The Phaistos Disc
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The Phaistos Disc
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About this listen
This episode explores the enigmatic Phaistos Disc, discovered in 1908 at a Minoan palace on Crete. The small clay disc, dating to around 1700 BCE, is inscribed with 241 stamped symbols arranged in a spiral—making it the earliest known example of movable type printing.
The symbols include plants, animals, and human figures, but they match no known writing system. Theories suggest it could be a religious hymn, a calendar, a teaching tool, or even a game. More speculative ideas link it to lost civilizations, Atlantis, or extraterrestrials.
Because no other artifact like it has ever been found, and without a “Rosetta Stone” to provide a key, the Phaistos Disc remains undeciphered. Whether sacred text, practical tool, or symbolic art, it is one of archaeology’s most enduring and mysterious puzzles.