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In IJOC 10, Peter Revesz published a methodology, transliteration, and translation of the Phaistos Disk, which is categorized as containing an inscription in Linear A script. Published in 2016, Revesz applied a computer science methodology to the task of deciphering the script of Linear A. The translation method indicated a five-step process, whereby related families of languages and scripts were used as guidance. Revesz's findings suggest that the Linear A script is of Proto-Finno-Ugric and Hungarian origins; and, the text is to be read from the center-out (in contrast to some other scholars' interpretations). In sum, Revesz's data suggest that the inscription is a hymn to a heretofore unknown solar deity.
Source: OMNIKA
Abstract—This paper presents a novel semi-automatic translation method for the Phaistos Disk that had no convincing translation for over a century. The method uses for a recently discovered connection between the Phaistos Disk symbols and other ancient scripts, including the Old Hungarian alphabet. The connection between the Phaistos Disk script and the Old Hungarian alphabet suggested the possibility that the Phaistos Disk language may be related to Proto-Finno-Ugric, Proto-Ugric, or Proto-Hungarian. Using words and suffixes from those languages, it is possible to translate the Phaistos Disk text as an ancient sun hymns that are connected to a winter solstice ceremony and a mythological explanation of the perceived daily route of the Sun in the sky.
Keywords—Acrophonic principle, Cretan Hieroglyph, Linear A, Linear B, Phaistos Disk, Proto-Finno-Ugric, Proto-Hungarian
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Myth
On Side A, the solar figure is first affirmed as the chief ruler. The author then asks for the figure to shine warmth and show its rays in order that the people can be assisted while sailing. On Side B, water is described as flowing westward to Iberia. An Iberian king's twenty daughters are described as watching (perhaps lamenting) the horizon as the sun is chased away by the other stars. Arrows are described as being shot, perhaps toward or from Sagittarius. Finally, the light drifts away to Asia and ascends again when the stars chase it back, ending the poem.
Belief system
Minoan culture refers to spiritual beliefs and customs practiced by peoples living in Crete and some Aegean islands between ca. 2800-1450 BCE.
Deity
The Minoan Solar Proto-Deity may represent the sun according to proto-myths in Linear A or Cretan Hieroglyphs. The figure may also be visible in Minoan material culture.
Translation
The "Minoan Sun Hymn" is an English translation of The Phaistos Disk in 2016 by Peter Z. Revesz. According to Revesz, the inscription on the Minoan artifact represents Cretan Hieroglyphs meant to be read from the inside-out. Moreover, the transliterated syllables may belong to the Proto-Hungarian or Proto-Finno-Ugric family of languages. According to Revesz's translation and transliteration, the inscription is a sun hymn, a form of proto-mythology, to a Minoan solar deity.
Myths cited
It looks like only the main myth was referenced in this work.
Belief systems cited
It looks like only the main belief system was referenced in this work.
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Artifacts cited
It looks like only the main artifact was referenced in this work.
Other works
Journal article · 2022
"Evidence for a Left-to-Right Reading Direction of the Phaistos Disk" is a 2022 journal article by the renowned computational linguistics researcher, Peter Revesz. The article provides exhaustive evidence to demonstrate that the inscription on the Phaistos Disk is to be read left-to-right. This work builds upon Revesz' prior work on the same artifact, wherein he translated the contents according to objective scientific methods and data analyses.
Journal article · 2016
In IJOC 10, Peter Revesz published a methodology, transliteration, and translation of the Phaistos Disk, which is categorized as containing an inscription in Linear A script. Published in 2016, Revesz applied a computer science methodology to the task of deciphering the script of Linear A. The translation method indicated a five-step process, whereby related families of languages and scripts were used as guidance. Revesz's findings suggest that the Linear A script is of Proto-Finno-Ugric and Hungarian origins; and, the text is to be read from the center-out (in contrast to some other scholars' interpretations). In sum, Revesz's data suggest that the inscription is a hymn to a heretofore unknown solar deity.
Journal article · 2019
"Data mining ancient scripts" is a 2019 conference paper that was published in subsequent proceedings. The paper was presented at the 23rd International Database Engineering & Applications Symposium in Athens, Greece, on June 10-12, 2019. Peter Revesz and Shruti Daggumati shared their findings concerning ancient scripts and their similarities. They employed a data mining approach in order to discover similarities among ancient scripts: Sumerian, Cretan, Indus Valley, and others.
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Cite this work
ChicagoRevesz, Peter Z. "A Computer-Aided Translation of the Phaistos Disk." International Journal of Computers 10, no. 1 (2016): 94-100.