Phaistos Disk

Object/Artifact

-

Museum of Antiquities - University of Saskatchewan

Side Two of Object: 2015-00-00
Side Two of Object

2015-00-00

Name/Title

Phaistos Disk

Entry/Object ID

04A0188

Description

Round disk inscribed on both sides with Linear A hieroglyphs in a spiral arrangement.

Use

Tablet

Context

The clay tablet was found at the Palace of Phaistos, in one of the eastern rooms. The Palace of Phaistos commanded the Messara plain from its location on a low hill, and was the second largest palace on Crete after Knossos. The site was inhabited since the late neolithic era with several well organized settlements on the hill and the surrounding area, and the first palace was built around 2000 BC. The script on both surfaces of the disk resembles hieroglyphs and is not yet deciphered. There are various theories about its origin and contents ranging from religious practice, administrative purposes.

Made/Created

Date made

1600 BCE - 1450 BCE

Time Period

Bronze Age

Place

Site

East Room, Palace of Phaistos

Island

Crete

Ethnography

Culture/Tribe

Greek - Minoan

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Transcription

Both sides of the disk are inscribed with Linear A Minoan hieroglyphic script.

Translation

Linear A has not been deciphered at this time.

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall

Depth

1.8 cm

Diameter

14 cm

Material

Fine ware

Research Notes

Research Type

Reference

Notes

Hagen, Ole. " The Phaistos Disc alias the Minoan Calendar." gvdnet.dk. http://web.gdvnet.dk/GVD002393/phaistos.htm. Public: No

Research Type

Reference

Notes

Schwartz, Benjamin. " The Phaistos Disk." Journal of Near Eastern Studies 18, no 2, 1959: 105-112. Public: No

Research Type

Reference

Notes

Schwartz, Benjamin. " Notes and Afterthoughts on the Phaistos Disk Solution." Journal of Near Eastern Studies 18, no 3, 1959: 227-228. Public: No

Research Type

Reference

Notes

Stawell, Melian. "An Interpretation of the Phaistos Disk." The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 19, no 97, 1911: 23-38. Public: No

Research Type

Reference

Notes

Pedley, John Griffiths. Greek Art and Archaeology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc., 2007. 72-73. Public: No

Research Type

Reference

Notes

Preziosi, Donald and Louise A. Hitchcock. Aegean Art and Architecture. Oxford: University Press. 65-71. Public: No