It was here that the mysterious Phaistos Disc was discovered; its script remains indecipherable and its authenticity is still the subject of controversy. The archaeological site itself, however, is entirely authentic and, unlike Knossos, has not been subject to haphazard restoration work.

Unlike the site at Knossos, the site at Phaistos has remained just as it was when it was rediscovered by Italian archaeologists who began excavations there in 1900. However, you will not see the mysterious disc there, as it is on display at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

The Minoan civilisation remains shrouded in mystery, and excavations have focused mainly on the palace rather than the rest of the town. A visit to Phaistos means losing yourself amongst the ruins of a palace dating back nearly 4,000 years, of which only the foundations remain. It is a walk that invites you to reflect on the rise and fall of civilisations...

Linear B script, which first appeared on Crete around 1375 BC but used by the Mycenaeans, was deciphered in 1952; however, Linear A, the writing system of the Minoans, remains undeciphered to this day, as do the even older Cretan hieroglyphs, particularly as the language it transcribes, Minoan, remains entirely unknown. With known inscriptions comprising only 8,000 signs, translation remains impossible at present.

One day, perhaps, new archaeological discoveries will bring to light further texts and enable linguists to produce a rough translation, so that we can learn more about this mysterious civilisation... Until then, we’ll just have to content ourselves with dreaming about it whilst strolling amongst its ruins!

Useful links

Incredible Crete (The official tourism website of Crete) - Wikipedia