The "Crested Head" Sign of the Phaistos Disc: Overlooked Data from the Armenian Highlands and the Necessity for a Broader Discussion

This article draws the attention of the scientific community to a body of archaeological finds from the Armenian Highlands (Shirakavan, Lchashen, Lori-Berd), which attest to a stable tradition of helmets with a rigid crest in the 15th–13th centuries BCE. Simultaneously, an epigraphic parallel is documented — an identical sign on a bronze plate from Van. Given that these finds are chronologically and typologically consistent with Sign 02 (“Head with Crest”, Evans numbering) of the Phaistos Disc, yet are systematically excluded from international scholarly discourse, the article aims to initiate a broad professional discussion of these parallels and their potential significance. The paper does not aim to provide a definitive interpretation but rather to invite broader interdisciplinary dialogue concerning the iconographic and epigraphic links between Crete and the Armenian Highlands.