The Phaistos Disc (or Festos) is thought to be by many one of the most mysterious archeological objects of all time. Discovered during excavation in the early part of the 20th century in a crypt beneath the floor of the Royal chamber at the Minoan Palace of Phaistos on the Greek island of Crete, it is a small disc of high fired clay dating back to the middle to late Minoan Bronze Age (2 millennium BC). The original can be seen in the Herkalion museum at Crete, it is one of a very few objects recovered from the ruins of the destroyed Minoan civilization.
Both sides of the disc are stamped with a spiral of symbols or "glyphs" depicting a syllabic script the meaning of which to this day remains undeciphered. Thought by some to be a very advanced form of an ancient calendar, or by others possibly a map of the celestial system, many attempts have been made to decipher the code of the disc's symbols. The purpose and meaning of the disc remain disputed to this day, making it one of the most famous unsolved mysteries of archeaology. It's generally assumed that unless more examples of the symbols or glyphs are ever found the meaing of the disc will likely remain forever undeciphered.

I picked up this sterling silver charm depicting the Phaistos Disc earlier this year in Greece. I paired it with a sharply faceted blue topaz nugget, a reminder of the clear crisp blue of the waters surrounding the Greek islands. Strung on a sterling silver ball chain that closes with my signature hand forged hook clasp, all metal is sterling silver that has been oxidized and hand buffed to a satin patina. A simple piece meant to be an hommage to the brilliant imaginative spirits of the ancient greeks and to one of the most brilliant and sophisticated civilizations of antiquity, the Minoan.


Measurements
• please be sure to take note of the sizes that are carefully listed here as items will appear larger on your computer monitor than they actually are.
sterling silver disc - 25mm diameter x 35mm from the top of the ring
blue topaz gemstone - 12mm
necklace length - 16"

Shipping Details
• You get the necklace shown in the photos, it will ship within 24 hrs. of receipt of payment, excluding weekends and holidays.
• Shipping costs on this necklace are higher than my usual shipping as it requires tracking, delivery confirmation and insurance due to the value. Within Canada it will ship via expresspost, if you are in BC, AB, SK or MB I will refund $4 of your shipping costs or you may request a revised listing prior to purchase. To the United States shipping will be via Expedited parcel. Please note that despite it's name, this service is only slightly faster than pony express however does include the required tracking, delivery confirmation and insurance. All other international please convo for shipping costs to your area if interested in this item as costs may be less than as listed. Also please take note that what i am charging for shipping is still less than the actual cost, crazy I know!
• All purchases will come to you artfully packaged.

Other Info
• Check out my shop announcement http://www.etsy.com/shop/organikx for any important announcements.
• I live in Canada, your item ships from Canada. Delivery times vary, but please expect aprx 8 to 9 days. Please see my shop policies for more info regarding shipping costs, delivery times and more: http://www.etsy.com/shop_policy.php?user_id=5255965
• Each piece of jewelry in my Etsy shop is designed and hand fabricated by me in studio. All designs, descriptions and photos are ©Organikx 2010 and are not to be used without permission.
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• Thank you for looking ~ Bridget

Have any questions? Contact the shop owner.