The Disc That Defies AI
Can AI close in on archaeology’s oldest undeciphered code? The Phaistos Disc, a 3,700 year old Minoan clay tablet stamped with 241 spiral symbols, remains unread despite successive algorithmic attempts. A 2016 computer aided study mapped symbol frequencies and sequence constraints, while a 2024 computational survey showed that modern models can cluster signs and detect structure, though not meaning. Advances in deciphering Linear A and rapid progress in computational linguistics may soon inform machine learning models with richer context. What was nearly impossible in 2016 could be within reach as AI models improve.
Unknown Minoan artist, Phaistos Disc, c. 1700 BCE. Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Public domain.