Phaistos Disc
Crete, c. 1700 BCE — 45 unique stamped signs
Walking Man|Human figure striding right. The most common sign, appearing 11 times on Side A.Plumed Head|Head with feathered crest. Mohawk-like headdress, possibly denoting rank or origin.Tattooed Head|Bald head with markings. Facial tattoos or paint suggest ritual context.Captive|Bound figure. Prisoner or sacrifice. Wrists tied behind the back.Child|Small human figure. Youth or supplicant. Proportionally shorter.Woman|Female figure. Bare-breasted, Minoan style. Possibly a goddess.Helmet|Crested war helmet. Military context. Boar-tusk helmet of the Aegean Bronze Age.Gauntlet|Armored glove or bracer. Protective gear. Only on Side B.Tiara|Crown or diadem. Royal or priestly authority.Arrow|Projectile point. Hunting or warfare. Obsidian-tipped arrowhead.Bow|Curved bow. Composite recurve design. Archery or hunting context.Shield|Figure-eight shield. Iconic Minoan form. Ceremonial protection.Club|Mace or bludgeon. Authority symbol. Similar to Egyptian was-sceptre.Manacles|Chain or shackles. Bondage. Appears near captive signs.Mattock|Digging tool. Agricultural implement. Land cultivation.Saw|Toothed blade. Carpentry or masonry. Stone-cutting technology.Lid|Vessel cover. Storage jar cap. Palatial economy.Boomerang|Curved throwing stick. Hunting tool. Non-returning type.Carpenter's Square|Right-angle tool. Construction and measurement.Plane|Woodworking blade. Joinery and finishing tool.Dollium|Large storage jar. Pithos or dolium. Grain or oil storage.Comb|Toothed implement. Personal grooming or textile carding.Sling|Projectile weapon. Leather sling for stones. Shepherd's defense.Column|Architectural pillar. Minoan palace column, tapered downward.Beehive|Domed structure. Apiculture or tholos tomb shape.Ship|Vessel with oars. Galley or merchant ship. Maritime trade.Horn|Animal horn. Horns of consecration. Bull cult ritual.Hide|Animal skin. Oxhide ingot shape. Copper trade.Ox Leg|Butchered limb. Offering or feast. Sacrificial cut.Cat|Feline figure. Wild cat or domesticated. Pest control in granaries.