Arkalochori Axe


The Arkalochori Axe is a 2nd millennium BC Minoan bronze votive double axe 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. Reading top to bottom, right to left, the symbols are:
№SignCommentLinear APhaistos Disc
01A 304 KA ??
02AB28 ID39
03AB01 DA
04D02
05
06AB05 TO ??
07cf. 04D02
08AB80 MA
09AB04 TE ?D35
10cf. 04D02
11AB31 SA ??D19
12cf. 08AB80 MA
13AB06 NA ??D23
14Root?
15A338 ?

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.