10 replies to this topic

[UM-Bot]

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Geoff Ward: International controversy continues over the refusal to date Crete's famous - some say infamous - Phaistos Disk to prove once and for all whether it is a priceless treasure of the ancient world dating to at least 1,700BC, or a clever hoax from the early years of the last century.

A recent plea to solve the mystery, by carrying out a special scientific test on the disk, was turned down in Greece on grounds that it is a national treasure and "untouchable".  

Professor Ioannis Lyritzis, of the University of the Aegean, Rhodes, applied for a permit for a thermoluminescence test but the Greek Ministry of Culture's conservation directorate refused because the test would involve drilling into what they regard as a unique artefact.

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[kobolds]

something very weird . the disk shape is almost circle while the spiral in it is not . don't you find that strange ? it make you feel like it's a waste of good material

if you able to create  such almost perfect circle disk at that time , i'm sure you want the spiral in it also the same.

this is just my opinion from my art point

[Darkwind]

I don't know it is not that hard to make circle.  Whether or not it is old or fake I would love to have a copy to put in my garden.

[Superglobe]

Hasn't the "it's fake" argument been disproven something like twenty times now?

[AmantdesEtoiles]

Yes, the hoax theory has been disproved several times. The disk is close enough to linear A ( minoan language) and Linear B (mycenaean language) that is supposed that the symbols have phonetic values. It has been dated by a large number of scholars as circa 1700-1675 BC. Comparisons of existing Linear A examples has lead scholars to believe that the Phaistos disk is a formation of Linear A. The fact that the Greek government regards the disk as an ancient national treasure and does not want it tested is not rare among governments and cultural property. Such testing can lead to damage to the artifacts or some become lost or stolen during the testing process. Just because they don't want the disk tested does not mean the authenticity is questionable. These days people have a tendency to discredit what they don't and might be impossible to understand.

[Blueguardian]

Maybe it's some sort of timeline or calendar, That's the best guess I can make, otherwise I have no idea, but its certainly interesting.

[Lizardian_guy]

Whenever someone refuses to let their "priceless artifact" lose a nanogram of matter to date it, it's pretty clear that it's a fake.

[voiceofreason]

I have a copy of this disc on my desk. It has vexed me for such a long time.

[The Observant]

Lizardian_guy, on 08 March 2010 - 05:21 AM, said:

Whenever someone refuses to let their "priceless artifact" lose a nanogram of matter to date it, it's pretty clear that it's a fake.

I don't think that's fair, I can understand them not wanting to risk the disc whatsoever.

[Agent X]

I can understand not wanting to damage the disk either, but I'd want to be sure.

However, there might be some contamination on it which could skewer the testing as well.

[rednaxela]

Mystery of the Phaistos Disk  disclosed?
Text contents of this Disk - the rulers dedication to the  high-god of the moon, copied from a labels, made in the form of three bilateral poleaxes, or from  inscriptions directly on poleaxes. One of these poleaxes, the largest, four-blade may be used as a lunar calendar. The Disk itself - the moon during a  full moon - a sort of portable version of the dedications and calendar.
For details, see my website:   http://phaestos-disk.at.ua