The Phaistos Disc

Found in Crete in 1908, the Phaistos Disc is stamped on both sides in a spiral with symbols made by individual seals. Its meaning, language and purpose remain unknown.

Context

The disc was found in 1908 by the Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier during excavation of the Minoan palace at Phaistos on southern Crete. It is a fired clay disc about 16 centimetres across, now displayed in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

Each side carries a spiral band divided into groups of signs. The signs, which show things such as figures, plants and tools, were pressed into the wet clay with individual stamps, which is why it is often described as an early example of movable-type-like printing. Counts differ slightly by source, but there are about 240 impressions drawn from 45 distinct signs.

Dating relies on the archaeological layer where it was found and is usually placed in the Middle Bronze Age, around the 17th century BCE or somewhat earlier. The disc has no known parallel, and the text is too short to decipher by statistical methods. Interpretations as a hymn, a prayer, a game or a list have all been proposed without proof.

A few scholars have questioned its authenticity, but most specialists accept it as genuine. Because there is only one example, the language behind the signs, and even the direction of reading, remains uncertain.