the local epiphet for Demeter), a bols on the disk and the number of syl- not of Cretan origin, but from Rhodes. curse resulting in the loss of one’s lables in Hittite and Luwian; (2) A mixture of syllabic and alphabetic shadow if an attempt is made to enter resemblances of the symbols them- writing. A double hymn to Zeus and the shrine. Side A: ‘Zeus is also the radi- selves to Hittite hieroglyphs and arte- the Minotaur. ant one. If Zeus is the Lycaean, (he) facts and (3) correspondence of objects Schomburg, Bernd (2000) – Der from whose beloved grows a shoot of depicted by the symbols and themes Jahrtausend-Kalender der Minoer. A his same essence…’ Side B: ‘Enter the from the History of Hatusili I. It is possi- Minoan calendar with ‘schematic grove of Elaia: Ignite smoothened ble that the disk may be a record of winding ideograms’. Free translation: wood all around: In a circle around the gifts made to a temple, possibly that of ‘Minoan calendar with directions for sacrificial smoke, beat the earth and Arinna. She notes ‘the resemblances the measurement of the year and the whinny suddenly like a pair of between the material of the disc and millennium.’ horses…’ the text of the Wars of Hattusili…’ Schwarz, Benjamin (1959) – ‘The Olivier, John-Pierre (1975) – ‘Le Read, F. W. (1921) – ‘A new inter- Phaistos disk’ in Journal of Near Eastern disque de Phaistos’, édition pho- pretation of the Phaestos Disk: the old- Studies, 18, 2, 105-112. Mycenaean tographique, Bulletin de Correspondence est music in the world?’ in Palestine Greek, syllabic script. Related to Linear Hellenique, 99, 5-34. He questions the Exploration Fund, 29-54.’ Musical notes. B. Late Minoan period. Descriptive authenticity of the disk. Richter-Ushanas, Egbert (2005) – precinct lists (or ‘index of religious pil- Ovendon, Michael, and Archie, The Disk of Phaistos and the Sacred Mar- grimage centers’ – Balistier) Roy (website of Mark Newbrook) – a riage of Theseus and Ariadne. A ‘pseudo- Sittig, Ernst (1956) – ‘Zur Entziffer- ‘suggestion that the zodiac must have scholarly’ decipherment. ung der minoisch-kyprischen Tafel von

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Enkomi’ in Minos, 4, 33-42. An early Wenzel, Hermann (1998, website) the author’s efforts to interpret it. form of Greek. - An astronomical document with day Snowden, Clive (website) – A symbols. Illustration Credits prayer in pictographs from Asia Minor. Westerlaken, W. A. G. (website) – Balistier, T. - The Phaistos Disk: An ‘The Phaistos Disc: deciphered’ ‘The ‘The Phaistos Disc Unravelled.’ A Hit- Account of its Unsolved Mystery (2000): General mightiness sought. The High tite relation? Fig 15. Priest, The offering the greatest in Whittaker, Helène (2005) – ‘Social Bossert, H. T. - Altkreta (1923): Fig 23. Heaven. Many offerings were killed, and Symbolic Aspects of Minoan Writ- Davaris, C. - Phaistos – Haghia Triada – The General a courier gave, To the ing’, in the European Journal of Archael- Gortyn (n.d.): Fig 58. greatest person in highest Heaven…’ ogy, 8:1, 29-41. Writing was also used Eisenberg, J. - drawings (1971). Figs 20 Sornig, Karl (2006) – ‘The ultimate as a marker of status and prestige and (after ‘Ausgrabungen und Funde auf assessment’, Grazer Linguistische Stu- for communication with the divine. Kreta 1936/37’ in Archaeologische dien, 65, 151-155. Whittet, Steve (website, 1995) – A Anzeiger, 1937, 224-234, Figs 8-9), 53. Stawell, Florence Melian (1911) – calendar. Evans A. J. - Scripta Minoa I, the written ‘An Interpretation of the Phaistos Will, Friedhelm (2000) – A num- documents of Minoan Crete… (1909): Disk’ in Burlington Magazine, 19, 97, ber-philosophical document originat- Figs 3, 7, 24, 37-38, 44, 48, 49, 52, 56. April, 23-29, 32-38. Homeric Greek, ing in Atlantis. Another example of Everson M. - Anatolian Hieroglyphs syllabic script, possibly connected to a ‘pseudo-archaeology’. (2007, website), Draft N3236: Fig 8 Cyprian script. A matrix for religious Winter, Dan (website) – The Isis- (extract). symbols for a prayer, ‘used in the tra- Osiris mystery myth. The disk, created Farnoux, A. - Cnossos: L’archéologie d’un ditional rites of a great goddess’ such c. 1600 BC, records the activities of the rêve (1993): Fig 55. as Rhea, who was similar to Athena. Isis-Osiris sect as they convened inside Godart, L. - The Phaistos Disc: The Stylos, Nikos (c. 1998) – Phoinik. the Great Pyramid of Cheops and Enigma of an Aegean Script (1995): Figs Stylos claims to have translated both worked to establish their group con- 1-2, 4-5, 16, 19 (drawing by Iro the Phaistos Disk and the Maglian sciousness using the tools of sacred Athanasiadou), photo by L. Godart), Disk. He claims that the text was used geometry. It is a ‘portal disk using 22, 26, 28, 32, 33, 35, 39, 40, 41, 43, for teaching people to read and that magnetic portal geometry’! Again, 46, 59. All photos, except Fig 19, by the language is ‘arbanetic’. ‘pseudo-archaeology’ at its finest. Judith Lange; drawings by Louis Sundwall, Johannes (1927-28) – Woudhuizen, Fred. C., with an Godart. ‘Phaistos – Diskus’ in Reallexikon der introduction by Jan Best (1992) – The Mellersh, H. E. L. - Minoan Crete Vorgeschichte 10, 124-126. He com- Language of the Sea Peoples. From Ana- (1967): Figs 27 (after a drawing in A. pares the stamp technique of the disk tolia – A resemblance to Luwian (Ana- Evans, Palace of Minos, 1953), 29. to the decorative style of the Middle tolian) hieroglyphs. A Luwian letter to Papathanassopoulos, G. - Neolithic and Minoan III seal impressions (the King Nestor of Achaia sent from Phais- Cycladic Civilization (1981), Figs 47, 57, source for some of the signs on the tos. (See Jan Best.) 59. disk). Zebisch, Herbert W. (Russian web Payne, J. C. - Catalogue of the Predynas- Thomopoulos, I. (1912) – He pro- forum, 2006) – It is written in a South tic Egyptian Collection in the Ashmolean poses an Albanian connection (JME Caucasian/Georgian language, Museum (1993): Fig 45. notes, 1968-71). Kartvelian, or Colchian (Kolkhian) – Robinson, A. - Lost Languages: The Timm, Torsten (2005) – Der Diskos Mingrelian-Laz, spoken by the people Enigma of the World’s Undeciphered von Phaistos – Fremdeinfluss oder kretis- of the Black Sea coast. The pictorial Scripts (2002): Figs 9 (extract), 10 ches Erbe? A Minoan stamp script, signs are ‘specimens of ‘Colchian Gold- (extract), 13, 14, 17, 18, 36, 42. either syllable or hieroglyphic, with a script... The Colchian language was Vieni, R. - Il Disco di Festo e il Disco di complete text, in conformity with Lin- spoken by the pre-Olympic Titans, the Nebra: Un calendrario vecchio di 4000 ear A. A ‘reading experiment’. He com- Sun-god Helios…[and] Queen anni? (2005): Fig 21. pares 19 signs with Linear A. Pasiphae, the wife of king Minos of Wikipedia, Cestus: Fig 31. Trauth, Michaell (1990) – ‘The Crete… The text… is a hymn ‘Nenana’, Woudhuizen, F. - The Language of the Phaistos Disc and the Devil’s Advo- dedicated to the protector of ‘Aea- Sea Peoples (1992): Fig 6 (after Milani, cate’, Glottometrika, 12, 151-172. That Neshkari’, Pelasgian-Colchian Great 1893), 34, 50. it is of Cretan origin ‘can no longer be Mother Goddess Nan/Rhea-Cybele. www.ancientscripts.com/luwian: called into question’, but the language A number of the listings above of Fig 25. is not Greek. attempts to decipher the disk were Van Meerten, Reinier J. (1977) – derived from the book The Phaistos ‘On the start of printing of the Phais- Disc: An Account of its Unsolved Mystery tos Disc’ in SMIL, Journal of Linguistic by Thomas Balistier and the websites Reprints of this article are now Calculus, 29-36. of Mark Newbrook (http://www.bad- available. Contact: Minerva, 14 Old Vieni, Rosario (2005) – Il Disco di language.com/phaistos), Anthony Bond Street, London W1S 4PP. Festo e il Disco di Nebra: Un calendrario Svoronos (http://users.otenet.gr/ svoro- Tel: (44) 20 7495 2590; Fax (44) 20 veecchio di 4000 anni? – A calendar- nan/phaistos.htm), and Wikipedia: 7491 1595. Or: 153 East 57th Street, diary. ‘Phaestos disc’. Another important New York, NY 10022, USA. Tel: (1) 212 Watson, Claire Grace (website) – website: http://www.disque-phaistos.fr. 355-2034; Fax: (1) 212 688-0412. ‘The Phaistos Disk Maze of Daedalus’. E-mail - London: [email protected]; ‘The disk is a disk of the world that Recommended Reading New York: [email protected]. shows the Minoans’ religion and their Thomas Balistier, The Phaistos Disk: An reasoning about the Minoan Eruption Account of its Unsolved Mystery (2000). A and Tsunami.’ ‘The disk is a Minoan small but excellent, well-documented An international conference on wave spiral on which is depicted the account of many of the attempts to the Phaistos Disk is planned in Aegean world of Minoan Crete, decipher the disk. London in November 2008. Full details including a cave, a boat, a pyramid, a Louis Godart, The Phaistos Disc: The will be posted on the Minerva star, planets, a constellation, geome- Enigma of an Aegean Script (1995). A website by the end of July: try, maths, and everyday life in Crete beautifully photographed description www.minervamagazone.com. See also Minerva September/October 2008. that mirrors the stars above.’ of the disk with enlarged details and

24 Minerva, July/August 2008