i) STUDIABLE? To Study the Phaistos Disk? (Dr Gareth Owens)

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1 i) STUDIABLE? To Study the Phaistos Disk? (Dr Gareth Owens) The Phaistos Disk (PD) was discovered on 3 rd July 1908 by the Italian Archaeologists in the Palace of Rhadamanthys at Phaistos, in the Mesara Plain in Central South Crete, and was subsequently published the same year immediately by the excavators and discoverers 1. In the following year, 1909, it was discussed both by the Italian excavators 2 and by Sir Arthur Evans who asked if it was a Hymn to the Mother Goddess, The Inscription Possibly a Religious Chaunt in Honour of the Anatolian Great Mother, on account of the repetition of signs and rhyming 3. In 1952, Linear B was deciphered by Michael Ventris as recording the Mycenaean Greek language 4. The subsequent work by Michael Ventris in collaboration with John Chadwick, and then later two generations of Mycenaean scholars under the mentorship of John Chadwick, developed a new field of study that made it possible to write the history of Mycenaean Greece. The decipherment of Mycenaean Linear B naturally led researchers to turn their interest to Minoan Linear A and also furthered interest in the Minoan Script(s) and Language(s) In the 1960s and 1970s Professor Stylianos Alexiou, who was both Director of Heraklion Archaeological Museum and Rector of the University of Crete, and the most outstanding Cretologist of the twentieth century, commented in his books on Minoan Civilization, the following remarks, which still stand the test of time 5. S.Alexiou, Minoan Civilization, 1964, , The most important example of a hieroglyphic inscription from Crete is the famous Phaestos clay disk, discovered in 1903 [1908] in a small room near the depositories of the archive chamber in the north-east apartments of that palace. A linear A tablet and pottery dated to the beginning of the Neo-palatial period ( B.C.) were found with the disk. Both surfaces of the disk are covered with hieroglyphs arranged in a spiral zone, impressed on the clay when it was damp. The 1 L.Pernier, Il disco di Phaistos con caratteri pittografici, Ausonia 3, 1908, , L.Pernier, Un singolare monumento della scrittura pittografica cretese, Rendiconti della Reale Accademia dei Lincei, Classe di Scienze Morali, Storiche e Filologiche 5, 1908, 17, A.Seta Della, Il disco di Phaistos, Rendiconti Accademia Lincei 18, 1909, A.J.Evans, Scripta Minoa I, Oxford, 1909, M.Ventris, Work note 20 ( ) Work notes on Minoan Language, Research and other Unedited Papers, Sacconi A (ed.) 1988, M.Ventris, Deciphering Euope s earliest scripts BBC , Listener , 57-8, M.Ventris and J.Chadwick, Evidence for Greek Dialect in the Mycenaean Archives, JHS 73, 1953, , M.Ventris and J.Chadwick, Documents in Mycenaean Greek, 1956 and also see J.Chadwick, The decipherment of Linear B, 1960, Η πρωτη ελληνικη γραφη, Σ.Αλεξίου, Μινωικός Πολιτισμός, με οδηγό των ανάκτορων Κνωσού, Φαιστού, Μαλίων, 1964, S.Alexiou, Minoan Civilization, 1964, quote, S.Alexiou, A Guide to the Minoan Palaces, quote Σ.Αλεξίου, Οδηγός στον Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ηρακλείου, S.Alexiou, Guide to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, Case 41, 1974, p quote.

2 signs make up groups divided from each other by vertical lines, and each of these groups should represent a word. Forty-five different types of signs have been distinguished, of which a few can be identified with the hieroglyphs in use in the Proto-palatial period. Among the characters on the Phaestos Disk appear figures of men, women and childrens heads reminiscent of the later Egyptian portrayals of the Pulesata (Philistines?) in the temple of Medinet Habu; birds, fish, insects, animal heads and parts of animals; branches and other plant motifs; and ships, bows and implements. {Fig. 59 Signs of the Phaestos Disc.} Some hieroglyphic sequences recur like refrains, suggesting a religious hymn, and Pernier regards the content of the text as ritual. He has compared it with an Etruscan lead disk inscribed with the names of deities. Others have suggested that the text is a list of soldiers, and lately Davis has interpreted it as a document in the Hittite language in which a king discusses the erection of the palace of Phaestos. Other interpretations put forward, attempting to prove that the disk is inscribed in a form of the Greek language cannot be taken seriously. The theory held by Evans prevailed for a time. He maintained that the disk was not Cretan but had been brought to the island from south-west Asia. But the discovery in the Archalochori cave of a double axe inscribed with signs resembling those on the disk has led to the belief that it is in fact Cretan in origin. The inscription on the gold ring from Mavro Spelio follows the same spiral layout. S.Alexiou, A Guide to the Minoan Palaces, 1964, 96-97, Our next visit is to a group of buildings lying north-east of the palace ( ). The more easterly of these buildings follow an orientation different from that of the palace and probably do not form part of it, but constitute a dependence of the palace or the dwelling of some dignitary. The first of these buildings (101) has become famous, because it was here that the famous clay disk, bearing a long hieroglyphic inscription of unknown content was discovered. The disk was found in a narrow, oblong room south of the E. end of a row of compartments subdivided by thin walls each formed by a mud brick set on edge. Pernier compared these compartments with the Temple Repositories of Knossos, and although they were found empty, it is likely that they originally contained precious objects intended for ritual use. This is all the more probable, since the hoard of ritual stone vases at Zakro was found in similar receptacles.. The disk was found on the floor of the oblong room, together with Neopalatial pottery, and with ash, charcoal and burnt animal bones, perhaps from a sacrifice. According to the excavators, the disk had fallen from an upper storey. With it was discovered a Linear A tablet, and on account of this Pernier conjectured that the palace archives were contained in Building 101. It is more likely however, that the area was sacred in character, moreover the text inscribed on the disk seems to be of a ritual character.

3 S.Alexiou, Guide to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, Case 41, 1974, p The famous disc from the palace of Phaestos with signs in the hieroglyphic script. These have been impressed by seal stones on both sides of the disc when the clay was still wet. The inscription runs in a spiral from the edge to the centre. Each symbol represents a syllable and the words are divided by vertical lines. Some of the signs are ideograms ; that is, they do not have a phonetic value but represent actual things or a definite idea. The signs are of forty-five types and are in the form of humans, male and female shapes, fish, birds, insects, sedan chairs, hides, boats, ploughs and other tools, rosettes etc. This disc has not yet been deciphered. There have been, however, a number of attempts. At one time it was thought that the disc had been brought from Asia Minor. Now it is thought to be Cretan because similar signs have been found on an axe from the cave of Arkalokhori. The meaning of the disc is not known; it has been interpreted as a catalogue of names or something to do with the construction of the Palace of Phaistos. More credible in the theory which considers it a religious hymn, as some of the groups of signs are repeated like a refrain. The disc can be dated to the beginning of the Neo-Palatial period. In the 1970s Olivier and Duhoux published very important works on the Phaistos disk 6. In the 1980s The Minoan Linear A inscriptions were published as the GORILA corpus Godart et Olivier Recueil des Inscriptions en Lineaire A, vol. 1-5, Paris by J.P.Olivier and L.Godart 7. In the 1990s four very important works on the Scripts and Languages of Mycenaean Greece and Minoan Crete were translated into Modern Greek (J.Chadwick, The Mycenaean World and Linear B and Related Scripts, J.T. Hooker An introduction to Linear B, and J.L. Melena and M.S. Ruiperez The Mycenaean Greeks) 8 6 J.P.Olivier, Le disque de Phaistos. Edition Photographique, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 99, 1975, 5-34 and Y.Duhoux, Le disque de Phaistos: Archeologie, epigraphie, edition critique, index, Louvain-la-neuve, 1977, 80 pages. 7 GORILA LG and JPO 8, J.Chadwick, The Mycenaean World, 1976, CUP, Ο Μυκηναϊκός κόσμος, μετάφραση, επιμέλεια, Κ.Ν. Πετρόπουλος. Χαιρετισμός για την ελληνική έκδοση από Ι.Κ.Προμπονά. Εκδόσεις Gutenberg, Αθήνα 1997, J.Chadwick, Linear B and Related Scripts, BMP, 1987, Γραμμική Β και συγγενικές γραφές, 1992, μετάφραση Ν.Κονομή, Εκδόσεις Παπαδήμα, Αθήνα, J.T.Hooker, Linear B, An Introduction, Bristol Classical Press, 1980, MIET 1994, Εισαγωγή στη Γραμμική Β, μετάφραση Χαράλαμπος Μαραβέλιας, εποπτεία-προλεγόμενα Βασίλης Αραβαντινός, Μορφωτικό Ίδρυμα Εθνικής Τραπέζης, Αθήνα 1994, J.L.Melena and M.S.Ruiperez, Los Gregos Micenicos, 1990, improved revised edition Οι Μυκηναίοι Έλληνες, μετάφραση Μέλινα Παναγιωτίδου, Φιλολογική επιμέλεια Μαρια Ιατρού, Ινστιτούτο του Βιβλίου, Μ.Καρδαμίτσας, Αθήνα 1996, and Professor Melena was both kind and generous enough to send us his appendix on the Phaistos Disk for the as yet unpublished English edition of this excellent book on the Mycenaean Greeks.

4 In 1995 Louis Godart had published the Phaistos Disk and thus it had become studiable along with the related inscriptions, the Arkalochori Axe and the Malia Stone Block 9. In 1996 the Minoan Cretan Hieroglyphic Inscriptions CHIC Corpus Hieroglyphicarum Inscriptionum Cretae, Paris 1996 was published by J.-P. Olivier and L.Godart along with J.-C.Poursat. See also G.Owens, The Common Origin of Cretan Hieroglyphs and Linear A, Kadmos 35:2 (1996) as well as Daidalika 10. In 2007 G.Owens published The Phaistos Disk: the Enigma of the Minoan Script, Labyrinth 2007, as an extensive bilingual (English and Modern Greek) overview and review of the state of play concerning the Phaistos Disk and with an extensive bilingual bibliography 11. The present author concluded the 2007 article by believing that we could be more optimistic than John Chadwick in 1987 and 1992, due to the book of Louis Godart in 1995, which had made the Phaistos Disk studiable. Then on 3 rd July 2008 while drinking coffee at Phaistos, PA-I-TO, at the Palace of Rhadamanthys, in the Mesara Plain in Central South Crete, the present author started thinking seriously about Reading the Phaistos Disk PS IF Linear B is Everest of Greek Archaeology THEN IS the Phaistos Disk the Psiloriti of Minoan Linguistics,.. G 9 L.Godart 1995 The Phaistos Disc: The Enigma of an Aegean Script, Heraklion 1995, N.Boufides 1954, Inscribed Axes from Arkalochori, Crete Archaeologiki Ephemeris (1954): 61-74, F.Chapouthier, Inscription hieroglyphique Minoenne Gravee sur un Bloc de Calcaire, Bulletin de Correspondance Hellenique 62 (1938): Corpus Hieroglyphicarum Inscriptionum Cretae, Paris 1996, J.-P. Olivier and L.Godart along with J.-C.Poursat, and G.Owens, The Common Origin of Cretan Hieroglyphs and Linear A, Kadmos 35:2 (1996) as well as Daidalika ΑΙΔΑΛΙΚΑ-ΓΡΑΦΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΓΛΩΣΣΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΜΙΝΩΙΚΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΥΚΗΝΑΙΚΗΣ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ 20 Essays in Modern Greek ( ) Scripts and Languages of Minoan and Mycenaean Crete. (20 Articles 80 Pages) (December 1996) Γκάρεθ Όουενς, Λαβύρινθος: Γραφές και Γλώσσες της Μινωικής και Μυκηναϊκής Κρήτης. Ψυχογυιός, Κωστής (επιμ.) & Νικολιδάκη, Κάλλια (μετάφρ.). Ηράκλειον Κρήτης: Κέντρο Κρητικής Λογοτεχνίας, Με την υποστήριξη της Νομαρχίας Ηρακλείου. Σχήμα 20 x 29 εκ., σελ. xxvi+358, Gareth Owens, Labyrinth: Scripts and Languages of Minoan and Mycenaean CretePsychogios, Kostis (editor) & Nikolidaki, Kallia (translator). Heraklion Crete: Centre for Cretan Literature, With the support of the Prefecture of Heraklion. 20X29 cm. Pp.xxvi+358

5 My own view, shared by all serious scholars, is that the Disk is undecipherable so long as it remains an isolated document. Only a large increase in the number of inscriptions will permit real progress towards a decipherment. Meanwhile we must curb our impatience, and admit that if King Minos himself were to reveal to someone in a dream the true interpretation, it would be quite impossible for him to convince anyone else that this was the one and only possible solution John Chadwick, Linear B and Related Scripts British Museum Publications, 1987, p.51. Η δική μου άποψη, που τη συμμερίζονται όλοι οι σοβαροί επιστήμονες, είναι ότι ο Δίσκος δεν μπορεί να αποκρυπτογραφηθεί όσο παραμένει ένα μεμονωμένο έγγραφο. Μόνο μια μεγάλη αύξηση στον αριθμό των επιγραφών θα επιτρέψει πραγματική πρόοδο προς μια αποκρυπτογράφηση. Στο μεταξύ, πρέπει να συγκρατήσουμε την ανυπομονησία μας και να παραδεχθούμε ότι αν ο ίδιος ο βασιλιάς Μίνως επρόκειτο να αποκαλύψει σε κάποιον σε όνειρο την αληθινή αποκρυπτογράφηση, θα ήταν εντελώς αδύνατο γι αυτόν να πείσει οποιονδήποτε άλλον ότι η ερμηνεία του ήταν η μία και μόνη δυνατή λύση.» Τζων Τσάντγουικ, Γραμμική Β και Συγγενικές Γραφές, Εκδόσεις Παπαδήμα, Αθήνα, 1992, σ.75. I conclude by citing my agreement with Godart that the disc is condemned, for the present, to jealously guard its secrets. Yes, but for how long? I congratulate the authors of both the Phaistos disk and this latest book for stimulating our interest and for giving us a tool for a serious study of the Phaistos disk, the enigma of the Minoan script «Στον επίλογο, θα ήθελα να παραπέμψω στο συμπέρασμα του κ.godart, ότι «ο δίσκος, εκτός από τη γοητεία του, φαίνεται λοιπόν αποφασισμένος να κρατήσει προς το παρόν ζηλότυπα και τα μυστικά του». Ναι, αλλά για ποσό ακόμη; θα ήθελα να συγχαρώ και πάλι τόσο τον Γραφέα του Δίσκου, όσο και τον συγγραφέα του βιβλίου, για το ενδιαφέρον που μας προκάλεσαν και για το τόσο πολύτιμο βοήθημα που προσφέρει ο δεύτερος στη μελέτη του Δίσκου της Φαιστού, του αινίγματος αυτού της μινωικής γραφής Γκάρεθ Όουενς, Λαβύρινθος: Γραφές και Γλώσσες της Μινωικής και Μυκηναϊκής Κρήτης. Ψυχογυιός, Κωστής (επιμ.) & Νικολιδάκη, Κάλλια (μετάφρ.). Ηράκλειον Κρήτης: Κέντρο Κρητικής Λογοτεχνίας, Με την υποστήριξη της Νομαρχίας Ηρακλείου. Σχήμα 20 x 29 εκ., σελ. xxvi+358, Gareth Owens, Labyrinth: Scripts and Languages of Minoan and Mycenaean CretePsychogios, Kostis (editor) & Nikolidaki, Kallia (translator). Heraklion Crete: Centre for Cretan Literature, With the support of the Prefecture of Heraklion. 20X29 cm. Pp.xxvi+358

6 A1 = PD = _ A2 = PD = A3 = PD = _ A4 = PD = A5 = PD = A6 = PD = A7 = PD = A8 = PD = [-20?_] A9 = PD = A10 = PD = A11 = PD = A12 = PD = _ A13 = PD = A14 = PD = A15 = PD = 28-01_ A16 = PD = _ A17 = PD = A18 = PD = A19 = PD = _ A20 = PD = A21 = PD = 28-01_ A22 = PD = _ A23 = PD = A24 = PD = A25 = PD = A26 = PD =

7 A27 = PD = _ A28 = PD = A29 = PD = A30 = PD = A31 = PD = B1 = PD = B2 = PD = B3 = PD = _ B4 = PD = B5 = PD = B6 = PD = _ B7 = PD = B8 = PD = B9 = PD = B10 = PD = B11 = PD = B12 = PD = B13 = PD = B14 = PD = B15 = PD = B16 = PD = B17 = PD = B18 = PD = _ B19 = PD = B20 = PD = _ B21 = PD = _

8 B22 = PD = B23 = PD = B24 = PD = _ B25 = PD = B26 = PD = _ B27 = PD = B28 = PD = B29 = PD = B30 = PD = 45-07_ AA 1 = PD+AA = AA2 = PD+AA = AA3 = PD+AA = GO PD+AA AB TRANSLITERATION EPAE 12/05/2018

9 STUDI-ABLE? READ-ABLE?? UNDERSTAND-ABLE??? 1 st MILLENNIUM CYPRUS CYPRIOT SYLLABIC CS 1 ST MILLENNIUM STUDI-ABLE OK READ-ABLE OK UNDERSTAND-ABLE OK 2 ND MILLENNIUM AEGEAN BRONZE AGE - HELLAS CRETE - CYPRUS LINEAR B LB STUDI-ABLE OK READ-ABLE OK UNDERSTAND-ABLE OK LINEAR A LA STUDI-ABLE OK READ-ABLE OK UNDERSTAND-ABLE OK? CRETAN HIEROGLYPHIC CH STUDI-ABLE OK READ-ABLE OK? UNDERSTAND-ABLE OK?? PHAISTOS DISK & ARKALOCHORI AXE PD+AA STUDI-ABLE OK READ-ABLE OK? UNDERSTAND-ABLE OK?? CYPRO-MINOAN CM STUDI-ABLE OK READ-ABLE OK? UNDERSTAND-ABLE OK?? 3 rd MILLENNIUM??? AEGEAN BRONZE AGE - HELLAS CRETE - CYPRUS STUDI-ABLE? READ-ABLE?? UNDERSTAND-ABLE??? NEOLITHIC SCRIPT(S) - NS 4 th 6 th MILLENNIA STUDI-ABLE? READ-ABLE?? UNDERSTAND-ABLE??? 6 TH MILLENNIUM NEOLITHIC BALKANS DISPILIO INSCRIPTION - DI 5300 STUDI-ABLE? READ-ABLE?? UNDERSTAND-ABLE??? TARTARIA TABLETS TT 5300 STUDI-ABLE? READ-ABLE?? UNDERSTAND-ABLE??? GO CRETE