The Arkalochori Axe is a

2nd millennium BC The 2nd millennium BC spanned the years 2000 BC to 1001 BC. In the Ancient Near East, it marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age. The Ancient Near Eastern cultures are well within the historical era: The first half of the mil ...

Minoan bronze votive

double axe ''Labrys'' ( gr, , lábrus) is, according to Plutarch (''Quaestiones Graecae'' 2.302a), the Lydian word for the double-bitted axe. In Greek it was called (''pélekus''). The Ancient Greek plural of ''labrys'' is ''labryes'' (). Etymology P ...

(''labrys'') excavated by Spyridon Marinatos in 1934 in the Arkalochori cave on Crete, which is believed to have been used for religious rituals. It is inscribed with fifteen symbols. It has been suggested that these symbols might be Linear A, although some scholars disagree. The labrys and the Phaistos Disc are conserved in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. They share some symbols.

Inscription

Of the fifteen signs, two appear to be unique. The following suggestions for comparison with Linear A and Phaistos Disc glyphs are attributed to Torsten Timm (2004).
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Reading top to bottom, right to left, the symbols are: Note that reading top to bottom, right to left after turning the inscription counterclockwise gives a different sequence and numbering of the glyphs. The alternative sequence is suggested to be translatable as a text with a dedicatory offering to Tammuz.

References

{{Reflist Cretan hieroglyphs Minoan archaeological artifacts Axes Archaeological discoveries in Greece Ancient Greek metalwork 1934 archaeological discoveries Minoan art 2nd-millennium BC works Bronze objects Heraklion Archaeological Museum Ancient art in metal

Inscription

See also

References