DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.806#0291
THE HIEROGLYPHIC SIGNARY OF THE PHAESTOS DISK 277
„8. Fist bound with ceslus, like those of Minoan pugilists.1
9. This sign has every appearance of being a kind of tiara. There seems to
be some analogy between this and certain forms that appear in Hittite inscriptions
(Fig. 127 a2, bs). Fig. 127 b shows an early form of the Persian mitra.
Fig. 127. Hittite Tiaras.
10. Arrow. The arrow sign in a more cursory form appears in the Minoan series.
11. Horned or ' Asiatic' bow.4 This type of bow, as appears from seals, is already
found in Crete by the beginning of the Middle Minoan Age. In the 'Arsenal' Maga-
zine at Knossos, moreover, belonging to the close of the Palace Period, tablets
relating to horns of the Agrimt or Cretan ' ibex', evidently used for the manu-
facture of such composite bows, were found, together with others relating to arrows,
and in association with large stores of the arrows themselves.0 The Asiatic bow,
without the string, is a Hittite sign of frequent recurrence.
12. In this sign I have recognized a round shield0 with a central and six peri-
pheral bosses. Dr. Pernier7 appositely compares it with a Hittite sign found at
Jerabis.8 He remarks : ' If the Phaestos Disk be a matrix, then this sign in its positive
aspect would show raised bosses and might represent a shield: in the opposite case
being furnished with circular cavities, it would rather suggest a libation table or
ire/wos seen from above. It is not without hesitation that I would put forward the
hypothesis that the sign in question may represent in a conventional guise the Disk
itself.' It must be said that the repeated appearance of this sign in company with the
warrior's head in a crested helmet is certainly best consistent with the view that it
represents a shield. The close comparison with the Egyptian sign denoting corn on
the threshing-floor must still be noted.
13. This looks like a knotted club, such as that attributed to Hercules.
14. The flat tops of the two prominences in this figure as well as the slots in the
base are characteristic features of manacles, the slots being for the attachment of thongs.
I am unable to subscribe to Dr. Pernier's view5 that this represents the ' mountains'
or regional sign. We should expect pointed or at least rounded prominences.
15. Pickaxe.
16. Apparently a knife with curved back.
17. Perhaps an instrument for cutting leather with a curved handle above.
1 See above, p. 27.
Hamath. Messerschmidt, Corpus Inscr, Hettit., T. iv.
3 Jerabis. lb. T. xi.
1 For a fuller reproduction of this see Signor Stefani's
Rawing in Ausonia (p. 290, No. 30).
5 ' Knossos,' Report, 1904, pp. 57 seqq.
8 See above, p. 25.
1 Op. at., p. 291 (No. 37).
9 Messerschmidt, C. I. H., T. xiii. 7, and cf. T. xl. 17.
* Op. tit., p. 287 (No. 23).
„8. Fist bound with ceslus, like those of Minoan pugilists.1
9. This sign has every appearance of being a kind of tiara. There seems to
be some analogy between this and certain forms that appear in Hittite inscriptions
(Fig. 127 a2, bs). Fig. 127 b shows an early form of the Persian mitra.
Fig. 127. Hittite Tiaras.
10. Arrow. The arrow sign in a more cursory form appears in the Minoan series.
11. Horned or ' Asiatic' bow.4 This type of bow, as appears from seals, is already
found in Crete by the beginning of the Middle Minoan Age. In the 'Arsenal' Maga-
zine at Knossos, moreover, belonging to the close of the Palace Period, tablets
relating to horns of the Agrimt or Cretan ' ibex', evidently used for the manu-
facture of such composite bows, were found, together with others relating to arrows,
and in association with large stores of the arrows themselves.0 The Asiatic bow,
without the string, is a Hittite sign of frequent recurrence.
12. In this sign I have recognized a round shield0 with a central and six peri-
pheral bosses. Dr. Pernier7 appositely compares it with a Hittite sign found at
Jerabis.8 He remarks : ' If the Phaestos Disk be a matrix, then this sign in its positive
aspect would show raised bosses and might represent a shield: in the opposite case
being furnished with circular cavities, it would rather suggest a libation table or
ire/wos seen from above. It is not without hesitation that I would put forward the
hypothesis that the sign in question may represent in a conventional guise the Disk
itself.' It must be said that the repeated appearance of this sign in company with the
warrior's head in a crested helmet is certainly best consistent with the view that it
represents a shield. The close comparison with the Egyptian sign denoting corn on
the threshing-floor must still be noted.
13. This looks like a knotted club, such as that attributed to Hercules.
14. The flat tops of the two prominences in this figure as well as the slots in the
base are characteristic features of manacles, the slots being for the attachment of thongs.
I am unable to subscribe to Dr. Pernier's view5 that this represents the ' mountains'
or regional sign. We should expect pointed or at least rounded prominences.
15. Pickaxe.
16. Apparently a knife with curved back.
17. Perhaps an instrument for cutting leather with a curved handle above.
1 See above, p. 27.
Hamath. Messerschmidt, Corpus Inscr, Hettit., T. iv.
3 Jerabis. lb. T. xi.
1 For a fuller reproduction of this see Signor Stefani's
Rawing in Ausonia (p. 290, No. 30).
5 ' Knossos,' Report, 1904, pp. 57 seqq.
8 See above, p. 25.
1 Op. at., p. 291 (No. 37).
9 Messerschmidt, C. I. H., T. xiii. 7, and cf. T. xl. 17.
* Op. tit., p. 287 (No. 23).