The Phaistos Disc

What is the Phaistos Disc?- The Phaistos Disc, or Phaistos Disk, is a disc of fired clay from the island of Crete, Greece, possibly from the middle or late Minoan Bronze Age (second millennium BC), bearing a text in an unknown script and language. Its purpose and its original place of manufacture remain disputed.

1. Catalog the glyphs

  • Action: Record each spiral unit by its Evans sequence number and Evans sign name.

  • Example (A1):
    Evans Seq: 02-12-13-01-18/
    Glyphs: PLUMED HEAD – SHIELD – CLUB – PEDESTRIAN – BOOMERANG

2. Normalize labels

  • Action: Use consistent labels for each glyph across all sequences.

  • Example: Instead of “armed man” or “warrior,” we always say PLUMED HEAD.

3. Segment into sequences

  • Action: Split the disc into numbered blocks (A1–A31, B1–Bn). Note / as paragraph break.

  • Example: A1 ends with /, so it marks the end of a section

4. Pass 1 (Raw read)

  • Action: Write glyphs exactly as seen.

  • Example (A1): PLUMED HEAD, SHIELD, CLUB, PEDESTRIAN, BOOMERANG.

5. Pass 2 (Literal phrasing)

  • Action: Translate glyphs into minimal English objects in order.

  • Example (A1): Place plumed head, shield, club, pedestrian, and boomerang together in order.

6. Pass 3 (Ritual interpretation)

  • Action: Reframe the literal list as a ritual/procedural instruction.

  • Example (A1): As part of the rite, present plumed head, shield, club, pedestrian, and boomerang in sequence, then pause and change section.

7. Track repeated sequences

  • Action: Identify recurring formulas.

  • Example: A16, A19, and A22 all show PLUMED HEAD – SHIELD – EAGLE – HORN/, marking a repeated ceremonial refrain

8. Mark roles/stations

  • Action: Group repeats as roles in a Procession Script.

  • Example: The repeated Leader + Shield + Eagle + Horn sequence = a station transition marker

9. Fact vs Inferred separation

  • Action: Keep [FACT] (glyph sequence) distinct from [INFERRED] (literal or ritual meaning).

  • Example: [FACT] A1 = 02-12-13-01-18/. [INFERRED] = “present plumed head, shield, club, pedestrian, boomerang in sequence.

10. Consolidate full translation

  • Action: Produce a clean three-pass transcript for each block.

  • Example (A1 full):

    • Pass 1: PLUMED HEAD, SHIELD, CLUB, PEDESTRIAN, BOOMERANG.

    • Pass 2: Place plumed head, shield, club, pedestrian, and boomerang together in order.

    • Pass 3: As part of the rite, present plumed head, shield, club, pedestrian, and boomerang in sequence, then pause and change section

Photos and about section sourced from- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaistos_Disc

My Interpretation: <—Click here

By Clicking above it will take you to my interpretation along with break downs on how I go to where I have.