It’s interesting that the Phaistos Disk, which was excavated on Crete, was found to have been inscribed using dies, iow, movable type. No other examples of the disk have been found AFAIK, but time will tell. Sometime in the last 15 or so years one scholar claimed that the Phaistos Disk was a modern forgery, I wonder if the claim grew out of the use of dies.
Probably grew out of the desire to diss the maker(s) of the Disk, and make himself seem smarter. I, for one, do not discount or disrespect ANYthing found that indicates intelligence and innovation.
There are many possibilities for this “newfound data,” not the least of which is “alien intelligence.” We don’t know that there is no such thing, and we can’t discount a Higher Power aka Angels, who guide our thinking in ways that will help us.
So when I hear of someone who “pooh-pooh’s” the items found, I have to laugh at their ignorance and closed minds. Anything is possible.
I had not heard that about the Phaistos Disk. But I wonder if the scholar in question understood how simple stamping works? That was what was shown in the old Dragnet shows, where the hammer strikes the tool and leave a mark in the metal.
If an artisan were going to make a few dozen disks, that sort of stamping method is not only easier, but it eliminates errors caused by miscopying. It would make even more sense if the artisan had a shop table of slaves sitting there doing the work. They wouldn’t even have to understand what they were stamping.