CH.7: LATE HISTORY OF EGYPT

CHAPTER 7
LATE HISTORY OF EGYPT

7.1 INTRODUCTION
7.2 NEW KINGDOM: 18TH DYNASTY
7.3 SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
7.4 MIDDLE KINGDOM: 12TH DYNASTY
7.5 FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
7.5.1 EARLY FIP
7.5.2 LATE FIP: 11TH DYNASTY
7.6 6TH DYNASTY OF THE CATASTROPHE
7.7 DISCUSSION

Dr. R.M. de Jonge ©, drsrmdejonge@hotmail.com

SUMMARY
The inner parts of both sides of the disc have 18 passages, corresponding to the 18th
Dynasty (New Kingdom), which was in power when the Phaistos Disc was made (1458
BC). Both edges have 12 passages, corresponding to the 12th Dynasty, the important
previous dynasty of the Middle Kingdom. However, the 18 passages of the inner parts
also correspond to the 18 Dynasties in the history of Egypt. For each dynasty, the disc
provides the duration in generations of 30.5 years, the number of Kings, the years of
reign of each King, and the population number. New data are now available for the
Second Intermediate Period. At the beginning of the 15th or Hyksos Dynasty a calamity
happe-ned caused by a comet. At the start of the 6th Dynasty a huge Comet Catastrophe
occur-red, which wiped out half of the people of Egypt.

7.1 INTRODUCTION
Population of Egypt
The Phaistos Disc (Figs.7.5 and 7.6) shows the authorities of Crete were very interested
in nearby Egypt, the greatest civilization on Earth (Refs.1-6). The center of the disc
symbolizes Crete, where the disc was made. The front side A has 5 turns, corresponding
to the southern Nile Delta, 5° below Crete, at 35-5= 30°N. The edge represents this
region. So, it may provide information about Egypt, for instance its population.

On both sides the passages are counted from the center towards the edge (Ch.2). Passage
A21 on the edge of the front side contains the first "messenger" (Fig.4.3, #1), the current
symbol indicating population on the disc. It encodes an Egyptian population of
2,100,000, because a factor 10 less or more would be in both cases unprobable. The next
or 2nd passage A22 has a "King" (#2), the most important symbol of the disc. It confirms
the 2nd number (1), and passage A27 has a "King", too, showing the number has to be
written down in 27-20= 7 figures.

The front side of the disc has 31 passages, corresponding to the northern Nile Delta, at
31°N. Passage A2 of the inner part also has a "messenger", showing an Egyptian popula-
tion of 2.0 million. The passage itself indicates the first number (2), and passage A8 has a
"Queen", also important, confirming the number has to be written down in 8-1= 7 figu-
res. (Passage A31 on the edge has a “messenger”, too, but the resulting number for the
population is not confirmed.)

The back side has 4 turns, corresponding to the northern Nile Delta, 4° below Crete, at
35-4= 31°N. So, the edge, the 4th turn, may also provide information about the populati-
on. Passage B19 contains a “messenger”, suggesting an Egyptian population of 1.9
million. The next or 2nd passage has a “King”, confirming the 2nd number (9), and pas-
sage B25 has the “grater” (#43), now an Egyptian pyramid, showing the number has to
be written down in 25-18= 7 figures.

Passage B24 also has a “messenger”, suggesting an Egyptian population of 2.4 million.
The next or 2nd passage has the Egyptian pyramid, confirming the 2nd number (4), and
passage B30 at the end of the side has a “King”, confirming the number has to be written
down in 30-23= 7 figures. The average value provides the real Egyptian population of
(2.1+2.0+1.9+2.4)/4= 2.1 million men at the end of the New Palace Culture on Crete,
1458 BC. This is the date of the Phaistos Disc (Ch.2).

B7 has a “cover” and a “waterway”. These signs resemble the Delta and the River Nile,
respectively. The passage even has a second Delta sign. The paragraph-line points from
the first Delta sign to the neighboring passage B16, with a “messenger”, below it. It may
provide the population of the Northern Egyptian Empire, 1.6 million men. B16 forms a
series of 7 passages. The “palace” of the next passage confirms the 2nd number (6), and
the series finishes with the “papyrus” and the symbol of “religion” in B22 on the edge,
showing the number should be written down in 22-15= 7 figures. The last symbol resem-
bles the River Nile and its Delta, again, and Lower Egypt was called the “Land of the
Papyrus”.

A5 on the front side has a “branch” (of wood). The paragraph-line points from this sign
to a “messenger” nearby. A5 may form a series of 6 passages, providing the population of
the Southern Egyptian Empire, 0.5 million men. The “messenger” in the next passage
confirms the subject (population), and the King and the “falcon”, symbol of God, in A10,
shows the number has to be written down in 10-4= 6 figures. Upper Egypt was called the
“Land of the Wood” (Ch.5). The total population of Egypt is confirmed: 1.6+0.5= c.2.1
million men (Table 7.6, Refs.1-15).

The Egyptian Fleet
Crete has a fleet of c.150 seaworthy ships (Ch.4). The size of the population of Egypt is
210/14= 15 times as big as that of Crete. So, we may expect that the Egyptian fleet
contains a roughly estimated number of 15x150= c.2,250 ships. However, this value
might be too low, because Egypt was richer and more powerful than Crete.

The second half of the edge has passage numbers, encoding latitudes in Egypt. B27 on
the back side has a “boat” and the symbol of “religion”, which resembles the River Nile
with its Delta. It forms a series of 4 passages, encoding 2,700 seaworthy ships. The next
or 2nd passage has a “King”, confirming the 2nd number (7), and the last passage at the
end of the side has a Nile symbol and a King, showing the number has to be written
down in 30-26= 4 figures.

B22 has a “boat”, a “papyrus”, and a Nile symbol, corresponding to 220 Egyptian ships.
The series of passages finishes at the end of the paragraph. B19, with a boat, is also on
the edge. It encodes another 19 boats. The short series finishes at the end of a kind of
paragraph. Added up, it appears that Egypt has a fleet of 2,700+220+19= c.2,939 sea-
worthy ships.

In the inner part is passage B2 with a boat. It forms a series of 4 passages, finishing with
a Nile symbol. So, it encodes 2,000 boats. B9 forms a series of 3 passages, finishing with
a “cover” and a “waterway”. These signs resemble the Delta and the River Nile,
respectively. So, it corresponds with another 900 boats. Together, these confirm an Egyp-
tian fleet of 2,000+900= c.2,900 seaworthy ships.

On the inner part of the front side are also boats. B18 forms a series of 4 passages, finish-
ing with a Delta sign on the edge. It encodes 1,800 Egyptian boats. B12 also forms a
series of 4 passages, finishing with important passage A15. The text reads: “The Theory
of the Holy Kings of Lower and Upper Egypt” (Ch.5). The series corresponds with 1,200
boats. Together, these confirm an Egyptian fleet of 1,800+1,200= c.3,000 seaworthy
ships, again (Refs.27-30).

Pyramids and Temples
Passage B25 on the back side has the “grater” (#43), the only sign resembling a pyramid.
It encodes the realistic number of c.25 pyramids in Egypt.- Passage B26 has a “temple”.
It forms two passages till the end of the paragraph, encoding 26 Egyptian temples. B21 is
also on the edge. It also forms 2 passages, finishing with the papyrus and the Nile sym-
bol. It corresponds with another 21 temples. A30 on the front side has a “temple”, too. It
forms 2 passages till the end of the side. It encodes 30 temples. Added up, the disc shows
evidence of 26+21+30= c.77 Egyptian temples.

The inner parts of the disc have “temples and palaces”, which might confirm the total
number. Passage B18 forms a series of 2 passages, finishing with B19, the first passage
on the edge. B19, after B30, symbolizes the northern Nile Delta, at 30+1= 31°N. The 2
temples of B18 encode together 2x18= 36 Egyptian temples. The “palace” in B17 corres-
ponds with another 17 temples. B6 at the end of the paragraph corresponds with 6
temples. Finally, the “palace” of A9 on the front side is also at the end of the paragraph.
It encodes 9 temples. Added up, the inner parts confirm a total of 18+18+17+6+9= c.68
Egyptian temples.

Schools
Crete has c.128 schools (Ch.4). Because of its higher population Egypt will have an
estimated number of (210/14)x128= c.1,920 schools. The “temples and palaces” on the
disc may also represent schools. The edges of the disc represent Egypt in the first place.
The temple of B21 forms a series of 4 passages, finishing at the end of the paragraph. It
encodes 2,100 Egyptian schools. B26 forms a short series of 2 passages, also at the end of
the paragraph. It corresponds with 26 schools. A30 also forms 2 passages, at the end of
the side. It encodes 30 schools. It appears, that there are a total of 2,100+26+30= c.2,156
schools in Egypt.

The inner parts have “temples and palaces”, which might confirm the total number of
schools. The “palace” of B17 forms a series of 4 passages, finishing at the end of a kind
of paragraph. It encodes 1,700 schools. The two temples of B18 form series of 3
passages, twice encoding 180 schools. B6 at the end of the paragraph represents another 6
schools. Finally, the “palace” of A9 on the front side will form a series of 2 passages,
finishing with the King at the end of a paragraph. It encodes 90 schools. Added up, it is
confirmed that Egypt possesses a total of 1,700+180+180+6+90= c.2,156 schools. If the
ratio “lower vs. higher schools” is the same as on Crete (Ch.4), there will be (102/128)-
x2,156= c.1,718 “lower schools”, and (26/128)x2,156= c.438 “higher schools”.

Fig.71 Granite statue of the 6th King Thutmose III (1485-1458) of the Eighteenth
Dynasty, who was in power when the Phaistos Disc was made.

7.2 NEW KINGDOM: 18TH DYNASTY
Both sides of the disc have an Inner Part and an Edge. The inner part of each side
contains 18 passages, twice encoding the important 18th Dynasty of Egypt, the first one
of the New Kingdom (Refs.16-26). The five passages on the front side with the “horn”
and the “falcon”, symbols for the "power of God", contain together (3x4)+(2x3)= 18
symbols, confirming it. The most important, equal passages A3 and A15 form together
3+15= 18 units, again confirming the 18th Dynasty. On the back side, passages B3 and
B15 contain a “Queen“. These also form together 3+15= 18 units, confirming the 18th
Dynasty of Queen Hatshepsut (Ch.2). Passage A18 on the front side represents the 18th
Dynasty. It has the important symbol of the "King". When the last two symbols of B3 are
combined to a "Queen" (the King’s virgin), the disc contains 18 "Kings" in total,
confirming this Dynasty. During the 18th Dynasty the Phaistos Disc was made (Ch.2).

Rulers
On the front side, passages A1-6 represent the 6 Rulers of the 18th Dynasty (see Ch.2).
Note the thick separation-line at the end of A6. The names of the Pharaohs are not
mentioned on the disc. These names and their years of reign can be found in the literature
(Refs.14,20).- The history of Egypt starts in the center of the disc. So, the last King
Thutmozes III is shown in passage A1, and the first King Ahmozes I is shown in passage
A6. A7 with the symbols for the "power of God" is used for separation of the series. On
the edge of side A, but also on side B, the 5 Kings and 1 free Queen of the 18th Dynasty
are shown.

The disc shows the 6 “temples” of Crete. Passage B6 contains a temple, confirming their
number. These temples are also in honor of the 6 Rulers of the 18th Dynasty. Side A con-
tains 1 temple in honor of Queen Hatshepsut, and side B contains 5 more temples in
honor of the 5 Kings of this Dynasty. Passage A18 has 6 symbols, confirming the 6
Rulers of the 18th Dynasty. The 6th symbol in the passage shows the 6th and last King of
this dynasty, Thutmozes III (Fig.7.1). During the reign of this King the Phaistos Disc was
made (Ch.2). Passage B18 has 5 symbols, confirming the 18th Dynasty of the previous,
5th Ruler, Queen Hatshepsut.

Duration
The front side has 31 passages, encoding a first generation of 31 years, and the back side
has 30 passages, encoding a second generation of 30 years. On the average, each side
contains 30.5 passages, corresponding with 1 generation of 30.5 years. At the time of the
fall of the New Palace Culture on Crete, the 18th Dynasty lasted officially c.122 years,
from c.1580 to 1458 BC. On the back side, the 4 passages B1-4 of the first paragraph
encode the duration of the 18th Dynasty, 4 generations, or 4x30.5= 122 years, which is
according to our calculations from the disc, from 1458+122= 1580 to 1458. Equal groups
of 4 symbols are present in neighboring passages B5 and B13 of this side, confirming the
4 generations of the 5+13= 18th Dynasty.

The first paragraph of the front side has 4 passages, confirming the 4 generations of the
18th Dynasty. The 122 symbols (Table 2.1, dropping the "flower" in A1), confirm the
122 years of reign. The 119 symbols of the back side confirm these again. The 17
“shields” on the disc each contain 7 burls for a total of 17x7= 119 burls, confirming the
number of years, once again.

Passage A2 on the front side determines the start of the 18th Dynasty, 2 double
generations ago. The "flower" and "burin" in passages A1-2 occur 4 times on both sides
of the disc (Table 2.2), confirming the 4 generations. The "messenger" and "scroll of the
law" occur 6 times on one of the sides or both sides, confirming the 6 Rulers. Passage B2
on the back side confirms the start of this Dynasty, 2 double generations ago. The 2
“temples” of passage B18 confirm the 2 double generations of the 18th Dynasty. The 2
edges of the disc represent 2 turns, again confirming the duration of the period, 2 double
generations.

Population
The front side has 5 turns. So, the edge of it represents Egypt, 5° south of Crete. Passage
A21 determined the population at the end of the 18th Dynasty, in 1458 (2.1 million). The
inner part of side A contains 18 passages, symbolizing this Dynasty. So, the previous
passage A17, the last but one of the inner part, will give the population at the start of this
period. It has a "messenger", corresponding to an Egyptian population of 1,700,000. The
next and 2nd passage A18 has a "King", confirming the 2nd number (7), and passage
A23 has a "falcon", symbol of God, confirming the number has to be written down in
23-16= 7 figures. A23 symbolizes the holy Tropic of Cancer, and the Southern Egyptian
Empire, at 23°N. On midsummer day the Sun is there at right angles above. It is the cen-
ter of the Sunreligion.

Years of reign: joined series of passages
For the important 18th Dynasty, recent years of reign are indicated by joined series of
passages. Passage A13 on the front side shows the 4th King Thutmozes II. The 13
preceding passages, the first ones on the Disc, are his last 13 years of reign (all except the

first one), from 1519 till 1506. His successor Queen Hatshepsut is represented by the last
passage 19 of the inner part. The 6 preceding passages are her first 6 years of reign, her
regency for the young Thutmozes III, from 1506 till 1500. The “bow and arrow” in A19
shows that not everybody was happy with the events during this time period. Hatshepsut
is shown as a Queen in passage B3 on the back side. The 12+3= 15 preceding passages
are her last 15 years of reign, from 1500 till 1485. So, Queen Hatshepsut reigned Egypt
for a total of 6+15= 21 years, from 1506 till 1485. King Thutmozes III (Fig.7.1) is shown
in B3, besides Hatshepsut, but also in last passage B30. The 27 preceding passages are his
27 years of reign, from 1485 till 1458, the date of the Phaistos Disc (Ch.2).

On the front side, recent years of reign are shown by joined series of passages a second
time. Important passage A3 in the first paragraph shows the 6-2= 4th King Tutmoses II.
The 3 preceding passages, the first ones on the Disc, are his last 3 years of reign, from
1509 till 1506. His successor Queen Hatshepsut is represented by the “King” in passage
9. The 6 preceding passages are her first 6 years of reign, her regency for the young
Thutmozes III, from 1506 till 1500. The “Death-Palace” in A9 refers to the famous
monument she built in Deir-el-Bahari (Fig.7.2). The “dove” shows that her “peaceful”
period of government was appreciated. Hatshepsut is shown as a Queen in passage A24.
The 15 preceding passages are her last 15 years of reign, from 1500 till 1485. So, Queen
Hatshepsut reigned Egypt for a total of 6+15= 21 years. King Thutmozes III is shown in
A24, besides Hatshepsut and her “shield”, but also in last passage 31, honouring him
twice. The 7 preceding passages are his first 7 years of reign, from 1485 till 1478.

On the front side, Queen Hatshepsut is shown in passage A8, in her 8-3= 5th year of
reign. The "Death-Palace" in next passage A9 represents her Death-Temple in Deir-el-
Bahari (Fig.7.2) , on the westbank of the River Nile, which she ordered to build in her
9-3= 6th year of government, in 1500. On the back side Queen Hatshepsut is also shown
in passage B15, and her temple in passage B21. The 21-15= 6 preceding passages
confirm the start of the construction of her Death-Temple in her 6th year of reign. A
similar death-temple is shown in passage B26, encoding the lattitude of Thebes, where
the temple is located, at 26°N. The "temples" in passages B21 and B26 are situated on the
edge or 4th turn, which symbolizes Egypt, 4° south of Crete, at 35-4= 31°N. The front
side of the disc possesses 31 passages and 5 turns, encoding the latitude of the Deir-el-
Bahari Temple, at 31-5= 26°N. The back side possesses 30 passages and 4 turns,
confirming this temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Thebes, at 30-4= 26°N (Fig.7.2).

Passages B4-30 on the back side represent the 27 years of reign of Thutmozes III (Ch.2).
We know this King ordered to build many temples. Note, that in agreement with this
statement these passages show to the tune of 1 palace and 5 temples. Passage B28 shows
King Thutmozes III in the 28-3= 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne, but also
as a little boy, when Queen Hatshepsut acted as regent.

Side B and the edge of side A, the 5th turn, each contain 1 free Queen, which is the
previous or 5th Ruler of this dynasty, Queen Hatshepsut. Because of her so-called “illegal
regency” of the last King Thutmozes III, she has not been placed between the Kings of
passages A27 and A31, where she belongs.- Both inner part and the edge of side B each
contain 3 Rulers. So it appears, one distinguishes between an old period of three Rulers
until the death of Thutmozes I in 1520, and a new period of three Rulers after this date,
one double generation later, till 1520-62= 1458, which is the date of the disc.

Fig.7.2 The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari at Thebes, Egypt
(c.1500 BC, Courtesy R.H. Wilkinson, Refs.24,69)

Years of reign: joined series of symbols
Years of reign are always indicated by series of symbols. These series run from the start
of a passage to a “King, Queen, or symbol of God” at the end of a passage. If these series
are joined, it is indicated by ('). It means the years of reign of consecutive Kings are
shown in a very nice way.

On the front side, the first King Ahmozes I is represented by the symbol of "God" in
passage 7. The 24 preceding symbols are his 24 years of reign, from 1580 till 1556. The

first symbol of the series is the "ordinary man" in passage 1, showing this King did not
possess royal blood. So, he is the first King of the new, 18th Dynasty. His successor King
Amenhotep I is shown in passage 12. The 23/26 preceding symbols, ending in A8'/A7,
are his 23/26 years of reign, from 1556/59 till 1533. His successor King Thutmozes I is
shown in important passage 15, at the end of the first half of the front side. The 13 prece-
ding symbols, ending in A13', are his 13 years of reign, from 1533 till 1520.

His successor King Thutmozes II is represented by the last passage 19’ of the inner part.
The 14 preceding symbols, ending in A16’, are his 14 years of reign, from 1520 till 1506.
His successor Queen Hatshepsut is shown in passage 24. The 6 preceding symbols,
ending in A23, are 6 years of reign, her regency for the young Thutmozes III, from 1506
till 1500. Queen Hatshepsut is also shown with her “shield” in the same passage 24. The
21 preceding symbols, ending in A20’, are her total of 6+15= 21 years of reign, from
1506 till 1485. Her successor, the last King Thutmozes III, is shown in the last passage
31. The 27 preceding symbols, ending in A24' with the same King, honouring him twice,
are his 27 years of reign, from 1485 till 1458, which is the date of the Phaistos Disc
(Table 7.1).

Confirmation
Years of reign are confirmed by passages. On the front side, King Ahmozes I is shown in
passage 24, because of his 24 years of reign. King Amenhotep I is shown in passage
23/27, because of his 23/27 years of reign. King Thutmozes I is shown in passage 13,
because of his 13 years of reign.

King Thutmozes II is shown in passages 13/15, because of his 14 years of reign. Queen
Hatshepsut is symbolized by a “King” in passage 6, because of her first 6 years of reign,
her regency for the young Thutmozes III. Queen Hatshepsut is also represented by the
"King" in important passage 15, because of her last 15 years of reign. The last King
Thutmozes III is shown in passage 27, because of his 27 years of reign. Note, that all
years of reign are confirmed, some recent ones several times (Refs.16-26).

Dates
The end of the New Palace Culture on Crete happened c.1450. There is no disagreement
on this date among specialists (Refs.10-15). The Phaistos Disc confirms this date with its
more accurate value of 1458. In addition, it shows that the New Kingdom in Egypt star-
ted c.1580 (Table 7.1). This last date is widely accepted as correct by many Egyptolo-
gists. However, there are still some scholars who believe in the later date of c.1550
(Ref.53). So, the Phaistos Disc may be of great help in improving the absolute dates of
the Egyptian civilization.

Temples
The symbol of the “temple” is interesting. It may have several meanings. Here, the
temple may represent important periods in Egyptian history. The three poles symbolize
the Archaic Period, the basis of Egyptian civilization. The first floor is the Old Kingdom,
and its 4 rooms are meant for the 4 Dynasties of it. The large central horizontal plate
might symbolize the First Intermediate Period, when the power of Egypt declined. In that
case the second floor is the Middle Kingdom, and the 3 rooms are meant for the 3 most
important Dynasties 11, 12, and 13. Finally, it appears, that the top floor represents the
New Kingdom.

TABLE 7.1

LATE EGYPTIAN HISTORY
ACCORDING TO THE PHAISTOS DISC, 1458 BC

NEW KINGDOM: 18TH DYNASTY
c.1580 Start of 18th Dynasty (c.1580*)(18 passages of inner parts,
123/119 symbols= 122 years)
Population 1,700,000, 6 Rulers, 4 generations
Edge side A: 5 Kings and 1 Queen
c.1580 Ahmozes I (24)
c.1556 Amenhotep I (23/27)
c.1533 Thutmozes I (13)
c.1520 Thutmozes II (14)
c.1506 Hatshepsut, regency (6)
c.1500 Death-Palace in Deir-el-Bahari
c.1500 Hatshepsut (15)
c.1485 Thutmozes III (27)
c.1458 Population 2,100,000
0.5 million in Upper Egypt, 1.6 million in Lower Egypt
Egyptian Fleet: c.2,939 seaworthy ships
Pyramids: c.25, Temples: c.77
Schools: c.2,156; lower schools: c.1,718, higher schools: c.438
c.1458 End of New Palace Culture on Crete (c.1450*)

* according to archaeological research
(..) years of reign; the names of the Pharaohs are not mentioned on the disc.

7.3 SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
13th-17th Dynasties
The edge of the front side contains 12+1= 13 passages, corresponding to the 13th Dynas-
ty. The inner part contains 7 paragraphs, and the inner part of the other side has 6 para-
graphs, together confirming the 7+6= 13th Dynasty (Table 2.1). This dynasty is the long-
est of the 2nd Intermediate Period (SIP). Side A contains 7+4= 11 paragraphs, and the
edge of side B has 3 paragraphs, together encoding the 11+3= 14th Dynasty.

The edge of side B contains 12 passages, and the inner part of it has 3 turns, together
encoding the 12+3= 15th or Hyksos Dynasty. This was the most important foreign dynas-
ty. When combining the last two symbols of passage B3 to 1 “King” (the son of the vir-
gin), the 6 Rulers of this Dynasty are shown. On the edge of the front side these 6 Rulers
are confirmed.

Side B contains 6+3= 9 paragraphs, and the inner part of side A has 7 paragraphs, toge-
ther encoding the 9+7= 16th Dynasty. Side A contains 11 paragraphs, and the inner part
of side B has 6 paragraphs, together encoding the 11+6= 17th Dynasty (Refs.16-26).

All five dynasties together form the Second Intermediate Period (SIP) or Hyksos Time,
which lasted officially 206 years, from 1786 to 1580 BC. It was a chaotic time period
between the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. On the front side, passages A8 and
A9 represent the 2 important time periods within the SIP, which should be called the

Early SIP and the Late SIP. Passages A7 and A10, both with the "falcon", symbol of
God, are used for separation of the series.

On both sides, passage 18 was symbolic for the present, 18th Dynasty. So, passages
13-17 are symbolic for the 13th-17th Dynasties. On the front side, passage A13 is more
important than A14, and passage A15 is more important than A16 and A17 (Ch.5),
illustrating the relative importance of the corresponding Dynasties. Important passage
A15 represents the 15th or Hyksos Dynasty. When reading the text on the back side
(Ch.5), again two groups can be identified: passages B13-14, and passages B15-17,
confirming the Early and the Late SIP. Note the thick separation-line at the end of
passage A16 on the front side. It illustrates that it was the 17th Dynasty (A17), which
leaded to the present 18th Dynasty (A18).

Duration of the SIP
On the back side, the 8 passages B5-12 of paragraphs 2-5 encode the duration of the
period, 8 generations or 8x30.5= 244 years, which turns out to be from 1794 to 1550, as
will be explained. The "cat" in 4 of these passages occurs 8 times on the back side,
confirming the 4x2= 8 generations. Side B has 4 turns, confirming the duration of the
SIP, 4 double generations, or 8 generations. The inner part of side A has also 4 turns,
confirming it. On the front side the 8 passages A5-12 of paragraphs 2-4 confirm the
duration, 8 generations. The 242 symbols of the disc confirm the number of years.

Neighboring passages A6 and A2 on the front side determine the duration of the SIP,
between 6 and 2 double generations ago. Note that these passages have a group of two
symbols, the "messenger" and the "scroll of the law", in common. In passages A3-6
involved, the "King", "corpse", and "shield" occur 14, 15, and 17 times on one of the
sides or on both sides, confirming the corresponding Dynasties (Table 2.2). The "shield"
and the "corpse" in passages A3-6 occur 8 times on the inner part of side A, confirming
the 8 generations. Neighboring passages B6 and B2 on the back side confirm the duration
of the SIP, between 6 and 2 double generations ago. Note that these groups have the
"hammer" in common.

Duration of dynasties
The edge of side A, and especially the 13th passage of it (A19), symbolizes the 13th
Dynasty, which formed the start of this less important time periode. The weak indication
shows Egypt felt into decay. The once proud nation was ruled by folks from strange
countries in the east. The symbols of “bow” and “arrow” in passage A19 mean the
Hyksos imported these weapons into Egypt, where they worshipped the wargod Baal.
According to some experts, the bow is of Asian origin (Refs.1-3).

On the back side, the paragraph-line of B5 runs till the edge of passage B13, and a group
of 4 symbols of B5 equals passage B13. So, B5 is the start of the 13th Dynasty. B6 and
B9 also have 4 symbols, so one of these marks the end of the 13th Dynasty. B5 has 5
symbols, corresponding to 5 passages, so we choose for B9. So, paragraphs 2 and 3 have
5 passages, encoding the duration of the 13th Dynasty, 5 generations.

B7, at the start of the new paragraph, is the start of the next, or 14th Dynasty. B9 has 4
symbols, just like passage B14, so B9 marks the end of the 14th Dynasty. B7 has 3
symbols, corresponding to 3 passages. So, paragraph 3 has 3 passages, encoding the
duration of the 14th Dynasty, 3 generations. This dynasty ruled contemporarily with the
previous Dynasty.

B10, at the start of the new paragraph, is the start of the 15th or Hyksos Dynasty. The
passage has 5 symbols, just like B15, corresponding to 5 passages. Apparently the
dynasty ruled till the end of the SIP, which is confirmed in the literature. So, paragraphs
4 and 5 have 3 passages, encoding the duration of the 15th or Hyksos Dynasty, 3
generations.

The paragraph-line of B10 points to a “messenger” below it, also present in B16. So, B10
will also be at the start of the 16th Dynasty. B16 has 3 symbols, corresponding to 3
passages. Apparently this dynasty also ruled till the end of the SIP. So, paragraphs 4 and
5 have 3 passages, encoding the duration of the 16th Dynasty, 3 generations. It appears,
that this dynasty ruled simultaneously with the 15th or Hyksos Dynasty.

Finally, B11, at the start of the paragraph, is the start of the next, or 17th Dynasty. The
passage has 3 symbols, just like B17, corresponding to 3 passages. Apparently this
dynasty also ruled till the end of the SIP. So, paragraph 5 has 2 passages, encoding the
duration of the 17th Dynasty, 2 generations. It appears that the 17th Dynastie ruled
contemporarily with both the 15th and 16th Dynasty. It may be noted, that the Phaistos
Disc is probably the most reliable source of information for the duration of the dynasties
within the SIP (Refs.16-26).

When reading the text of the passages involved (Ch.5), two groups can be identified:
passages B5-9 and B10-12, corresponding with 5 and 3 generations, repectively. These 2
groups confirm the 2 important time periods within the SIP, the Early SIP and the Late
SIP.

Correction of the duration
Passage B12 on the back side symbolizes a generation where the Hyksos influence in
Egypt continued during the 18th Dynasty. Earlier we argued that passages B5-12
encoded the duration of the SIP, 8 generations or 8x30.5= 244 years, so from from 1794
to 1550. It is more correct to state that the duration is defined by passages B5-11, so by 7
genera-tions or 7x30.5= 214 years, so from 1794 to 1580. The 18th Dynasty started in
1580.

Comet Catastrophe
Passage A3 on the front side contains two “corpses”. This means, that 3 double genera-
tions ago, a major disaster happened. This is between 1458+3x61= 1641, and 1641-61=
1580 (see Ch.6). The two corpses are placed upside down, which is unusual. The last
corpse touches the first one with its leg, and points to passage A9. The first corpse points
to the “Queen” in B8. Passage A9 has two corpses, indicating a possible number of
90,000 casualties in Egypt, because a factor 10 less or more would be in both cases
unprobable. The King in A13, above the “Queen” in A24, confirms the number has to be
written down in 13-8= 5 figures. Previously, A13 provided the date of the event (see
Ch.6). The cock’s comb of the King in A3 touches the end of the passage, which points
to the second “corpse” in A9. This is the 5th symbol of the passage, confirming the 5
figures. The mentioned number is 18% of the casualties wordwide, and about c.6.7% of
the population of Egypt at that time.

The Catastrophe happened 3 double generations ago, which is 5 or 6 generations ago.
The “boat” of passage A12 (see Ch.6) points to A6, indicating the calamity occurred 6
generations ago, between 1641 and 1641-31= 1610. This is correct, because it happened

in 1628 (Ch.6). Passage B9 on the back side has a “corpse”, confirming the c.90,000
casualties in Egypt. B13 has an upside-down “Cat-god”, confirming the number should
be written down in 13-8= 5 figures. In addition, the paragraph-line of this passage points
to the “messenger” in B23, indicating number of people. Passage B13 also has a “cover”
or “head of a comet”, indicating the possible cause of the disaster (Refs.24-32). This
calamity was the reason of the end of the 13th and 14th Dynasties (B9), and the start of
the 15th or Hyksos Dynasty (B10). It marks the end of the Early SIP, and the beginning
of the Late SIP. Note, that this natural disaster happened in 1628, which was during the
first generation of the Hyksos Dynasty, from 1641 to 1610 (Refs.43-52).

Population
Passage A17 on the front side determined the population at the end of the SIP (the 17th
Dynasty, 1.7 million). So, the previous and identical passage A11 will give the
population at the start of this period. It has a "messenger", corresponding to an Egyptian
population of 1,100,000. The next or 2nd passage A12 with the "King" confirms the 2nd
number (1), and passage A17 is the identical passage just mentioned, confirming the
number has to be written down in 17-10= 7 figures (Table 7.2).

TABLE 7.2


SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
c.1794 Start of SIP, 7 (8) generations (c.1786*)
Population 1,100,000
EARLY SIP (5 generations)
c.1794 Start of Early SIP (A8)
c.1794 13th Dynasty, 5 generations (edge side A)
c.1732 14th Dynasty, 3 generations
c.1702 Start of New Palace Culture on Crete (c.1700 BC*)
c.1641 (End of reign)
LATE SIP (2 generations)
c.1641 Start of Late SIP (A9)
c.1641 15th Dynasty, 2 (3) generations, Hyksos Dynasty, "Great Hyksos"
c.1641 16th Dynasty, 2 (3) generations, "Small Hyksos"
c.1628 Comet Catastrophe (floodings during 10 days):
c.90,000 casualties in Egypt (6.7%), (c.510 thousand worldwide)
c.1611 17th Dynasty, 1 (2) generation(s)
c.1580 Start of 18th Dynasty (c.1550, End of SIP)
c.1580 18th Dynasty, population: 1,700,000 (c.1580*)


7.4 MIDDLE KINGDOM: 12TH DYNASTY
The edges of the disc each possess 12 passages, both representing the important 12th
Dynasty, which lasted officially 214 years, which is from 2000 to 1786 (Figs.7.5 and
7.6). The three equal passages 10, 13, and 16 on the front side, with the symbols for the
"power of God", contain together 3x4= 12 signs, confirming the 12th Dynasty. The sign

of the "mummy", symbolizing death, contains 12 bandages, confirming it again. The
“papyrus” has 6 buds and 6 leaves, once again confirming the 6+6= 12th Dynasty.

Passage A12 on the front side represents the 12th Dynasty. The "carpenters square" in the
passage occurs 12 times on the disc, confirming it (Table 2.2). Passage B12 on the back
side represents the 12th Dynasty, too. It contains the "glove" and the "scroll of the law",
because the 12th Dynasty was a time of law and order.

Kings
The edges, which represent the 12th Dynasty, contain together 4+3= 7 paragraphs, enco-
ding the 7 Kings, Amenemhet I-IV and Sesostris I-III. The 4+3= 7 Rulers on inner part
and the edge of the back side, confirm these 7 Kings. On the front side, the 7 passages
11,12 and 14,15 and 17,18,19 represent the 2+2+3= 7 Kings of the 12th Dynasty.
Passages A13 and A16 with the "falcon", symbol of God, are used for separation. The
Kings were Amenemhet I, Sesostris I; and Amenemhet II, Sesostris II; and Sesostris III,
Amenemhet III and IV, respectively. The 4+3= 7 central rooms of the "temple" confirm
these 7 Kings. The “shield” has 7 burls, confirming them again.

Actually, there were 7 Kings and 1 Queen, or 8 Rulers, during this time period. However,
the last Queen, who only ruled for a few years at the end of the dynasty, was considered
unimportant. Passages A11 and A12, which represent the first two Kings, contain
together 2+6= 8 symbols, representing these 8 Rulers. Note, that last passage A12 also
represents the 12th Dynasty. A18 and A19 symbolize the last two Kings. These passages
also contain together 6+2= 8 symbols, again confirming the 8 Rulers of the 12th Dynasty.

Crisis
On the back side, passages B11-18 encode the duration of the period, 8 generations, or
8x30.5= 244 years, according to the disc from 2007 till 1763, as will be explained. Last
passage B18 is at the end of the inner part. The 242 symbols of the disc confirm the
number of years. Passages A11-18 on the front side confirm the 8 generations. Last
passage A18 is at the end of the inner part, again.

However, passage B11 on the back side symbolizes a generation where the Hyksos
influence in Egypt started, just after the end of the 12th Dynasty. It contains the group of
symbols “cover, waterway”, which means “take care for the course of the law” (Ch.5).
So, serious political mistakes were responsible for the end of the 12th Dynasty. Passage
A11 on the front side represents the same generation, when the chaos started. It has the
combination “messenger, hoof”, which means, “spread it with great drive”. It emphasizes
the message of B11 at the other side.

Passage A29 on the front side is equal to passage B11. It confirms the political mistakes
at the end of the 12th Dynasty. So, A29 does not belong to the great period of the Middle
Kingdom. As a consequence, the other 13-1= 12 passages on the edge of this side now
symbolize the 12th Dynasty.

Duration
We just argued that passages B11-18 encoded the duration of the period, 8 generations.
However, it is more correct to state that the duration of the 12th Dynasty is defined by
passages B12-18, so by 18-11= 7 generations or 7x30.5= 214 years. This is from 2007 to
1793, which is until the start of the 2nd Intermediate Period. The 7 Kings, mentioned
earlier, symbolize these 7 generations. The edge on the front side contains 7 "shields"

with 7 burls, confirming it.

On both sides, the precise duration of the 12th Dynasty is determined by important
passage 12. On the front side passages A12 and A18 are equal. These confirm the
duration of this Dynasty, 18-11= 7 generations. These passages are equal, because the
present 18th Dynasty is based upon the former 12th Dynasty. Both passages contain
together 6+6= 12 symbols, confirming the 12th Dynasty. The passages start with the
"carpenters square". The 12 "squares" on the disc confirm the 12th Dynasty, and they
confirm the statement that this 12th Dynasty "resulted in" or “leaded to” the present 18th
Dynasty.

Passages A18 and B18 at the end of the inner parts symbolize the simultaneous start of
the Old Palace Culture on Crete and the 12th Dynasty in Egypt, 18 generations ago, in
1458+18x30.5= 2007. The “temples” or palaces in B18 confirm it. For that reason the
grand staircase of the Palace of Phaistos has 12 steps, commemorating the 12th Dynasty
(see Fig.6.2). As a consequence this Egyptian Period is indicated on the Phaistos Disc in
a prominent way. It was an important time period for Crete, as well as for Egypt
(Refs.7-15,16-30).

Passage B12 on the back side symbolizes the last generation of the 12th Dynasty, when
the power of the Rulers strongly declined. This was during the reigns of King Ame-
nemhet IV and Queen Neferusobek. For that reason B13 is the first passage of paragraph
6, having 6 passages corresponding with the 6 generations of the 6 first, strong Kings of
this Dynasty. On the front side the new paragraph also starts at passage A13, confirming
it.

Passages A9 and A6 on the front side have a group of two symbols, the "shield" and the
"King", in common. These two passages show the main part of the 12th Dynasty lasted
between 9 and 6 double generations ago. Passages B9 and B6 on the back side have the
"hammer" in common. These two passages confirm the main part of the 12th Dynasty
was between 9 and 6 double generations ago.

Population
Passage A11 of the front side determined the population at the end of the important 12th
Dynasty (1.1 million). So, previous passage A6 having a "messenger" will give the
population at the start of it. It corresponds to an Egyptian population of 600,000 men.
Passage A6 itself, with a "King", confirms the first number (6), and passage A11 with the
"messenger", just mentioned, confirms the number has to be written down in 11-5= 6
figures (Tables 7.3 & 7.6).

Fig.7.3 Hieroglyphics from the White Chapel at Karnac, Egypt, of the 2nd King
Sesostris I (c.1978-1942) of the Twelfth Dynasty
(Sandstone, Courtesy P. Johnson, Ref.67)

Comet Catastrophe
Passage A15 on the front side represents the fourth king Sesostris II (1905-1886). The
passage has two “corpses”, which means a Catastrophe happened during his reign. These
corpses touch each other. It means the number of casualties is indicated by two
successive passages with corpses. These have to be the neighboring passages A25 and
A26 on the edge. The edge has twelve passages, confirming the 12th Dynasty.

Passage A26 has the combination of “cover, waterway, corpse”, which suggests 260
thousand casualties because of the Tail of a Comet (6.2%). The next passage has a
“shield, king”, confirming the second number (6), and A31, at the end of the side, also
has a “shield, king”, confirming the number has to be written down in 31-25= 6 figures.
Passage B26 on the back side has a “shield, mummy”, confirming the c.260 thousand
casualties, worldwide. The Egyptian mummy has 12 bandages, confirming the 12th
Dynasty. The next passage has a “corpse”, confirming the second number (6), and A19
also has a “corpse”, confirming the number has to be written down in 30-25+1= 6 figures
(world population: c.4.2 million men). Passage A19 confirms the 19 years of reign of the
king.

Passage A31 on the front side has a “square, messenger, scroll of the law”, also present in
passage B23 on the back side, together with a “Comet”. It encodes 30+23= 53,000
casualties in Egypt (6.2%). The next passage also has a “messenger, scroll”, confirming
the second number (3), and B27 has a “corpse”, again, confirming the number has to be
written down in 27-22= 5 figures. Passage A22 on the front side has a “shield, king”,
confirming the 31+22= c.53,000 casualties in Egypt. The next passage has the symbols

for the “power of God”, confirming the second number (3), and A26 has the combination
“cover, waterway, corpse”, again, confirming the number has to be written down in
26-21= 5 figures (population of Egypt: c.850 thousand men). This last passage indicated
the number of casualties, worldwide.

The combination of “cover, waterway, corpse” in A26 is also present in B29, the 11th
passage on the edge (E11). It encodes the duration of the Catastrophe, 11 days of forest
fires, rains, and floodings. Next passage B30, at the end of the side, has a “cover” and a
“shield, king”, confirming the second number (1). Passage A29 (E11) on the front side
has a “cover, waterway”, confirming the duration. The identical passage B11 on the back
side confirms the duration, again. Next passage B12 confirms the second number (1), as
well as the 12th Dynasty. The paragraph line of B11 points to the 12 passages on the
edge, confirming it. Passage A11 on the front side has a “messenger”, encoding the world
population at the time of the Disaster, 31+11= c.4.2 million men. Next passage A12 has a
“corpse” and a “king”, confirming the second number (2), and the identical passage A17
confirms the number has to be written down in 17-10= 7 figures.

Passage A15 on the front side represents the fourth king Sesostris II (1905-1886). He
reigned 15 generations ago, which is between 1458+(15x30.5)= 1915, and 1915-30=
1885. It was a second government generation, which is shown on the back side of the
disc. His 19 years of reign are indicated between B11 and B30. B8 shows the king
reigned 8 double generations ago. The “square” in the passage touches the “Comet”.
Passage B17, with the palace of Phaistos, has a “square”, too. It suggests the Catastrophe
happened in his 17-11= 6th year of reign, which is the year of 1899.

Not only passages, but also symbols may indicate years. Starting from the year of 1457+
242+119= 1818, the front side is now of importance. Counting the years will continue at
the end of the side, going backwards. The 19 years of reign of the king are shown
between the “horn” of A10 and the “papyrus” of A15, the passage of Sesostris II, where
this story started. The first symbol of A12, representing the 12th Dynasty, is the “square”,
again, representing the 6th year of reign of the king, which confirms the year of 1899.
King Sesostris II had a great admiration for King Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty, because this
king also had to deal with a Catastrophe during his reign.

Passage B19 on the back side, with a “boat, corpse”, was the last one of the series
B26-19. It provides the number of casualties on Crete, c.1,900 men (6.1%). The next
passage has a “king”, confirming the second number (9), and B22 also has a “boat”,
confirming the number has to be written down in 22-18= 4 figures. The “scraper” with 27
dots refers to B27, having a “corpse”, again. Passage A31 on the front side, with a
“shield, king”, was the last one of the series A26-31. It encodes the population of Crete at
the time of the Disaster, c.31,000 men. The next passage, the last one of the inner part,
confirms the second number (1), and A22 has a “shield, king”, confirming the number
should be written down in 22-18+1= 5 figures. A19 confirms the c.1,900 victims of
Crete, again. (Refs.58-61)

Years of reign: joined series of symbols
Years of reign are indicated by series of symbols. If these series are joined, it is indicated
by ('). On the front side, King Amenemhet I, the first King of the 12th Dynasty, is
represented by the “Queen” in passage 8. The 29 preceding symbols, the first ones on the
disc, are his 29 years of reign, according to the disc from 2007 till 1978. His successor,
King Sesostris I (Fig.7.3) is shown in passage 16. The 36 preceding symbols, ending in

A9', are his 36 years of reign, from 1978 till 1942. According to the disc there is now a
short interval, in view of the literature during 3 years, shown by passages 17'-19'
(Refs.14-26).

His successor King Amenemhet II is shown in passage 27. The 34 preceding symbols,
the first ones on the edge, ending in A20', are his 34 years of reign, from 1939 till 1905.
His successor King Sesostris II is shown in passage 20. The 19 preceding symbols on the
edge, dropping passage 19 and ending in A28', are his 19 years of reign, from 1905 till
1886. Note, that his 6th year of reign is in A29 (E11), which encoded the duration of the
Comet Catastrophe. According to the disc there is now a short interval, in view of the
literature during 1 year, shown by passage 19'.

On the front side, King Sesostris III is shown in passage 9. The 36 preceding symbols,
the first ones on the disc, are his 36 years of reign, from 1885 till 1849. His successor,
King Amenemhet III (Fig.7.4) is shown in passage 20. The 44 preceding symbols, ending
in A10', are his 44 years of reign, from 1849 till 1805.

His successor, King Amenemhet IV, is shown in passage 22. The 9 preceding symbols,
ending in A21', are his 9 years of reign, from 1805 till 1796. His successor, Queen
Neferusobek, is represented by the symbol of God in passage 23', and shown in passage
24'. In both cases, the 3 preceding symbols are her 3 years of reign, from 1796 till 1793.

Confirmation
These years of reign are confirmed by passages on the front side. King Amenemhet I, the
first King of the 12th Dynasty, is represented by the edge and by God in passage 16,
because of his 13+16= 29 years of reign. His successor, King Sesostris I (Fig.7.3) is
shown in passage 6, because of his 30+6= 36 years of reign. The short interval is shown
by important passage 3, because of its duration of 3 years.

The next King Amenemhet II is shown in the same passage 3, because of his 31+3= 34
years of reign. His successor King Sesostris II is shown by the edge and in passage 6,
because of his 13+6= 19 years of reign. Last passage 19 of the inner part confirms the
number of years. The short interval is shown by passage 1, because of its duration of 1
year.

On the front side, his successor King Sesostris III is shown in passage 6, because of his
30+6= 36 years of reign. His successor King Amenemhet III (Fig.7.4) is shown by the
edge and in passage 31, because of his 13+31= 44 years of reign. His successor, King
Amenemhet IV, is shown in passage 9, because of his 9 years of reign. His successor,
Queen Neferusobek, is represented by the King in passage 3, because of her 3 years of
reign.

Overlap in reign
However, in the 12th Dynasty there was a lot of overlap in government. Kings were often
co-ruler. This is shown on the back side. King Amenemhet I, the first King of the 12th
Dynasty, is represented by the Royal Son in passage 28. The 29 preceding symbols,
ending in B21', are his 29 years of reign, from 2007 till 1978. His successor, King
Sesostris I (Fig.7.3) is shown in passage 14, and represented by the Royal Son in passage
28. The 44/46 preceding symbols, ending in B3'/B29', are his 45 years of reign, from
1987 till 1942.

His successor King Amenemhet II is represented by the Royal Son in passage 28. The 37
preceding symbols, ending in B19', are his 37 years of reign, from 1942 till 1905. His
successor King Sesostris II is shown in passage 20. The 19 preceding symbols, ending in
B15', are his 19 years of reign, from 1905 till 1886. Note, that his 6th year of reign is in
B17, which encoded the date of the Comet Catastrophe. According to the disc there is
now a short interval, in view of the literature during 1 year, shown by the "King" in
passage B3'.

The next King Sesostris III is represented by the Royal Son in passage 28. The 37
preceding symbols, the first ones on the edge, are his 37 years of reign, from 1885 till
1848. His successor, King Amenemhet III (Fig.7.4), is shown in the same passage 28,
also as the Royal Son. The 46 preceding symbols, ending in B29', are his 46 years of
reign, from 1849 till 1803, or may be from 1850 till 1804.

The King in passage 20' may represent his successor, King Amenemhet IV. The 8
preceding symbols, the first ones on the edge, may represent his 8 years of reign, as
sometimes reported. However, probably King Amenemhet IV is shown in the last
passage 30'. The 9 preceding symbols confirm his 9 years of reign, from 1805 till 1796.
His successor Queen Neferusobek is represented by the King in passage 28'. The 3
preceding symbols confirm her 3 years of reign, from 1796 till 1793. She was the last
Ruler of the 12th Dynasty.

Fig.7.4 Bronze statue of the 6th King Amenemhet III of the Twelfth Dynasty
(c.1849-1805) (Courtesy P. Johnson, Ref.67)

The Egyptian Fleet
In 1458, 18th Dynasty, Egypt had a population of 2.1 million men and a fleet of c.2,939
seaworthy ships. At the end of the 12th Dynasty the population was only 1.1 million men.
So, we may expect that at this moment, around the year of 1794, the Egyptian fleet
contained an estimated number of (1.1/2.1)x2,939= c.1,539 ships (Refs.27-30). However,
this estimation is too high, because it was 1794-1458= 336 years earlier in the time!

In 2370, at the end of the 5th Dynasty, Egypt had a population of 370 thousand men, and
a fleet of c.300 seaworthy ships (see Ch.8). At the end of the 12th Dynasty, the
population was 1.1 million men. So, we may expect that around the year of 1794, the
Egyptian fleet contained an estimated number of (110/37)x300= c.892 ships. However,
this estimation is far too low, because it was 2370-1794= 576 years later in the time! So,
the best estimation appears to be: (576x1,539)+(336x892) / (576+336)= c.1,301 seawor-
thy ships.

Let us now look at the disc. Passage A12 on the front side represents the 12th Dynasty. It
also has a “boat”. So, it will be at the start of a series of 4 passages, encoding 1,200 ships.
The next or 2nd passage has a King, confirming the 2nd number (2), and the last
important passage A15 has a King, showing that the number has to be written down in
15-11= 4 figures. Passage A18 has a boat, too. It will form a series of 3 passages,
corresponding to 180 ships. Last passage A20 on the edge has a King, showing the
number has to be written down in 20-17= 3 figures. So, added up, it appears that Egypt
had a fleet of 1,200+180= c.1,380 seaworthy ships, which is slightly more than expected.

The edge of the back side is the 4th turn. It symbolizes the northern Nile Delta, 4° south
of Crete, at 35-4= 31°N. It also has 12 passages representing the 12th Dynasty. So, it will
show the size of the fleet, too. Again, the passages will be counted along the edge (see
Ch.4). Passage E1 has a “boat”, encoding 1,000 seaworthy ships. It forms a series of 4
passages, finishing with another boat, a papyrus, and a Nile symbol in E4, showing the
number has to be written down in 4 figures. E4 itself encodes 400 ships. It forms a series
of 3 passages, finishing at the end of the paragraph. E9 encodes 9 boats at the end of
another paragraph. So, it is confirmed, that in that time period Egypt had a fleet with a
total number of 1,000+400+9= c.1,409 seaworthy ships.

Passage B25 on the back side has the only sign of a “pyramid”. It still encodes c.25
pyramids in Egypt.- The edge of the disc symbolizes the country during the 12th
Dynasty. Passage B26 still encodes 26 Egyptian temples (see above, 18th Dynasty). B21
corresponds with another 21 temples. A30 on the front side has a “temple”, too. It will
form 1 passage till the end of the paragraph. So, it only encodes 3 temples. Added up, the
edges give evidence of 26+21+3= c.50 Egyptian temples at the end of the 12th Dynasty
(c.1794). This number appears to be in agreement with the literature (Refs.14-26)

The inner parts of the disc have “temples and palaces”, which might confirm the total
number. Passage B18 forms a series of 2 passages, finishing with B19, the first passage
on the edge. B19, after B30, symbolizes the northern Nile Delta, at 30+1= 31°N. The first
temple of B18 encodes 18 Egyptian temples (see above). However, the second temple
will now form a series which finishes at the end of the inner part. So, it only forms 1

passage. The 2nd number (8) is not confirmed. So, it only represents 1 temple. The
“palace” in B17 corresponds with another 17 temples. B6 at the end of the paragraph
corresponds with 6 temples. Finally, the “palace” of A9 on the front side is also at the end
of the paragraph. It encodes 9 temples. Added up, the inner parts confirm a total number
of 18+1+17+6+9= c.51 Egyptian temples.

The symbol of the “temple” is intriguing. The 3 poles appear to represent the 3 important
Dynasties 3-5 of the Old Kingdom. The large horizontal plate may mark the start of the
Middle Kingdom, simultaneously with the Old Palace Culture on Crete, around the year
of 2007. The 7 rooms are for the 7 Kings of the 12th Dynasty. The top level is for the
present, 18th Dynasty.

Schools
In 1458 Egypt had c.2,156 schools. Because of the lower population, the country will
now have an estimated number of (1.1/2.1)x2,156= c.1,129 schools. The temples and pa-
laces on the disc may also represent schools.- The edges of the disc represent Egypt at the
end of the 12th Dynasty. These passages will be counted along the edge, again. Passage
E11 on the front side has a “temple” or “school”. It may encode c.1,100 schools. E11 will
form a series of 4 passages. The next or 2nd passage E12 has a King, confirming the 2nd
number (1), and the last passage E1 has a King, too, showing the number has to be
written down in 13-10+1= 4 figures.

Passage E3 on the back side corresponds with 300 schools. The “school” in E3 forms a
series of 3 passages, finishing with the “messenger”, now a child, showing the number
has to be written down in 3 figures. Passage E8 encodes another 800 schools. The
“school” forms a series of 3 passages, again, finishing with the King, showing the
number has to be written down in 3 figures. So, the edge confirms that at the end of the
12th Dynasty, Egypt had a total of 300+800= c.1,100 schools. If the ratio “lower vs.
higher schools” is the same as in the year of 1458 (18th Dynasty), there were
(172/216)x1,100= c.877 “lower schools”, and (44/216)x1,100= c.223 “higher schools”.

TABLE 7.3


MIDDLE KINGDOM: 12TH DYNASTY
c.2007 Start 12th Dynasty (12 passages of edges, c.2000*)
Population: 600,000, 2+2+3= 7 Kings, 7 generations
Start of Old Palace Culture on Crete
c.2007 Amenemhet I (29)(A11)
c.1978 Sesostris I (36)(A12)
c.1942 (3 years)
c.1939 Amenemhet II (34)(A14)
c.1905 Sesostris II (19)(A15)
c.1899 Comet Catastrophe, c.260,000 casualties (6.2%), world population c.4.2 million
c.53,000 victims in Egypt, population c.850 thousand (floodings during 11 days)
c.1886 (1 year)
c.1885 Sesostris III (36)(A17)
c.1849 Amenemhet III (44)(A18)

c.1805 Amenemhet IV (9)(A19)
c.1796 Neferusobek (Queen) (3)
Egyptian Fleet: c.1,395 seaworthy ships
Pyramids: c.25, Temples: c.50
Schools: c.1,100; lower schools: c.877, higher schools: c.223
c.1793 End of dynasty, because of failures in the course of the law
c.1794 Start of SIP, population: 1,100,000 (c.1786*)

(..) years of reign

Fig.7.5 Front side A of the Phaistos Disc
(Crete, c.1458 BC) (Courtesy L. Godart, Ref.1)

Fig.7.6 Back side B of the Phaistos Disc
(Crete, c.1458 BC) (Courtesy L. Godart, Ref.1)

7.5 FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
7th-11th Dynasties
During this time period the country was divided in Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. The
inner part of side A contains 7 paragraphs, corresponding to the short, 7th Dynasty. Both
edges contain together 4+3= 7 paragraphs, confirming it. Passage B11 at the back side
has a paragraph-line pointing to the edge. As a result, both edges also contain together
4+4= 8 paragraphs, corresponding to the short, 8th Dynasty. The seat of this dynasty was
in Lower Egypt. As a consequence, the previous, 7th Dynasty must have been based in
Upper Egypt. In total, side B possesses 9 paragraphs, representing the long, 9th Dynasty.
It is known, that its seat was in Lower Egypt. Because of B11, it also contains 10 para-
graphs, encoding the short, 10th Dynasty. The inner part of side A has 7 paragraphs, and
the edge of side B has 3 paragraphs, together 7+3= 10 paragraphs, confirming it. This
dynasty must have been based in Upper Egypt. These almost hidden indications point to
a low status of all these dynasties.

In total, side B possesses 9 paragraphs, representing the long, 9th Dynasty. It is known,

that its seat was in Lower Egypt

The whole FIP, including the long, 11th Dynasty, is considered as a chaotic time period.
When dropping passage A19 at the end of the inner part, as well as passage A23 with the
symbols for the "power of God", the edge of the front side has 13-2= 11 passages, repre-
senting the more important 11th Dynasty. This side has a total of 11 paragraphs, confir-
ming it. The first three passages with the symbols for the "power of God", A7, A10, and
A13, contain together 11 symbols, confirming it again. It is known, that the 11th Dynasty
was based in Upper Egypt. All these dynasties ruled during the Late Pre-Palatial Period
on Crete (Ch.6). As a consequence, they are indicated less prominently than the previ-
ously discussed, 12th Dynasty.

Duration of the FIP
The 6 passages B19-24 on the back side encode the duration of the First Intermediate
Period (FIP), 6 generations or 6x30.5= 183 years, according to the disc from 2007+183=
2190 till 2007, which is until the start of the 12th Dynasty. These are the passages of pa-
ragraph 7, symbolizing the 7th Dynasty of Upper Egypt, the first one of the FIP. On the
front side, passages A19-24 confirm the duration of the FIP, 6 generations. These pas-
sages form the 8th paragraph, symbolizing the 8th Dynasty of Lower Egypt, the second
one of the FIP.

Passages A12 and A9 on the front side also determine the FIP, between 12 and 9 double
generations ago. In the passages A10-12 involved, the "horn", "messenger", "square", and
"hammer" occur 6 times on one of the sides or both sides, confirming the duration of the
FIP, 6 generations. Passages B12 and B9 on the back side confirm the FIP between 12
and 9 double generations ago. In passages B10-12 involved the "waterway" and the
"scroll of the law" occur 6 times on the disc, confirming the 6 generations, or 183 years,
of the FIP.

Note, that the Phaistos Disc is the only reliable source of information for the length of the
FIP. In the literature, there is no consensis about this subject. Estimations range from 169
years to 263 years (Refs.1-6,14-26).

Early and Late FIP
Passage B11 on the back side symbolizes the long 11th Dynasty, which is the last one of
the FIP. Its paragraph-line points to the end of passages B19 and B20, encoding the
duration of the Early FIP, 2 generations or 2x30.5= 61 years, from 2190 to 2129. The
paragraph-line also points to the start of passages B21-24, showing the duration of the
Late FIP, 4 generations or 4x30.5= 122 years, from 2129 to 2007.

The paragraph-line of passage A11 on the front side, also symbolizing the 11th Dynasty,
points to passages A19-22, confirming the duration of the Late FIP, 4 generations. Passa-
ge A23 with the symbols for the "power of God" is used for separation. A23 and A24
confirm the duration of the Early FIP, 2 generations. Note, that according to the Phaistos
Disc, the 11th Dynasty is included in the FIP.

Dynasties
On the front side, passages A7-11 symbolize the 7th-11th Dynasties. The signs for the
"power of God" in passage A7 are also found in A23. It contains the “branch”, symbol of
Upper Egypt, which confirms the seat of it. It appears, the short 7th Dynasty was impor-
tant in the 1st generation of the Early FIP. The symbol sequence "lid, square, Queen" in

passage A8 is also found in A24 (Ch.2). So, the 8th Dynasty of Lower Egypt was impor-
tant in the Early FIP, too.

The symbol sequence "shield, King" in passage A9 is also found in A24, A20, and A22.
So, the long 9th Dynasty of Lower Egypt was important in the 2nd generation of the
Early FIP, as well as in the whole Late FIP. It appears, that the previous, short 8th
Dynasty, also of Lower Egypt, was only important in the first generation of the Early
FIP.

The signs for the "power of God" and for the "shield, King" in passage A10 are found in
A23 and A24, respectively. So, the short 10th Dynasty of Upper Egypt was only impor-
tant in the Early FIP. It was founded after the start of the 9th Dynasty, of course. So, it
appears, it was important in the 2nd generation of the Early FIP.- On the back side,
passages B7-11 also symbolize the 7th-11th Dynasties.

7.5.1 EARLY FIP
Note, that the order of Early and Late FIP on both sides is different. However, the history
of Egypt starts in the center of the disc. This means the order on side A is correct, and on
side B is wrong. It means, that passages B19-22 on the back side also symbolize the Late
FIP, of 4 generations, and that passages B23-24 also represent the Early FIP, of 2 gene-
rations. On the other hand, it may also be reversed on side A. Passages A19-20 may sym-
bolize the Early FIP, and passages A21-24 may represent the Late FIP.

Passages A12 and A11 on the front side determine the Early FIP between 12 and 11
double generations ago, which is between 2190 and 2129. The “burin” in passage A12
re-fers to the important literature from this time period. Passages B12 and B11 on the
back side confirm the Early FIP, between 12 and 11 double generations ago.

Population
The 2 passages B23-24 on the back side correspond to the duration of the Early FIP, 2
generations. B23 has a "messenger", encoding a population of 230,000 men at the start of
the FIP. Next passage B24 does not have a "King", because there were no real Kings in
this troubled time period. It has a "messenger", confirming the 2nd number (3). Passage
B28 has a "King", because the Late FIP had real Kings. It confirms the number has to be
written down in 28-22= 6 figures (Table 7.4).

9TH DYNASTY
Kings
Passages A24, A20, and A22 of the front side show the 3 important Kings of the 9th
Dynasty, Cheti I, II, and III, respectively. However, the passages A20-22 form a real
kings series for this dynasty. A23 is used for separation, again. The 3 Kings are also
shown on the edge of the back side. When combining the last two symbols of B3 to 1
“King” (the son of the virgin), the 3 Rulers of the inner part symbolize them again.

Years of reign
The back side has 9 paragraphs, encoding the 9th Dynasty. So, years of reign of this
Dynasty are shown on side B, as series of symbols. If these series are joined, it is indica-
ted by (').

King Cheti I is shown in passage B14/30. The 43/41 preceding symbols, ending in
B4/19', are his 42 years of reign, from 2160 till 2118. King Cheti II may be shown in pas-

sage B30'. The 30+30= 60 preceding symbols are his possibly 60 years of reign, from
2118 till 2058. King Cheti III is shown in passage B28. The 49/51 preceding symbols,
ending in B29'/16 are his 50 years of reign, from 2058 till 2008. These Kings ruled for a
total of 42+60+50= 152 years. This is in agreement with the 5 generations shown on the
disc, which last 5x30.5= 152 years. All series of symbols start near passage B29, which
symbolizes their capital of Heracleopolis near the Fayum (Lower Egypt), at 29°N.

Years of reign are confirmed by passages. On the back side, King Cheti I is shown by the
edge and in passage 30, because of his 12+30= 42 years of reign. King Cheti II may be
shown in passage 30, because of his suggested 30+30= 60 years of reign. King Cheti III
is shown in passage 20, because of his 30+20= 50 years of reign.

On the front side, King Cheti I is shown on the edge in passage 31, because of his
30+12= 42 years of reign. King Cheti II may be shown by the edge and in passage 18,
be-cause of his suggested 30+12+18= 60 years of reign. King Cheti III is shown in
passage 20, because of his 30+20= 50 years of reign.

7.5.2 LATE FIP
11th Dynasty
Passage A11 on the front side represents the 11th Dynasty. The "messenger" in this pas-
sage occurs 11 times on the disc, confirming it (Table 2.2). Passage B11 on the back side
also represents this dynasty. The "waterway" points to important sailing voyages during
this time period (Refs.14-26).

Kings
The "messenger" in passage A11 occurs 6 times on the front side, representing the 6
Kings of the 11th Dynasty. The "waterway" in B11 occurs 6 times on the disc, confir-
ming them. The back side, but also the edge of the front side, each contain 6 Rulers, en-
coding these 6 Kings. When combining the last two symbols of B3 to 1 “King” (the son
of the virgin), the inner part of side B shows the first 3 Rulers, the Kings Antef I, II and
III, and the edge shows the last 3 Rulers, the Kings Mentuhotep I, II, and III. On the front
side, the 6 passages A19-24 represent the 6 Kings of the 11th Dynasty. However, the
three passages A20-22 also form kings series for both of them. A23 is used for separa-
tion, again. On the back side the 6 passages B19-24 of the paragraph represent these
kings, too.

Generations
The "messenger" in passage A11 occurs 4 times on the inner part of the front side (Table
2.2), representing the 4 generations of the Late FIP. The "waterway" in passage B11 oc-
curs 4 times on the back side, confirming it. The "cover" of B11 occurs 4 times on the ed-
ge, confirming it. On the front side, the 4 passages A19-22 on the edge represent the 4
ge-nerations.

Duration
Passages A11 and A9 on the front side show that the Late FIP lasted between 11 and 9
double generations ago. Note, that the passages involved belong to the very special group
A10, A11, and A12, which is repeated in A16, A17, and A19. As explained elsewhere
(Ch.10), both groups play a major role in the description of boat voyages to Central
America, the Land of Punt. It is shown that the Late FIP was very active in organising
these expeditions, which is confirmed in the literature (Refs.14-40). Passages B11 and B9
on the back side confirm the Late FIP between 11 and 9 double generations ago. B9 and

B11 contain the symbols of “boat” and “waterway”, respectively, confirming these expe-
ditions.

On the front side, passages A19-22 indicate the duration of the Late FIP, 4 generations.
Note, that passage A19, encoding the last, 19th generation, contains the symbols of bow
and arrow, suggesting civil war at the end of the Late FIP, which is confirmed in the
literature (Refs.16-26). Passages B19-22 on the back side confirm the duration of 4 gene-
rations. Note, that the first and the last passages of this group contain "boats", confirming
boat expeditions during the first and the last generations of the Late FIP.

Population
Passage A6 of the front side determined the population at the end of the Late FIP (600
thousand). A group of four symbols in passage A31, including the "messenger", is iden-
tical. So, this passage will give the population at the start of it. It corresponds to an Egyp-
tian population of 310,000 men. The following passage A20 with a "King" (dropping
A19) confirms the 2nd number (1), and passage A24 has a "King", too, confirming the
number has to be written down in 24-19+1= 6 figures (Table 7.4). The series A31-23,
including A19, confirms the number.

‘Volcano Catastrophe’
Passage A9 on the front side has two “corpses”, which indicate that a Catastrophe
occurred in the 9th Dynasty. Neighboring passage A3 has also two “corpses”, which
point to the “square” of A9 and the “Queen” of A8, respectively. These indicate there
were 90,000 casualties, worldwide (2.6%). The “shield, king” of A9 confirms the first
number (9), en A13 has also a “shield, king”, showing the number has to be written down
in 13-8= 5 figures. Its paragraph line points to the “square, Queen” of A24, which
illustrates that A13 is the last passage of the series. A24, also with a “shield, king”, is the
last passage of the kings series A19-24, at the end of the paragraph, which represents the
last king Chety III. The Catastrophe occurred during his reign.

A10 is the second passage of this series, identical to last passage A13. It shows, that the
Catastrophe happened 10 double generations ago. A4, with an “ordinary man”, has a
“burin”, which points to this passage. It shows, that the world population before the
Catastrophe was 31+4= 3.5 million men. A10 shows, this number has to be written down
in 10-3= 7 figures. Next passage A11 symbolizes the simultaneous 11th Dynasty. The
paragraph line points to A21 on the edge. It has a “cover” or Volcano, which shows the
nature of the Catastrophe. The passage represents king Mentuhotep II (c.2026-2014) of
the main kings series A20-22. Both passages A10 and A13 have the symbols of the
“power of God”, also present in A23, which confirms the 5th king Mentuhotep II of the
kings series A19-24. The Catastrophe occurred during his reign.

Passage A15 has two “corpses”, which indicate 15,000 casualties in Egypt (2.6%). The
next passage has a “shield, king”, confirming the second number (5), and A19 at the end
of the inner part confirms the number has to be written down in 19-14= 5 figures. A17 in
this series encodes, together with A4, the population of Egypt after the Catastrophe,
400+170= 570 thousand men. Next passage A18 has a “king”, confirming the second
number (7), and A22 has a “shield, king”, confirming the number has to be written down
in 22-16= 6 figures. The Egyptian population before the Catastrophe was 585,000 men.

Passage A17 also corresponds to 17,000 men, which is the population of Crete before the
Catastrophe. The next passage has a “king”, which confirms the second number (7), and

A21 has a “Volcano” and a “messenger”, confirming the number has to be written down
in 21-16= 5 figures. Passage B14 on the back side has a “messenger” and a “corpse”,
encoding the 300+140= 440 casualties on Crete (2.6%). The next passage has a “Queen”,
confirming the second number (4), and B16 has a “messenger”, confirming the number
has to be written down in 16-13= 3 figures.

Passage B9 on the back side has a “corpse”, confirming the 90,000 casualties in the 9th
Dynasty, worldwide. A13 has a “Volcano”, which confirms that the number has to be
written down in 13-8= 5 figures. Passage B19 has a “corpse”, because the Catastrophe
happened 19 generations ago, which is between 1458+(19x30.5)= 2037, and 2037-30=
2007. It was the last generation of the 11th Dynasty. It is a second government
generation, so the 12 years of reign of Mentuhotep II (2026-2014) are shown as
passages on the back side, between B11 and B23. B11 confirms the 11th Dynasty, and
the paragraph line of B13 of the mentioned series B9-13, points to B23 on the edge. It
represents the 5th king Mentuhotep II in the kings series A19-24.

However, years of reign are also shown by individual symbols. Counting starts at the
year of 1457+242+242= 1941, which means that the back side is of importance. Counting
continues from the end of the side going backwards. It means that the years of reign of
Mentuhotep II (2026-2014) are shown between the “corpse” in B9 and the “glove” in
B13. These are the first and last passages of the mentioned series B9-13.

Both the “corpse” in B9 and the “Volcano” in passage B11 correspond with the Eruption
of the Volcano of Long Island, NE of New Guinea, in the year of 2026. Next passage
B10 has a “Volcano”, confirming the Eruption 10 double generations ago. The passage is
identical to B5, providing its latitude, at 5°S. B11 confirms the 11th Dynasty. Its
paragraph line points to the 12 passages on the edge, confirming its position, 12 Moiras,
or 120°, east of the Nile Delta, when measured along the equator. The Volcano has a
caldera with a diameter of 10km.

Both the “Volcano” of B10 and the similar symbol in passage B13 encode the Eruption
of the Volcano of Changbaishan, Eastern China, in the year of 2024. The “glove” of
B10 touches the “Volcano”, also referring to the “glove” in B12. B12 encodes its
latitude, at 30+12= 42°N. B10 determines its position, 10 Moiras, or 100°, east of the
Nile Delta.- Both the “Volcano” in B11 and the “palace” in passage B17 encode the
Eruption of the Volcano of Liamuiga, West Indies, in the year of 2020. B17 provides
its latitude, at 17°N, and the “Volcano” in B10, gives its position, 10 Moiras, or 100°
west of the Nile Delta, when measured along the equator. B11 confirms the 11th
Dynasty, again, and its paragraph line points to the 12 passages on the edge,
confirming the 12 years of reign of the king.

The Eruptions of the three mentioned Volcanoes are confirmed in the literature. It
resulted in dimming of the Sun, cold weather, drought, and crop failure for a long time.
Both the “glove” of B12 and the “Volcano” in passage B21 point to famine in the year of
2016. The “glove, Volcano” in B13 as well as the “Volcano” in passage B23 give similar
information for the last year of reign of the king in 2014. Crop failure and famine around
these years are reported in the literature. It was a worldwide Catastrophe. (Refs.54-57)

THE 11TH DYNASTY
Years of reign: along the edge
On the front side, the 6 passages 19-24 symbolize the 6 Kings of the 11th Dynasty

(Upper Egypt). On the edge these 6 Rulers are shown. So in the first place, years of reign
will be indicated along the edge. These are indicated by series of symbols. If these series
are joined, it is indicated by (').

The first “Leader” of the 11th Dynasty was King Antef I, shown in passage 22'. The 16
preceding symbols, ending in A19', indicating civil war, are his 16 years of reign, from
2148 till 2132. His successor King Antef II is represented by the “Queen” in passage 24'.
The total number of 48 symbols along the edge (dropping A19), are his 48 years of reign,
from 2132 till 2084. Note, that A24 encodes the Hawaii Archipelago, discovered by him,
at 24°N. His successor King Antef III is also shown in passage 24'. The 8 preceding
symbols, ending in 23’, are his 8 years of reign, from 2084 till 2076.

His successor was King Mentuhotep I. This famous King is represented by the symbol of
God in passage 23', but he is also shown in passage 31'. The total number of 50 symbols
along the edge are his 50 years of reign, from 2076 till 2026. Note, that passage 23
encodes the Southern Egyptian Empire at the holy Tropic of Cancer, at 23°N, and
passage 31 encodes the Northern Egyptian Empire, at 31°N. King Mentuhotep II is
shown in passage 27. The 12 preceding symbols, ending in 25', are his 12 years of reign,
from 2026 till 2014. Note, that A27 encodes the Antarctic Peninsula, discovered by him,
at 90-27= 63°S. The last Leader was King Mentuhotep III, shown in passage 20, again.
The 7 preceding symbols, ending in A19', are his 7 years of reign, from 2014 till 2007.

Inner Part
Years of reign are also shown on the inner part of side A. The first Leader of the 11th
Dynasty was King Antef I. He is represented by the symbol of God in passage 10. The 16
preceding symbols, ending in A7, are his 16 years of reign. His successor King Antef II
is shown in passage 12. The total number of 48 symbols, the first ones on the disc, are his
48 years of reign. His successor King Antef III is also shown in passage 12. The 8
preceding symbols, ending in A11’ of the 11th Dynasty, are his 8 years of reign.

His successor was King Mentuhotep I. This great King is represented by the symbol of
God in passage 13. The total number of 50 symbols, the first ones on the disc, are his 50
years of stable government. King Mentuhotep II is shown in passage 12, with the boat.
This King is well-known for his expeditions to Punt (Refs.16-33). The 12 preceding sym-
bols, ending in A10, are his 12 years of reign. The last Leader, King Mentuhotep III, is
probably best shown in passage 15, which stresses the Egyptian King Theory (Ch.5,
Refs.16-21,31-33). The 7 symbols are his 7 years of reign.

Confirmation
Years of reign are confirmed by passages, as usual. The first King Antef I is shown in
passage 16, because of his 16 years of reign. His successor King Antef II is shown in in
passage 18, because of his 30+18= 48 years of reign. His successor King Antef III is
represented by the “Queen” in passage 8, because of his 8 years of reign. His successor
King Mentuhotep I is shown in passage 20, because of his 30+20= 50 years of reign.
King Mentuhotep II is shown in passage 12 with the boat, because of his 12 years of
reign. The last King Mentuhotep III is represented by God in passage 7, again, because of
his 7 years of reign.

The disc shows the 6 temples of Crete. These are also in honor of the 6 Kings of the 11th
Dynasty. The inner part of side B contains 3 temples, in honor of the two (or three) series
of 3 Kings of the 11th Dynasty. The temple of side A is in the 11th passage of the edge,

in honor of the 11th Dynasty of Egypt.

TABLE 7.4


FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD (FIP)

EARLY FIP (2 generations)
c.2190 Start of Early FIP (c.2160*)
Population 230,000
UPPER EGYPT
c.2190 7th Dynasty, 1 generation
c.2160 10th Dynasty, part of generation (Khui)
c.2148 11th Dynasty, part of generation (Antef I)
c.2129 (End of Early FIP)
LOWER EGYPT
c.2190 8th Dynasty, 1 generation
c.2160 9th Dynasty, 1 generations (Cheti I)
c.2129 (End of Early FIP)

LATE FIP (4 generations)
c.2129 (Start of Late FIP)
Population 310,000
UPPER EGYPT
c.2148 11th Dynasty, 4/5 generations, 6 Kings
c.2148 Antef I (16)(A20)
c.2132 Antef II (48)(A21), discovery of Hawaii
c.2084 Antef III (8)(A22)
c.2076 Mentuhotep I (50)(A20)
c.2026 Mentuhotep II (12)(A21), discovery of Antarctica
c.2026/4/0 ‘Volcano Catastrophe’, c.90,000 casualties, world population c.3.5 million
15,000 victims in Egypt (2.6%), population of c.585 thousand men
c.2014 Mentuhotep III (7)(A22)
c.2007 End of FIP (c.2000*)
LOWER EGYPT
c.2160 9th Dynasty, 5 generations, 3 Kings
c.2160 Cheti I (42)(A20)
c.2118 Cheti II (60)(A21)
c.2058 Cheti III (50)(A22)
c.2007 End of FIP, population 600,000 (c.2000*)

(..) years of reign; discoveries: Ch.9 (Refs.31-40)

7.6 6TH DYNASTY OF THE CATASTROPHE

The inner part of the back side (Fig.7.6) contains 6 paragraphs, corresponding to the 6th
and last Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, which officially lasted 165 years, from 2325 till
2160 (Refs.14-26). The almost hidden indication points to a low status of this dynasty. In
this time period the power of Egypt strongly declined. Passage A6 on the front side
(Fig.7.5) represents the 6th Dynasty. The thick separation-line at the end of this passage
marks the end of the Old Kingdom. Passage B6 on the back side confirms the 6th
Dynasty.

Kings
On the front side, the 8 passages A24-31 at the end of the spiral represent the 8 Kings of
the 6th Dynasty. About half of the Rulers are shown in the passages. Passage A23 with
the symbols for the "power of God" is used for separation, again. The last two passages
A30 and A31 contain together 3+5= 8 symbols, confirming the 8 Kings of this Dynasty.
The 5+3= 8 Kings are shown on both edges of the disc. The "shield" in passage A6
occurs 8 times in the inner part of side A, confirming the 8 Kings of the 6th Dynasty
(Table 2.2).

Passage A25 is the 6th passage of the edge (E6). So, it represents the 6th Dynasty.
Passages A25-31 (using A27a/b) may also represent the 8 Kings of the 6th Dynasty. So,
passage A25 may represent the first King Teti. Note, that A25 contains a “corpse”,
suggesting a disaster during his reign.- A group of 4 signs in passage A31 equals passage
A6. It emphasizes the notion, that A31 refers to the 6th Dynasty. A31 may also show the
first King Teti of this Dynasty. So, it appears the whole time period was called “the
Dynasty of King Teti”.

Duration
On the back side, the 6 passages B25-30 at the end of the spiral encode the duration of
the period, 6 generations, or 6x30.5= 183 years, so according to the disc from 2373 to
2190. The 3 turns of the inner part confirm the duration, 3 double generations. On the
front side the 6 passages A25-30 confirm the duration, 6 generations. A25 (E6)
represents the 6th Dynasty, again.

Important passages A15 and A12 on the front side determine the duration of the 6th
Dynasty, between 15 and 12 double generations ago. The “papyrus” in passage A15 has 6
buds and 6 leaves, twice confirming the 6th Dynasty. Passages B15 and B12 on the back
side confirm the duration of the 6th Dynasty, between 15 and 12 double generations ago.

Comet Catastrophe
Passage A15 on the front side contains two “corpses”. This means, that 15 double
generations ago, a major disaster happened. This is at the beginning of the 6th Dynasty,
between 1458+15x61= 2373, and 2373-61= 2312 (Refs.41-52). The two corpses are with
the arms connected, which is unusual. It means, that the number of casualties is indicated
by two consecutive passages with corpses. These passages could be A25 and A26. The
first one, A25 (E6), represents the 6th Dynasty.

Passage A25 has a “corpse”, suggesting a possible number of 250,000 casualties in
Egypt. The corpse in the next or 2nd passage A26 confirms the 2nd number (5), but the
“temple” in passage A30, at the end of a paragraph, does not confirm the number has to
be written down in 30-24= 6 figures! This passage does not contain the signs of a
mummy, corpse, King, or Queen.

Passage A30 only symbolizes the southern Nile Delta, at 30°N. It also indicates this
catastrophe happened 30 generations ago, between 1458+30x30.5= 2373 and 2373-31=
2342, which is correct, because it happened in year of 2344 (see Ch.6). Next and last
passage A31 of the side was important for establishing the c.2,500,000 casualties,
worldwide. This huge Catastrophe occurred during the reign of the first King Teti, shown
in this passage.

Note, that the “temple” in A30 touches passage A18 above it. The second temple in the
corresponding passage B18 on the back side touches B30, which confirms the generation
in which the calamity happened (Ch.6). Passage B18 contains an “Egyptian mummy”,
indicating a possible number of 180,000 casualties in Egypt. The “corpse” in the next or
2nd passage B19 confirms the 2nd number (8), and the “square”, the “messenger”, and
the “comet” in B23 confirms the number has to be written down in 23-17= 6 figures.
Earlier, this passage indicated the population at the end of the 6th Dynasty! So, this
number of casualties “leaded” to this small population.

Passage A18 on the front side contains a “corpse”, confirming the number of 180,000
casualties in Egypt. The next or 2nd passage A19 confirms the 2nd number (8), because
it is the end of both the paragraph and the inner part. The symbols for the power of God
in A23 confirm the number has to be written down in 23-17= 6 figures. A23 symbolizes
the holy Tropic of Cancer and the Southern Egyptian Empire, at 23°N. It is the center of
the Sunreligion (Refs.31-33).

Population
Passage B23 on the back side determined the population in Egypt at the end of the 6th
Dynasty (230 thousand). The preceding passage B19, the first one on the edge, has a
"messenger", encoding a population of 190,000 men at the beginning of this Dynasty.
The next or 2nd passage B20 has a "King", confirming the 2nd number (9), but passage
B24 at the end of the paragraph does not have a "King", because there were no real Kings
at the end of the 6th Dynasty. Instead it contains a "messenger", confirming the number
has to be written down in 24-18= 6 figures. Note, that B24 (E6) represents the 6th
Dynasty, again.

The huge Catastrophe with 180,000 Egyptian casualties, was at the start of the 6th
Dynasty. So, just before this Catastrophe the population was 190,000+180,000= 370,000
men.- Passage A6 on the front side may also be called 31+6= A37. Note the similarity of
A31 and A6, again. A37, having a “messenger”, forms a series of 6 passages, confirming
a population of c.370,000 men. Next passage A7 has the symbol of God, confirming the
2nd number (7), and last passage A11 of the series also has a “messenger”, confirming
the number has to be written down in 11-5= 6 figures. Note, that about half of the people
died because of this terrible calamity. The paragraph-line of A11 points to the “comet”. It
caused the abrupt end of the previous, 5th Dynasty of Egypt (Tables 7.5 & 7.6).

Crisis
Last passage A31 of the front side represents the first King Teti, and last passage B30 of
the back side encodes the first generation of the 6th Dynasty when this King ruled, and
when the Comet Catastrophe occurred. This means, that the whole history of Egypt was
devided in an Early History before the 6th Dynasty with this huge Catastrophe, and a
Late History after the 6th Dynasty. Egypt lost almost half of its population during this
calamity, so we can understand this devision on the disc. But what is the reason that the
Old Kingdom finished after the 6th Dynasty?

Passage B6 on the back side represents the 6th Dynasty. The last symbol in B6 is the
“head of a comet”. So, this appears to be the main reason. The translation of the passage
may read: “The Kingdom went down because of the comet.” Passage B13 represents the
last double generation of the 6th Dynasty, between 1458+13x61= 2251 and 2251-61=
2190. The passage contains the “head of a comet”, confirming it. Passage A25 (E6) on
the front side represents the last generation of the 6th Dynasty, between 1458+25x30.5=
2220 and 2220-30= 2190. It contains a “corpse”, referring to the numerous victims of the
Catastrophe, again confirming it.

However, there appears to be also another reason. Passage B13, just mentioned, reads:
“Education leads to the merriment of the young Cat-god.” (Ch.5). So, the direct cause of
the end of the 6th Dynasty/Old Kingdom appears to be insufficient education. Passage
A25 (E6), just mentioned, reads: “The teacher is spreading the knowledge.” Here, this
reason is clearly confirmed.

Years of reign
Years of reign are indicated by series of symbols, as usual. If these series are joined, it is
indicated by ('). On the back side, the first King Teti is shown in passage 28’. The 32
preceding symbols, ending in B21, are his 32 years of reign, from 2370 till 2338. The
year 2370 is the last year of reign of the last King of the previous, 5th Dynasty (Ch.8).
Note the “corpse” in passage B27. It encodes the year of the Comet Catastrophe, which
was the 26th year of reign of King Teti, in 2370-26= 2344. It encodes the 2.6 million
casualties, worldwide (Ch.6).

His successor King Userkare is also shown in passage 28'. The 3 preceding symbols are
his 3 years of reign, from 2338 till 2335. His successor King Pepi I is shown in the same
passage. The 3+32 preceding symbols, ending in B21, are his 35 (officially 34) years of
reign, from 2335 till 2301. His successor, King Merenre I, is shown in passage 30'. The 9
preceding symbols, ending in B29’, are his 9 years of reign, from 2301 till 2292. King
Pepi II is represented by the Royal Son in passage 28'. The 96 preceding symbols, ending
in B4', are his 96 (officially 94) years of reign, from 2292 till 2198. Along the edge are
49+46= 95 preceding symbols, ending in B28', confirming these years of reign.

King Merenre II is shown in passage 3'. The 1 preceding symbol is his only year of reign,
from 2198 till 2197. His successor, an unknown King, is probably represented by the
“Queen” in passage 15. The 5 symbols are his 5 years of reign, from 2197 till 2192. The
last King Nitokris is shown in passage 28'. The 3 preceding symbols are his 3 years of
reign, from 2192 till 2189. The total number of years of reign during this Dynasty
amounts to 181 years, in agreement with the 6 generations or 183 years suggested by the
disc (Refs.16-26).

Confirmation
For the 6th Dynasty, years of reign are confirmed by passages. The first King Teti is
shown in passage B20. The 30 passages of the back side, and the 2 passages on the edge,
are his 30+2= 32 years of reign. His successor King Userkare is shown in passage 3,
because of his 3 years of reign. His successor King Pepi I is shown in the same passage.
The 31 passages of side A and the 3 passages of side B are his 31+3= 34 years of reign.
His successor King Merenre I is shown in passage 28/30. The 8/10 preceding passages,
ending in B21', are his 9 years of reign. His successor King Pepi II is shown in passage 3.
The 31 passages of the front side and the 30+30+3 passages of the back side correspond

to his 31+63= 94 years of reign. King Merenre II is represented by the “Queen” in
passage 15. The single passage is his only year of reign. His successor, an unknown
King, is shown in passage 20. The 5 preceding passages, ending in B16', are his 5
possible years of reign. The last King Nitokris is shown in passage 3, because of his 3
years of reign.

The Egyptian Fleet
In 1794, at the end of the 12th Dynasty, Egypt had a population of 1.1 million men, and a
fleet of c.1,395 seaworthy ships. At the end of the 6th Dynasty, which is the last one of
the Old Kingdom, the population was only 230 thousand men. So, we may expect that
around the year of 2190, the Egyptian fleet contained an estimated number of only
(23/110)x1,395= c.292 ships. However, this estimation is far too high, because it was
2190-1794= 396 years earlier in the time!

In 2370, at the end of the 5th Dynasty, Egypt had a population of 370 thousand men, and
a fleet of c.300 seaworthy ships (see Ch.8). At the end of the 6th Dynasty, the population
was only 230 thousand men. So, we may expect that around the year of 2190, the
Egyptian fleet contained an estimated number of (23/37)x300= c.186 ships. This estima-
tion might be a little bit low, because it was 2370-2190= 180 years later in time. How-
ever, we believe the estimation is actually too high. It is for sure, that the Comet Cata-
strophe of 2344 destroyed the whole Egyptian fleet, and in addition, the 6th Dynasty, the
last one of the Old Kingdom, was a very weak one (Refs.27-40).

The inner part of the back side has 6 paragraphs, corresponding with the 6th Dynasty. It
also has 3 turns, corresponding to the 3rd Dynasty. At the end of that dynasty, the
population was also c.230 thousand men. It appears, that the number of seaworthy ships
was about the same (see Ch.8)! So, our conclusion is that there were only c.149 seawor-
thy ships at the end of the 6th Dynasty!

The inner part of the back side has 6 paragraphs, corresponding with the 6th Dynasty. It
contains 18 passages, encoding the 18 pyramids at the end of this dynasty.- The edge, and
especially the second part of it, represents Egypt. Passage A30 on the front side has a
“temple”, typically encoding 30 Egyptian temples. Passage B6 on the back side has a
temple, too. It corresponds with 6 temples in the 6th Dynasty. Added up, it appears there
were 30+6= c.36 temples.

Passage B18 confirms the number of 18 pyramids. It has two “temples”, typically confir-
ming the 2x18= c.36 temples.- The edge represents Egypt, and sometimes the passages of
it are counted along the edge. E3 has a “temple”, and E8 has a “temple”, confirming c.38
temples at the end of the 6th Dynasty (Ch.4).

Schools
In 1794, at the end of the 12th Dynasty, Egypt had c.1,100 schools. Because of the lower
population, the country will now have an estimated number of only (23/110)x1,100=
c.230 schools. The “temples and palaces” on the disc may also represent schools.

The inner part of the back side has 6 paragraphs, corresponding with the 6th Dynasty. B6
typically encodes 6 schools, B17 encodes 17 schools, and the first “temple” of B18
encodes 180 schools. However, B18 is at the end of the inner part. So, it may also form 1
passage, only encoding 1 school. So, the inner part appears to indicate a total of

6+17+180+1= c.204 schools. This is less than the estimated number.

Sometimes, the passages are counted along the edge. E11 on the front side has a “tem-
ple”, which may encode 110 schools. A9 has a “palace”, which may encode 90 schools.
So, a total of 110+90= c.200 schools are confirmed. The edge of the back side may
confirm it, too. When the ratio “lower vs. higher schools” is the same as at the end of the
12th Dynasty, there were (88/110)x202= c.162 “lower schools”, and (22/110)x202= c.40
“higher schools”. (Refs.62-65)

TABLE 7.5


6TH DYNASTY OF THE CATASTROPHE
c.2373 Start of the 6th Dynasty (2325*)
population: 370,000, 8 Kings, 6 generations
c.2370 Teti (32)(A25/A31)
c.2344 Comet Catastrophe (floodings during 110 days, 1st generation):
c.180,000 casualties in Egypt (c.2.6 million worldwide, 54%)
population which survived: 190,000
c.2338 Userkare (3)
c.2335 Pepi I (34)
c.2301 Merenre I (9)
c.2292 Pepi II (94)
c.2198 Merenre II (1)
c.2197 unknown (5)
c.2192 Nitokris (3)
Egyptian Fleet: c.149 seaworthy ships
Pyramids: c.18, Temples c.36
Schools: c.202; lower schools: c.162, higher schools: c.40
c.2189 End of Dynasty because of the Catastrophe, and also insufficient education
c.2190 Start FIP, population: 230,000 (c.2160*)

(..) years of reign

TABLE 7.6

POPULATION NUMBERS IN LATE EGYPTIAN HISTORY

6TH DYNASTY OF THE CATASTROPHE
c.2373 370,000 6th Dynasty, 6 generations
c.2344 Comet Catastrophe (floodings during 110 days, 1st generation):
180,000 casualties in Egypt (49%), (c.2.6 million worldwide, 54%)
c.2344 190,000 population which survived
FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
c.2190 230,000 7-10th Dynasties, 2 generations

c.2026/4/0 ‘Volcano Catastrophe’, c.90,000 casualties, world population c.3.5 million
15,000 victims in Egypt (2.6%), population of c.585 thousand
MIDDLE KINGDOM
c.2007 Old Palace Culture on Crete
c.1899 Comet Catastrophe, c.260,000 casualties (6.2%), world population c.4.2 million
c.53,000 victims in Egypt, population c.850 thousand (floodings during 11 days)
SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
c.1794 1,100,000 13-17th Dynasties, 7 generations
c.1702 New Palace Culture on Crete
c.1628 Comet Catastrophe (floodings during 10 days, 6th generation):
90,000 casualties in Egypt (c.6.7%), (c.510 thousand worldwide)
NEW KINGDOM
c.1580 1,700,000 18th Dynasty, 4 generations
c.1458 2,100,000 27th year of reign of Thutmozes III
c.1458 End of New Palace Culture on Crete (c.1450*)


LITERATURE (Ch.7)
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5. Kober, A.E., The Minoan Scripts: Fact and Theory, American Journal of Archaeology 52, 1948,
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6. Best, J.G.P., and Woudhuizen, F., Lost Languages from the Mediterranean, Leiden, the Netherlands
(1989).
7. Homer, The Iliad and the Odyssey, transl. Murray, Loeb Classical Library, Heinemann,
London (1919).
8. Strabo, Complete Works, Loeb Classical Library, Heinemann, London (1923-32).
9. Plato, The Dialogues, transl. W. Taylor, Univ. of London Press (1902).
10. Willetts, R.F., The Civilization of Ancient Crete, Phoenix Press, New York (1976) (ISBN
1-84212-746-2).
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Hudson, 2000 (ISBN 0-500-30101-8).
12. Herberger, C.F., The Minoan Cultural Response: the Feminine Emphasis, Midwestern Epigraphic
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Point, Australia (1995).
14. Old World Civilizations, The Rise of Cities and States, The Illustrated History of Humankind, Weldon
Owen Pty Limited, McMahons Point, Australia (1995).
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(Dutch)
16. Siliotti, A., Egypt, Temples, People and Gods, Bergamo, Italy, 1997.
17. Hart, G., A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddes ses, Routledge, London, 1986 (ISBN
0-7102-0167 -2).
18. Wallis Budge, E.A., Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrec tion, 2 Vol., Dover Pub., N.Y., 1973 (ISBN
0-486 -22780-4).
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22. Tompkins, P., Secrets of the Great Pyramid, Harper & Row, London, 1971 (ISBN 0-06-090631-6).
(Dr. Stecchini)
23. Lehner, M., The Complete Pyramids, Thames & Hudson, London (1997) (ISBN 90-5947-047-8).

CH.7: LATE HISTORY OF EGYPT

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