Re: Why not 13 months? (Was La Systeme Metrique)
Whittet (Whittet@shore.net)
9 Jul 1995 13:41:21 GMT
In article <mls-0807951911320001@mls.dialup.access.net>, mls@panix.com says...
>
>In article <3tmvdd$e65@shore.shore.net>, Whittet@shore.net (Whittet) wrote:
>
>+Early calenders did have 13 months of 28 days (4 weeks of 7 days)(52 weeks)
>+One such example is the Phaistoes Disk, dated to c 1,700 BC Crete.
>
>This is beyond even the usual level of unreal fantasy of Steve Whittet's
>contributions. I don't know where Steve gets this absurd notion of the
>Phaistos disk being anything of the kind. It is (roughly) circular, with
>each side containing a spiral of glyphs -- not yet deciphered, mind you
>-- with a total of 241 signs arranged in 61 delimited boxes.
I am not sure why Mike feels calenders are not supposed
to be circular, but the rhythically repeated arrangement of the glyph sets
is well known.
There are twelve months on one side indicated by glyph sets ending in heads
preceeded by disks, and one month on the other indicated by a glyph set
ending in a head preceeded by a disk. The side with a single head preceeded
by a disk divides a month into days and weeks, and the other side divides a
year into months.
Woven through the glyph sets are icons to indicate the passing of seasons
and the appropriate activities in good "book of hours" fashion.
Reading
>this as even remotely suggesting weeks, months or years in ANY kind
>of calendar is patently ridiculous. I note that Steve in his huge cross-
>posting of this contribution omits his usual haunt sci.archaeology, where
>he is known for his (ummm) "creative" ideas.
Actually both Jan and I have discussed this at some length in this group
not too long ago.
Despite my distaste for
>cross-posting, I am adding sci.archaeology back into the mix, in case
>someome competent there wishes to comment on current speculations
>concerning the Phaistos Disk.
>
>There is (to the best of my knowledge) NO evidence whatsoever for
>early 28-day months, nor any evidence before Ezekiel (post-exilic)
>for a continuous 7-day cycle of days.
There are a number of other western semitic calenders of 364 day, 13 month,
arrangement, so it is far from unusual to find.
As to the Phaistoes Disk specifically, anyone who wants
a color coded gif of the calendic arrangement can email me and
I will be happy to provide it.
>--
>Michael L. Siemon
Steve
|