Minoan Phaistos Disk (1900 BCE)

(August 10, 2022) The Phaistos Disk is the missing link connecting Mesopotamian cuneiform Akkadian with its later Mediterranean alphabetic forms. It is the first open philosophical debate in history having as its subject the cause of the current drought.

For translation methodology see: How to Translate Alphabetic Akkadian Texts

Map of Minoan Crete
East side of Crete. The cities of Knossos and Phaistos controlled the largest valleys in Crete. After an earthquake destroyed Phaistos, Knossos came to rule the whole island. Notice the sacred cave on Mount Dikte in the center of the island. This word means "place of raising motion-magic powers" in Akkadian from Diku.Te

Minoan Crete

(August 27, 2022)  Crete started to be settled by the Neolithic farmers around 7,000 BCE who established the city of Knossos (Evans, 1994). Settlements were soon established all across the island (Tomkins, 2008). The Minoan civilization emerged around 3000 BCE when a noticeable increase in the number and sophistication of its material goods occurred. The Minoan civilization ended on Crete when the island was conquered by the Myceneans around 1450 BCE which was between the volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini in 1620 BCE (Höflmayer 2012) and before the Great Drought of 1170 BCE which ended the Bronze Age. So what motivated this invasion is unknown.

(Continue Reading)

The Phaistos Disk is a hybrid phonetic/alphabetic text dating to about 1900 BCE which is at the end of the 4.2 ka BP event (4,200 before present drought). It is a philosophical/religious debate about the cause of a recent drought. Additionally, it shows the start of the three main fault lines in Druidic culture which would soon develop into their own subcultures (religions) which are: Aegean (don't mix the life and magical motion power classes), Phoenician/Punic (devoted to the magical motion powers), Israelite (devoted to the life powers). Minoans already seem to be leaning towards the Aegean position. 

References

Evans, J. D. (1994). The early millennia: Continuity and change in a farming settlement. In D. Evely, H. Hughes-Breck, & N. Mornigliano (Eds.), Knossos: labyrinth of history (pp. 1–20). London, UK: British School at Athens.
Höflmayer (2012) The Date of the Minoan Santorini Eruption: Quantifying the “Offset” Radiocarbon, volume 54, Issue 3-4. Cambridge University Press. Published online on July 18, 2016 at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/radiocarbon/article/date-of-the-minoan-santorini-eruption-quantifying-the-offset/F2FB5ECEE5D46FCF9272EA357364CCDF
Tomkins, P. D. (2008). Time, space and the reinvention of the cre-tan neolithic. In V. Isaakidou & P. Tomkins (Eds.), Escapingthe labyrinth, the Cretan Neolithic in context, Sheffield stud-ies in Aegean archaeology (pp. 21–48). Oxford, UK: OxbowBooks
https://www.explorecrete.com/crete-archaeology-history.htm
Minoan Ritual bowl with Newgrange spirals and sign meaning fertility fluid power
Key to dating the Phaistos Disk was finding this "Mi" sign which was used on the Phaistos Disk on the bottom of a datable ritual bowl (Baldacci 2017). This sign means "fertility-fluid powers." Notice the spirals. This bowl labeled as F4718 was found in an archaeological excavation in 1965 at Phaistos and first published in an excavation report (Levi 1966) and later in a report about the pottery (Levi and Carinci 1988).  It is now at the Heraklion museum in Crete. 
It was found in the remains of a 9-room building whose lowest levels had been filled in to make way for new construction. Archaeologists date this bowl to the MMIIB period just prior to a 1750 BCE earthquake which destroyed many buildings. It during the subsequent rebuilding phase that linear A texts first appear.

Archaeology of the Phaistos Disk

(July 9, 2022) The Phaistos Disc was discovered during the 1908 excavation of the Phaistos palace on Crete. This dig was directed by Italian Archaeologist Luigi Pernier. The disk was not found during excavation hours but at seven in the afternoon of July 3 during evening inspection of the site by excavation foreman Zacharias Iliakis (Anastasiadou 2016). It was found in a cellar close by to a linear-A tablet in a soil layer containing ash and charcoal. The soil debris layer in which they were found indicates that the tablets fell from a 2nd story during a fire. 

References

Baldicci, Giorgia (2017) Low Relief Potter’s Marks and the Phaistos Disk, A Note on the Comb Sign. In Annvario (vol. 95) Scuola Archeaologica Italiana di Attene 
Levi, D. Carince, F. (1988) Festos e la Civilta Minoica, Roma
Minoan Phaistos Disk outer ring with phonetic sign assignments
Image shows the Minoan Phaistos Disk with phonetic sign assignments by Olmsted. Sign assignment charts here.

Front Side (Side B) Outer First Ring of Phaistos Disk Blames Network Life Power Hu for the Drought

(August 10, 2022) Each number labels a square section of text representing a phrase. The texts starts from the outer ring and moves inwards. Akkadian texts love to use epithets for deities so their names have been placed in parentheses. This text essentially summarizes the Ancient Pagan Paradigm.

Translation into Akkadian (Med 4)

  1. rēṣu gi bu du
  2. gu madû šū
  3. rāṭu na li
  4. gerû gu
  5. zu pa’ȗ ṣi
  6. lāna iši
  7. ki Ḫu qu zu
  8. pu du ki ḥēya
  9. gi ṭu qeri
  10. du pa bu gu
  11. ru nawa bu
  12. gu rēya Ḫu

(Continue Reading)

Into English

  1. The upper-region’s energies (Su and Selene) are nourishing the life-manifestations. 
  2. Energies are being manifested in the usual-way. 
  3. The fluid-channels cause the lack of the Revealer (Yahu).
  4. The guides are abundant
  5. Eliminate the divine-bird’s activity-power.
  6. The Imager (Asher, Asherah) is a confused-power
  7. due to Hu’s eliminated divine-threads. 
  8. Life-manifestation openings are due respect.
  9. The energy of Thu is an inquiring-power
  10. Life-manifestations are from threading the Opener’s (Asher's) nourishments.
  11. Eagle-vultures are abandoning the nourishments.
  12. The energies are shepherding Hu.

References

Olmsted, D.D. (September 17, 2021) Translation of the Minoan Phaistos Disk in Alphabetic Akkadian (Updated). Humanities Commons Permanent URL http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/wez0-xn05 . Online at: https://www.academia.edu/52698125/Translation_of_the_Minoan_Phaistos_Disk_in_Alphabetic_Akkadian_Update
Minoan Phaistos Disk with Sign Assignments
Minoan Phaistos Disk with Sign Assignments
Minoan Phaistos Disk with Sign Assignments
Image shows the Minoan Phaistos Disk with phonetic sign assignments by Olmsted. Sign assignment charts here.

Second Ring and Inward of the Phaistos Disk Blames Mixing Motion Powers with Life Powers

(August 10, 2022) Each number labels a square section of text representing a phrase. The texts starts from the outer ring and moves inwards. Akkadian texts love to use epithets for deities so their names have been placed in parentheses.

Translation into Akkadian (Med 4)

  1. (13) apa pa’u ša
  2. (14) lu ṣu ya
  3. (15) azû Ḫu
  4. (16) mūšu bi qu zu
  5. (17) ru sagȗ Ḫu
  6. (18) awu daku
  7. (19) aku ki
  8. (20) amu za
  9. (21) gi awa daku
  10. (22) gi kânu ri
  11. (23) du išu
  12. (24) du madu
  13. (25) du na yapa
  14. (26) gi awa daku
  15. (27) su uqu idu
  16. (28) ramu ša na du
  17. (29) a du na ri
  18. (30) madu

Into English

  1. The Veilers (dead spirits of Selene) are similar to the divine-birds.
  2. By lacking inactivity,
  3. by associating with Hu,
  4. the night eliminates the nourishing-powers from the divine-threads.
  5. Eagle-vultures are making trouble for Hu.
  6. The motion-empowerer (Su) is removing things.
  7. The emotion-owls are involved with
  8. the Reed-boat’s (Ayu) eliminators.
  9. Energy is being removed by the motion-empowerer (Su)
  10. (22) Energy is tinkering-with the eagle-vulture-powers.
  11. The life-manifestations are being confused.
  12. The life-manifestations are being created
  13. (25) The life-manifestations make beautiful the Revealer
  14. Energy is being removed by motion-powers.
  15. Su’s group are life-channeling,
  16. Their emotional-releasing life-empowers the Revealer (Yahu)
  17. His life-growth-power is revealing the eagle-vulture’s
  18. creations.

References

Olmsted, D.D. (September 17, 2021) Translation of the Minoan Phaistos Disk in Alphabetic Akkadian (Updated). Humanities Commons Permanent URL http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/wez0-xn05 . Online at: https://www.academia.edu/52698125/Translation_of_the_Minoan_Phaistos_Disk_in_Alphabetic_Akkadian_Update
Minoan Phaistos Disk with Sign Assignments
Image shows the Minoan Phaistos Disk with phonetic sign assignments by Olmsted. Sign assignment charts here.

Back Side (Side A) Outer Ring of Phaistos Disk Blames Magic Crafters for Blocking Astrological and Life Powers

(August 11, 2022) Each number labels a square section of text representing a phrase. The texts starts from the outer ring and moves inwards. Akkadian texts love to use epithets for deities so their names have been placed in parentheses.

Translation into Akkadian (Med 3)

  1. rāṣi ki ḥīya
  2. pa bu ṣi
  3. a mu za
  4. a aku
  5. rāṣu babu zu
  6. gu madû ṣi
  7. gu uku
  8. rāṣi mu i[ ]
  9. pi nu šū
  10. rāṣi ewu šū
  11. Ḫu ebu du
  12. rāṣu bani ya
  13. qatu

(Continue Reading)

Into English

  1. The upper-region-powers are due respect.
  2. The Opener (Asher, Asherah) is being nourished by the activity-powers (motion powers).
  3. Yet her fertility-fluids have been eliminated.
  4. Those emotion-owls
  5. of the upper-region have been eliminated by gating. 
  6. Energy is being made by activity-powers.
  7. Energy is being shuttled.
  8. The upper-region-powers [destroyed verb] fertility-fluids.
  9. The opening-powers are revealing the correspondences (of magic crafters)
  10. The upper-region-powers are being turned away by correspondences. 
  11. Hu is manifested by the sky-shell.
  12. The upper-region is not well.
  13. The end
Minoan Phaistos Disk with Sign Assignments
Minoan Phaistos Disk with Sign Assignments
Image shows the Minoan Phaistos Disk with phonetic sign assignments by Olmsted. Sign assignment charts here.

Back Side (Side A) Second Ring and Inward Blames Network Life Power Hu

(Update April 19, 2024) The motion powers have two sources, the motions of the heavenly bodies, and inner human emotions whose control is emotion magic. This side blames human emotion magic but one argument blames humans directly while the other blames the magical intermediary of owls.

Translation into Akkadian (Med 3)

  1. ru guri ša na ya 
  2. lu Ḫu
  3. rāṣi panu
  4. rāṣi gagu šâṭu mi
  5. za na
  6. rāṣi panu
  7. ru guri ša na ya 
  8. lu Ḫu
  9. rāṣi panu
  10. rāṣi gaṣṣu bi gu ya
  11. mu i’u wa
  12. pu nu ta
  13. reta ki Ḫu
  14. na wa Su
  15. šela ya
  16. rāṣi gagu šâṭu mi
  17. ki Ḫu
  18. šela ya 

 Into English

  1. Eagle-vulture assault-powers don't reveal correspondences.
  2. Lacking is Hu.
  3. The upper-region-powers are being winnowed.
  4. The cloistered upper-region is being ignored by the fertility-fluid-powers
  5. which is eliminating the Revealer (Asher).
  6. The upper-region-powers are being winnowed.
  7. Eagle-vulture assault-powers don't reveal correspondences.
  8. without Hu.
  9. The upper-region is being winnowed.
  10. The deathly upper-region-powers do not affect the energy nourishment powers
  11. Fertility-fluids cause misery for Yahu (I’)
  12. Nourishments are revealing the magic-crafters.
  13. The setter (of the network) is involved with Hu.
  14. The Revealer (Asher) is being made miserable Su.
  15. Sela (Selene) is not affected.
  16. The cloistered upper-region-powers are being ignored by the fertility-fluid-powers
  17. which are due to Hu.
  18. Sela (Selene) is not affected.

References

Olmsted, D.D. (September 17, 2021) Translation of the Minoan Phaistos Disk in Alphabetic Akkadian (Updated). Humanities Commons Permanent URL http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/wez0-xn05 . Online at: https://www.academia.edu/52698125/Translation_of_the_Minoan_Phaistos_Disk_in_Alphabetic_Akkadian_Update
The downward curvature indicates drying climate. They all seem to reach their minimum around 1900 BCE which is very close to the estimate age of the Phaistos Disk,

Cave Speleothem Climate Data Indicates Drought around 1900 BCE on Crete.

This is called the 4.2 ka BP event.

Speleothem are water deposited minerals in caves like stalactites. The ratio of heavy oxygen 18 to normal light oxygen 16 in the seeping mineral water is an indicator of rainfall because rain from evaporated water has more of the lighter oxygen. The chart on the left has data from the following caves:

References

Bini and all (2019) The 4.2 ka BP Event in the Mediterranean region: an overview. Climate of the Past, 15, 555–577, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-555-2019,

Video Tour of Ancient Phaistos

By MegalithomaniaUK