Phaistos Disc

The 04 (A5), 05 (B3), 11 (A13), 15 (B8), 17 (A24), 30 (B27), 42 (B9), 43 (B4), and 44 (A7) are the nine hapaxes (symbols appearing only once). Out of the eight symbols that appear twice, four (03, 21, 28, 41) only appear on side A, three (09, 16, 20) only appear on side B, and only one (14), which appears on both sides, happens.

Sign correlations

Furthermore significantly non-uniform is the distribution of symbol pairings. For example, of the 17 instances of sign 12 (SHIELD), thirteen follow immediately sign 02 (PLUMED HEAD).

Text

One illustration of the text “unrolled” is seen below. The signs themselves are in their original orientation, despite the characters’ left-to-right reversal in sequence.

Directionality

It would have been easier to insert the inscription first and then size the disc to match the wording, according to Evans’s reported claim that the disc had been inscribed from the center out and should be read that way. The writing was done, and it should be read, in the clockwise meaning, from the outside toward the center, comparable to the identical spiral inscription on the Lead Plaque of Magliano. Most people feel that he was mistaken, and Evans himself eventually had second thoughts.

“Words”

The radial strokes that are engraved divide the single spiral text that makes up each side of the signs into groups. Although their real linguistic or other nature is unknown, these groupings are commonly referred to as “words”. Both ends of the text on either side are likewise believed to be “word” boundaries. There are 31 on side A and 30 on side B, totaling 61 “words” with two to seven sign occurrences apiece on the Disc. Traditionally, these “words” are designated A1 through A31 and B1 through B30, indicating the reading from right to left (clockwise, edge-to-center).

Between signs 10 (ARROW) and 38 (ROSETTE), in the middle of side A, there could be one more radial stroke, over-stamped by sign 03 (TATTOOED HEAD). Nonetheless, the majority of academics overlook that potential stroke and count the last three symbols 10-03-38 as a single “word” (which also occurs at roughly the same location on the turn that comes just after).

There is a radial line on both sides that is punched with five dots using a sharp, round pen just before the commencement (outermost end) of the text.

“Paragraphs”

The final sign of a “word” (presuming an outside-in reading orientation) is always connected to the brief oblique strokes that were made with a stylus (not stamped) beneath certain signs. Their significance is a topic of dispute. Evans offers evidence in favor of the theory that they further split the text into “paragraphs”.

Transcriptions

The text transcriptions that follow all start at the vertical (radial) line of five dots and read from right to left (clockwise, edge to center) on the disk. However, the characters have been rearranged in these transcriptions such that they should be read top to bottom and left to right. The oblique stroke is considered to signify the last word of a “paragraph”. For clarity, a horizontal line has been inserted after each “paragraph”.

High-resolution photos reveal that word A24 is only a crack, although these transcriptions assume an oblique stroke at its conclusion for consistency with the majority of published sources.

Unicode

The Phaistos Disc inscription from the Phaistos code block (code points +101D0 to +101FC) is rendered as follows in Unicode characters. The ASCII letter “|” (+7C) represents the radial strokes, while the comma-like PHAISTOS DISK COMBINING OBLIQUE STROKE (+101FD) indicates the oblique subscripted stroke following the impacted symbol. ISO Latin 1 letter “¦” (+A6) represents the radial stroke with five dots, which signifies the assumed start of the text. The unreadable indication in word A8 is indicated by the boxed question mark “⍰” (+2370). The browser’s font selection will determine how the signs appear, but generally speaking, they should all be turned from left to right in relation to how they appear on the disk.

Side A:

¦ 𐇑𐇛𐇜𐇐𐇡𐇽

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| 𐇧𐇷𐇛 | 𐇬𐇼𐇖𐇽

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| 𐇬𐇬𐇱 | 𐇑𐇛𐇓𐇷𐇰 | 𐇪𐇼𐇖𐇛 | 𐇪𐇻𐇗 | 𐇑𐇛𐇕𐇡⍰ | 𐇮𐇩𐇲 | 𐇑𐇛𐇸𐇢𐇲 | 𐇐𐇸𐇷𐇖 | 𐇑𐇛𐇯𐇦𐇵𐇽

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| 𐇶𐇚 | 𐇑𐇪𐇨𐇙𐇦𐇡 | 𐇫𐇐𐇽

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| 𐇑𐇛𐇮𐇩𐇽

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| 𐇑𐇛𐇪𐇪𐇲𐇴𐇤 | 𐇰𐇦 | 𐇑𐇛𐇮𐇩𐇽

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| 𐇑𐇪𐇨𐇙𐇦𐇡 | 𐇫𐇐𐇽

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| 𐇑𐇛𐇮𐇩𐇽

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| 𐇑𐇛𐇪𐇝𐇯𐇡𐇪 | 𐇕𐇡𐇠𐇢𐇽

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| 𐇮𐇩𐇛 | 𐇑𐇛𐇜𐇐 | 𐇦𐇢𐇲𐇽

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| 𐇙𐇒𐇵 | 𐇑𐇛𐇪𐇪𐇲𐇴𐇤 | 𐇜𐇐 | 𐇙𐇒𐇵

Side B

¦ 𐇑𐇛𐇥𐇷𐇖 | 𐇪𐇼𐇖𐇲 | 𐇑𐇴𐇦𐇔𐇽

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| 𐇥𐇨𐇪 | 𐇰𐇧𐇣𐇛 | 𐇟𐇦𐇡𐇺𐇽

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| 𐇜𐇐𐇶𐇰 | 𐇞𐇖𐇜𐇐𐇡 | 𐇥𐇴𐇹𐇨 | 𐇖𐇧𐇷𐇲 | 𐇑𐇩𐇳𐇷 | 𐇪𐇨𐇵𐇐 | 𐇬𐇧𐇧𐇣𐇲 | 𐇟𐇝𐇡 | 𐇬𐇰𐇐 | 𐇕𐇲𐇯𐇶𐇰 | 𐇑𐇘𐇪𐇐 | 𐇬𐇳𐇖𐇗𐇽

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| 𐇬𐇗𐇜 | 𐇬𐇼𐇖𐇽

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| 𐇥𐇬𐇳𐇖𐇗𐇽

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| 𐇪𐇱𐇦𐇨 | 𐇖𐇡𐇲 | 𐇖𐇼𐇖𐇽

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| 𐇖𐇦𐇡𐇧 | 𐇥𐇬𐇳𐇖𐇗𐇽

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| 𐇘𐇭𐇶𐇡𐇖 | 𐇑𐇕𐇲𐇦𐇖 | 𐇬𐇱𐇦𐇨 | 𐇼𐇖𐇽

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Pictorial

The current drawings of the signs, which are flipped from left to right in relation to how they appear on the disk, are used in the transcription that follows. The conventional word numbers are denoted by the designations A1–A31 and B1–B30.

Side A:

^A1

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^{A2 A3}

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^{A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12}

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^{A13 A14 A15}

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^A16

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^{A17 A18 A19}

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^{A20 A21}

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^A22

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^{A23 A24}

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^{A25 A26 A27}

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^{A28 A29 A30 A31}

Side B:

^{B1 B2 B3}

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^{B4 B5 B6}

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^{B7 B8 B9 B10 B11 B12 B13 B14 B15 B16 B17 B18}

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^{B19 B20}

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^B21

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^{B22 B23 B24}

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^{B25 B26}

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^{B27 B28 B29 B30}

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Numerical

The signs in the following transcription are identified by their Evans numbers. The vertical bar symbols “¦” and “|” stand for the radial lines that separate words at the beginning and end of the text, respectively. The oblique stroke under the previous sign is indicated by the slash “/”. The unreadable sign is “??”, and the caret “^” denotes the change in direction from the text’s initial turn (along the disk’s edge) to the inner turns.

Side A:

¦ 02 12 13 01 18/

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| 24 40 12 | 29 45 07/

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| 29 29 34 | 02 12 04 40 33 | 27 45 07 12 | 27 44 08 | 02 12 06 18 ?? | 31 26 35 | 02 12 41 19 35 | 01 41 40 07 | 02 12 32 23 38/

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| 39 11 | ^ 02 27 25 10 23 18 | 28 01/

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| 02 12 31 26/

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| 02 12 27 27 35 37 21 | 33 23 | 02 12 31 26/

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| 02 27 25 10 23 18 | 28 01/

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| 02 12 31 26/

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| 02 12 27 14 32 18 27 | 06 18 17 19/

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| 31 26 12 | 02 12 13 01 | 23 19 35/

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| 10 03 38 | 02 12 27 27 35 37 21 | 13 01 | 10 03 38

Side B:

¦ 02 12 22 40 07 | 27 45 07 35 | 02 37 23 05/

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| 22 25 27 | 33 24 20 12 | 16 23 18 43/

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| 13 01 39 33 | 15 07 13 01 18 | 22 37 42 25 | 07 24 40 35 | 02 26 36 40 | 27 25 38 01 | 29 ^ 24 24 20 35 | 16 14 18 | 29 33 01 | 06 35 32 39 33 | 02 09 27 01 | 29 36 07 08/

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| 29 08 13 | 29 45 07/

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| 22 29 36 07 08/

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| 27 34 23 25 | 07 18 35 | 07 45 07/

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| 07 23 18 24 | 22 29 36 07 08/

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| 09 30 39 18 07 | 02 06 35 23 07 | 29 34 23 25 | 45 07/

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Corrections

There are indications that the disk has been corrected, with certain messages being overprinted and obliterated by others.

The following terms are where Godart says these corrections occur: A1 (signs 02-12-13-01), A4 (29-29-34) along with A5 (02-12-04), A8 (12), A10 (02-41-19?-35), A12 (12), A16 (12-31-26?), A17 (second 27? ), A29 (second 27? ), B1 (12-22), B3 (37? ), B4 (22-25 imprinted over the same), B10 (07?-24?-40? ), and B13 (besides 29? ). Uncertainty regarding a certain sign being the outcome of a correction is indicated by question marks.

Additionally, letter B28’s boundaries were enlarged to accommodate sign 02.

Sign rotations

“Head down” vs “heads up” is how the two signs 27 (HIDE) in word A29 are flipped 180 degrees from all other instances of this sign. This rotation could be driven by the shortage of space in A29.

According to Arie Cate, there is extremely little chance that signs will rotate randomly with a uniform distribution and finish up in just two or three signs.

Signs in adjacent windings

There are various spots on side A where two occurrences of the same sign lay close each other in consecutive turns of the spiral, such as sign 02 (PLUMED HEAD) in word A1 and in word A14. Additionally, the two 27 signs (HIDE) in word A29 are inverted, with the “heads” pointing at word A23’s HIDE sign in the turn next to it. According to Arie Cate, there is little chance that these alignments are coincidence.

Some Detailed Facts about Phaistos Disc

1. The Phaistos Disc is a circular, flat object made from fired clay.
2. It was discovered in 1908 by Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier during excavations in Phaistos, an ancient Minoan palace on the island of Crete.
3. The disc is believed to date back to the Minoan civilization in the second millennium BCE.
4. Its diameter is approximately 15–16 cm (about 5.9–6.3 inches).
5. The disc is inscribed with 241 symbols arranged in a spiral pattern on both sides.
6. These symbols represent 45 unique characters, which have not been definitively deciphered.
7. The Phaistos Disc is currently housed in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum in Crete.
8. The symbols are pressed into the clay using stamp-like seals, making it one of the earliest examples of movable type.
9. The disc has two sides, labeled Side A and Side B, both featuring a spiraling text.
10. The writing system on the disc is unlike any other known Minoan script, such as Linear A or Linear B.
11. The symbols include depictions of humans, animals, plants, and tools, along with abstract shapes.
12. The exact function or purpose of the disc remains a mystery, sparking numerous theories.
13. Some scholars believe it could have been used as a religious artifact, possibly linked to rituals or ceremonies.
14. Others suggest it may have been a form of game board, calendar, or legal document.
15. The disc’s unique symbols have led to speculation about a possible undeciphered language or cipher.
16. One of the most prominent figures on the disc is a female figure wearing a long dress, thought to represent a goddess or priestess.
17. The spiral arrangement of the symbols suggests it was read from the outside in, rather than left to right or top to bottom.
18. Some scholars believe the Phaistos Disc could have been a form of mnemonic device used to aid in reciting oral traditions.
19. Its manufacture technique, using stamps, is considered highly advanced for the time period, especially considering its likely creation in the 17th or 16th century BCE.
20. The symbols appear to have been made with a stylus or punch, rather than being hand-carved.
21. The disc is one of the few examples of prehistoric writing where movable type was used.
22. The stamp technique led to speculation that multiple copies of similar discs could have existed, though none have been found.
23. Side A contains 31 individual sections with 122 symbols, while Side B contains 30 sections with 119 symbols.
24. The spiral text is meticulously organized, giving it a very intentional structure.
25. The Phaistos Disc has been the subject of many decipherment attempts, but none are universally accepted.
26. Some researchers have linked the disc to ancient scripts in Anatolia, suggesting possible connections to other Aegean or Near Eastern cultures.
27. A few scholars have suggested that the symbols could represent syllables, while others argue they could represent whole words.
28. The lack of any known parallel texts or inscriptions complicates efforts to decipher the disc.
29. The disc’s discovery location, Phaistos, was an important Minoan center on the southern coast of Crete.
30. The palace of Phaistos was the second-largest on the island, after Knossos.
31. Some researchers theorize that the disc may have originated from outside Crete, given its unique writing system.
32. Modern forgeries of the Phaistos Disc have been created, but none match the authenticity or complexity of the original.
33. The symbols on the disc feature tools, such as a saw, plow, and drill, indicating possible links to craftsmanship or agriculture.
34. Aviation pioneer Arthur Evans, who excavated Knossos, was one of the first to study the Phaistos Disc.
35. One theory posits that the disc could be an example of proto-writing, a transitional form between pictographs and a fully developed script.
36. Pseudo-decipherments have claimed the disc to be anything from ancient poetry to an astronomical calendar, but these claims lack scholarly consensus.
37. The fact that the Phaistos Disc has remained a one-of-a-kind artifact makes it particularly enigmatic.
38. Some have proposed that the disc could have been a legal document, possibly recording land ownership or trade agreements.
39. The use of a spiral design is rare in ancient writing systems, adding to the disc’s mystery.
40. Many theories have arisen regarding the geographical origin of the script, with some suggesting links to the Hittite or Luwian cultures.
41. The uniformity of the symbols suggests a deliberate system, not casual markings.
42. The high craftsmanship of the disc points to the involvement of specialized artisans.
43. Some linguists have tried to connect the disc’s symbols to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, but no concrete evidence supports this.
44. A popular theory is that the disc may have served as a prayer wheel, with each symbol corresponding to a religious chant or prayer.
45. Another theory posits that the disc could have been used for divination or prophecy.
46. Glyphic experts have noted the resemblance of some symbols to Linear A characters, but significant differences remain.
47. Philologist Michael Ventris, who deciphered Linear B, briefly studied the disc but did not make significant breakthroughs.
48. The exact dating of the Phaistos Disc is uncertain, though it is most commonly placed in the Middle or Late Minoan period.
49. One hypothesis claims that the disc represents an island map, with each symbol indicating a particular location or site.
50. Experts have debated whether the disc was a single-use item or part of a larger set.
51. The circular shape of the disc is unique among ancient documents, which were typically inscribed on rectangular tablets.
52. There are six human figures on the disc, including what seems to be a warrior holding a weapon.
53. Some theorists have suggested that the disc’s text might represent poetry or epic tales similar to Homeric epics.
54. The mystery of its purpose has drawn comparisons to other undeciphered artifacts, such as the Rongorongo script of Easter Island.
55. The disc has been featured in numerous books and documentaries, symbolizing the unresolved mysteries of the ancient world.
56. Researchers continue to debate whether the disc was created for sacred or practical purposes.
57. The lack of conclusive answers surrounding the disc has made it one of the most studied and debated artifacts in Minoan archaeology.
58. Some have proposed that the disc could be astronomical in nature, possibly linked to planetary movements or celestial events.
59. The Phaistos Disc has been compared to the Rosetta Stone in terms of its potential importance to understanding Minoan culture.
60. Some believe the disc’s symbols were intentionally designed to be cryptic, perhaps to protect the content from uninitiated eyes.
61. The disc’s symbols have sparked attempts to create modern fonts, with designers trying to replicate the ancient writing style.
62. Several experts have hypothesized that the disc could contain ritual hymns dedicated to Minoan deities.
63. Scholars continue to search for similar objects in hopes of finding a Rosetta Stone-like artifact to aid in decipherment.
64. Early interpretations speculated that the disc was a hoax due to its unique writing and symbols.
65. Modern technology, such as 3D imaging, has been used to study the disc’s surface in greater detail, but no new discoveries have emerged.
66. The disc’s mysterious nature has led some to suggest it was created by foreign visitors or migrants from outside Crete.
67. There is ongoing debate about whether the disc’s script was intended to be read aloud or memorized.
68. The spiral format is considered by some to be symbolic of cyclical time, a concept prevalent in many ancient cultures.
69. The disc’s symbolism has led to numerous speculative connections to mythological stories in the Aegean world.
70. Some researchers have proposed that the disc was used in games or rituals related to agriculture or seasonal change.
71. Despite its undeciphered nature, the Phaistos Disc has been embraced by the art world for its intricate design and pattern.
72. The disc has become a symbol of the Minoan enigma, representing the still-mysterious aspects of this ancient civilization.
73. Excavations at Phaistos have not yielded any other artifacts with similar symbols, heightening the disc’s uniqueness.
74. Some theorists have proposed that the Phaistos Disc might have been used as a ceremonial object during Minoan festivals.
75. The precise craftsmanship suggests the disc was not a common item but likely reserved for elite or royal use.
76. Amateur decipherments often claim the disc’s symbols represent local toponyms or island names, though this is largely speculative.
77. The disc has inspired many fictional stories, including tales about hidden knowledge and ancient secrets.
78. The context of its discovery—found inside a sealed room—adds to the notion that it was a special object.
79. The disc’s analysis has been featured in academic papers from a wide range of disciplines, including archaeology, linguistics, and anthropology.
80. The Phaistos Disc remains one of the most intriguing and enigmatic relics of the Bronze Age, capturing the imagination of scholars and enthusiasts alike.