Re: Phaistos disk

On Tuesday, July 16, 2002, at 04:44 , Abrigon Gusiq wrote:

> The symbols that are duplicated or repeat, could be vowels or like. Or
> symbols for a sound in the language/script, or could be a symbol for
> something used alot. Like we have MAN, Manual, might be MAN symbol with
> you all or yule or like symbols.
It's generally assumed by those who believe it to be writing that the
symbols
represent CV syllables.  We know that such syllabaries were used later, e.
g.
Linear B and the Cypriote syllabary.  It's generally assumed that Linear A
is
a similar syllabary and that the earlier Cretan 'pictographic' scripts (of
which the
Phaistos script might be an example) is similar.

In an odd moment yesterday, I did a little searching on the Internet.  I
discovered
there is another example of a disk with writing done in a spiral as on the
Phaistos
disk; this is from Magliano in italy and there is no doubt at all that we
have _writing_
since the characters are known: characters of the Etruscan alphabet.  The
lang in
this case is not disputed - it is Etruscan.

Now I am very well aware that several centuries separate the Magliano disk
and
the Phaistos disk and there can be no direct connexion between them.  But
the
Magliano disk does seem to me to confirm that one cannot argue that because
the Phaistos disk is printed in spiral form and one does not normally
write in spiral
form, therefore it is not likely to be writing.

I don't think anyone has ever suggested that the scribes of Phaistos
normally wrote
in spirals!    But most scripts are capable of being written spirally for
special reasons.

A site which lists many of the varied interpretations is:
http://users.otenet.gr/~svoronan/phaistos.htm

As one might expect, the favorite is to interpret the symbols as writing;
surprisingly I
found only one 'decipherment' claiming the language was Semitic; the
majority
(wrongly IMO) do for an IE language.   One guy discovered early Slavic!
Some, as I
would anticipate, find a language related to Luwian or the Anatolian IE
group; but the
most popular is Mycenaean Greek or 'proto-Greek'.   For my part, I find it
most unlikely
that any form of Greek is being used at Phaistos in the 17th cent BC.

The next most popular interpretation is that the disk is a calendar.   I
remain unconvinced.

But I did discover John's board game!   A guy called Peter Aleff argues
for this on the web-site:
http://www.recoveredscience.com/phaistoscontents.htm

The site has an e-book that can be downloaded free.   It's well presented
and worth a look IMO.
Mr Aleff argues his case well enough - and I find it more convincing than
the calendars -
but I also find it as unproven as the other interpretations.

Ray.

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