A Note on the Phaistos Disk

Abstract

On p. 275 of vol. i. of Scripta Minoa Mr. Arthur Evans notes with regard to the woman-hieroglyph on the Phaistos Disk (No. 6 of his sign-catalogue; see Fig. 1) that ‘the whole aspect of this figure with its exaggerated breadth of waist contrasts strongly with the Minoan and Mycenaean female types.’ On p. 25 he says ‘still more divergent from all known examples of Minoan dress is that of the woman. It differs not only in its general broad outline …, but in almost every detail.’ This is so, yet this hieroglyph has one close Mycenaean counterpart as a representation of a woman. I refer to the little female figures in gold plate from the Third Shaft-Grave at Mycenae (Schuchhardt, Schliemann, Fig. 182; see Fig. 2), which are practically full-face views of the same squat figure which on the Phaistos Disk is represented in profile. The same curious petticoat is shewn, with its peaked edge, and even much the same unadorned shook of hair. This is perhaps a point worth noticing, as the two representations are very near one another in date, the Disk being ‘Middle Minoan III.’ and the shaft-grave ‘Late Minoan I.’