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.

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 with Sign Assignments
Image shows the Minoan Phaistos Disk with phonetic sign assignments by Olmsted. Sign assignment charts here.

Front Side Part 1 (Side A) The Life-Powers Are Not Well

(August 11, 2022, Updated December 4, 2024) Each number labeled section represents an Akkadian phrase. The text starts from the outer ring and moves inwards.

Translation Using Akkadian (Med 3)

(read clockwise. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold, Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration) 
Letter Chart Used: Bronze Age Rune Chart
  1. RāṢi Ki ḪēYa
  2. Pa Bu Ṣi
  3. A MaZa
  4. A AKu
  5. RāṢi 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. RāṢi BaNi Ya
  13. QaTu

Into English

  1. Life-powers will require respect.
  2. The Opener (crescent moon goddess Ayu) can nourish activity-powers (motion powers).
  3. That is being refused,
  4. By those emotion-owl-powers.
  5. Life-Powers can gate emanations. 
  6. Energy can mold activity-powers.
  7. Energy can be shuttled.
  8. Life-powers [destroyed verb] fertility-fluids.
  9. The opening-powers can reveal similar-things.
  10. The life-powers can shift-attention to similar-things
  11. Hu's sky-shell can be manifested.
  12. The life-powers are 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.

Front Side Part 2 (Side A) The Problems Exhibited by the Life Powers

(Update April 19, 2024, Updated December 4, 2024) 

Translation into Akkadian (Med Text 3)

(read clockwise. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold, Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration) 
Letter Chart Used: Bronze Age Rune Chart
  1. RuGu RiŠa Na Ya 
  2. Lu Ḫu
  3. RāṢi PaNu
  4. RāṢi GaGu ŠâṬu Mi
  5. Za Na
  6. RāṢi PaNu
  7. RuGu RiŠe Na Ya
  8. Lu Ḫu
  9. RāṢi PaNu
  10. RāṢi GaṢṢu Bi Gu Ya
  11. Mu Y’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. Falseness in eagle-vultures will not reveal life
  2. Lacking is Hu.
  3. The life-powers are being winnowed.
  4. The isolation of the life-powers is being ignored by the fertility-fluid-powers
  5. Emanations are not being revealed.
  6. The life-powers are being winnowed.
  7. Falseness in eagle-vulture-powers will not reveal life
  8. Lacking is Hu.
  9. The life-powers are being winnowed.
  10. The life-powers of death do not energize the nourishment powers
  11. Fertility-fluids for Yahu (I’) have been fate-cursed 
  12. Nourishments can be revealed by astrology-magic (from Su)
  13. Setting (of the sun to fix the changes of the day) will require Hu.
  14. Revelations can be cursed by Su.
  15. Sela (Selene of celestial lighting) is not affected.
  16. The isolation of the life-powers is being ignored by the fertility-fluid-powers
  17. Involve 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
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.
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.

Back Side (Side B) Correcting Nature's Imbalance With Emotion Magic

(August 10, 2022, Updated December 4, 2024) This side of the disk is promoting spiritual energy to keep the balance of nature (life). Such energy is sourced from the dark new moon and eye pupil god Su and human inner emotions.

Each number labeled section represents an Akkadian phrase. The text starts from the outer ring and moves inwards. 

Translation in Akkadian (Med Text 4)

(read clockwise. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold, Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration) 
Letter Chart Used: Bronze Age Rune Chart
  1. RēṢi Gi Bu Du
  2. Gu MaDû Šū
  3. Ru ṬeNa Li
  4. GeRû Gu
  5. Zu Pa’ȗ Ṣi
  6. Lu Na Ya Si
  7. Ki Ḫu Qu Zu
  8. Pu Du Ki ḪēYa
  9. Gi Ṭu Qi Ri
  10. DuPa Bu Gu
  11. Ru NaWa Bu
  12. Gu RēYa Ḫu
  13. A Pa Pa’u Ša
  14. Lu ṢeYu
  15. A Zû Ḫu
  16. MūŠu Bi Qu Zu
  17. Ru SaGȗ Ḫu
  18. AWa DaKu
  19. AKu Ki
  20. A MaZa
  21. Gi AWa DaKu
  22. Gi Ku NaRi
  23. Du IŠu
  24. Du MaDu
  25. Du Na Ya Pa
  26. Gi AWa DaKu
  27. Su UQu Ya Du
  28. RaMu Ša Na Du
  29. A Du Na Ri
  30. Mu Du

Into English

  1. Energized life-powers can nourish the life-manifestations. 
  2. Energies will mold in the usual-way. 
  3. The eagle-vulture's grinding will be lacking
  4. The guides (eagle-vultures) will be energized
  5. Emanations (light, heat, rain) are activated by the network-birds (owls and eagle-vultures)
  6. Lack is not revealing Su's power. 
  7. Involve Hu's life-threads with the emanations. 
  8. Opening-up the life-manifestations will require respect.
  9. Energizing Thu can thread the eagle-vulture-powers
  10. The Dipper (Alu) can nourish energy
  11. Eagle-vultures are abandoning the nourishments.
  12. Energies will shepherd Hu.
  13. They will open the network-birds in a similar-way.
  14. By eliminating blockages.
  15. They will emanate Hu-powers.
  16. Night-powers can nourish the life-thread's emanations.
  17. Eagle-vultures can make trouble for Hu.
  18. Emotion-powers (Awen) can restore.
  19. Emotion-owls are required.
  20. Those are being refused.
  21. Energy of the emotion-powers (Awen) can restore.
  22. Energy can be involved with the cullers (eagle-vultures).
  23. Life-manifestations can be confused
  24. Life-manifestations can be molded
  25. Life-manifestations cannot reveal the openings (through the sky-shell)
  26. Energy of the emotion-powers (Awen) can restore.
  27. Su does not flock to the life-manifestations.
  28. Emotional-releasing similarly can reveal the life-manifestations 
  29. Those life-manifestations can reveal the eagle-vulture-powers.
  30. Fertility-fluids can be manifested.

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