146 



"Si" of the Cypriote in such words as o-i/a/?A.os (beehive), which 

 might be used metaphorically for "treasure-house" < 7 ); and in 

 (jtros (corn), and its compounds, which could readily suggest 

 a barn. As we have to consider the possibility of some of the 

 Disk signs being developed on the acrophonic principle from, 

 among others, Ionian words, we must not, at this juncture, 

 altogether reject any help from Greek sources. In Assyrian 

 the word for treasure was "NISIRTU," and that for treasure- 

 house "BIT-NISIRTI." The later linear sign is inscribed on a 

 thick, heavy slab of copper/ 8 ) figured .on p. 15 in "Excavations 

 in Cyprus" (Murray and others, Brit. Mus., 1900), so, as it 

 is in this case, evidently a kind of treasury or foundry mark, 

 the identification of the character with a treasure-house cannot 

 be far wrong. On the other hand, however, it is certainly 

 possible' that houses of the lake-village type were erected in 

 Cyprus in early times, in view of the fact that the island con- 

 tains many marshes, notably those formed by the waters of the 

 river Pedia. 



Yoke. — (2) This identification was suggested to me by the 

 President of the Society, Sir Joseph Verco, and I have every 

 reason for believing it to be the true one. 



Crested Head. — (3) As an ideograph, or even as a deter- 

 minative, this sign must equal "Head," "Chief," and the 

 like ; the hieroglyph of a man's head is used in this sense in 

 ancient Egyptian writing. The Assyrian for "head" was 

 "KAKKADU." The value of this crested head in helping us 

 to ascertain the age and home of the Phaestos Disk is all 

 important. In the British Museum publication, "Excavations 

 in Cyprus," there is depicted a beautiful ivory casket of the 

 period of Assyrian influence in Cyprus. ^ On one side of this 

 is sculptured a debased form of a typical Assyrian frieze, show- 

 ing a king riding in a two-horse chariot, driven by a charioteer. 

 The monarch is engaged in the pastime of slaughtering wild 

 bulls with his bow and arrow. But what is of special interest 

 to us is the attendant on foot who is following behind the 

 chariot, and who is armed with an axe. This man has a 

 crested head-dress similar in every respect to thai portrayed on 



(7) Compare the "Treasuries" of Mycenae and Orchomenos. 



(8) Dr. Murray says that its weight is 81 lb. 10 oz., and that 

 an analysis made by Professor Church shows 9805 per cent, of 

 copper. Cyprus, of course, was the home of the copper-working 

 industry in ancient times. 



(9) See Table B of my paper. It is evident that Mr. Hall 

 ("Ancient History Near East," 1st ed., p. 66, note 3), in dating 

 the casket to about three centuries before this time, has overlooked 

 the fact that the object must belong to the Assyrian era. 



