Glyph: tiger: kola ‘tiger’. Rebus: kol ‘working in iron’

Glyph: dula ‘pair’. Rebus: dul ‘casting (metal)

Copper ox-hide ingot. Orthographically, the ingot is a mould with large, curving horns. This was also shown carried by Egyptians on a painting. A Cretan ox-hide ingot also had an incised glyph: Sarasvati hieroglyph of kolom 'graft' rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge'. Inscribed Cretan copper ox-hide ingot (After Fig.82 in: Sinclair Hood, 1971, The Minoans: Crete in the Bronze Age, Thames and Hudson)  In the Late Bronze Age, oxhide and plano-convex shaped ingots were used in the Aegean; elsewhere, only small plano-convex (bun-shaped) ingots were used."Bronze tools and weapons were cast in double moulds. The cire perdue process was evidently employed for the sockets of the fine decorated spear-heads of the Late Minoan period. Copper was available in some parts of Crete, notably in the Asterousi mountains which border the Mesara plain on the south, but it may have been imported from Cyprus as well. The standard type of ingot found throughout the East Mediterranean in the Late Bronze Age was about two or three feet long, with inward-curving sides and projections for a man to grasp as he carried it on his shoulder. Smaller bun-shaped ingots were also in use." (Sinclair Hood, opcit., p. 106). A variant of the inscribed sign, a comparable logograph, like a trident or a sheaf of corn, is used in Sarasvati hieroglyphs. 

d.abe, d.abea ‘large horns, with a sweeping upward curve, applied to buffaloes’ (Santali)

d.ab, d.himba, d.hompo ‘lump (ingot?)’, clot, make a lump or clot, coagulate, fuse, melt together (Santali) d.himba = become lumpy, solidify; a lump (of molasses or iron ore, also of earth); sadaere kolheko tahe_kanre d.himba me~r.he~t reak khan.d.ako bena_oet tahe_kana_ = formerly when the Kolhes were here they made implements from lumps of iron (Santali)

m1429 a

m1429 prism tablet. Boat glyph as a Sarasvati hieroglyph on a tablet.Three sided molded tablet. One side shows a flat bottomed boat with a central hut that has leafy fronds at the top of two poles. Two birds sit on the deck and a large double rudder extends from the rear of the boat. On the second side is a snout nosed gharial with a fish in its mouth. The third side has eight glyphs of the Indus script.

Side b has two birds, two trees ligatured to a boat, two ox-hide ingots infixed in the central hut on the boat 

The hieroglyphs are: side a: eight sign glyphs including: body, rim of jar, two ingots, rim of jar, fish, three, graft infix ligature in ingot.side b: boat, two trees, two birds; side b: gharial (alligator), fish; Boat: kolam; rebus: kolami 'furnace'

Side a has a two-part message:

Part 1 (l. to r.)

Body (of person): komor, kombor 'body' (Munda etyma); rebus: kamar 'smith' (Santali)

Rim of jar: kan.d. kan-ka; rebus: kand. 'fire-altar, furnace' (Santali); kan- 'copper' (Ta.)

Two ingots: d.ha_l = a shield, a buckler; the grand flag of an army directing its march and encampments; the standard or banner of a chieftain; a flag flying on a fort (G.); rebus: d.ha_l.ako = large metal ingot (G.) barea 'two'; rebus: barea 'merchant' (Santali)

Part 2 (l. to r.)

Rim of jar: kan.d. kan-ka; rebus: kand. 'fire-altar, furnace' (Santali); kan- 'copper' (Ta.)

Fish: kolli 'fish'; rebus: kol 'pancaloha, alloy of five metals' (Ta.)

Three (linear strokes): t.ebra 'three'; ta(m)bra 'copper' graft infixed in an ingot: d.ha_l = shield; rebus: d.ha_l.ako 'ingot'; kolom 'graft'; kolami 'smithy, forge' (Te.)

The eighth (last glyph) from l. is: kolom = cutting, graft; to graft, engraft, prune; kolom dare kana = it is a grafted tree; kolom ul = grafted mango; kolom gocena = the cutting has died; kolom kat.hi hor.o = a certain variety of the paddy plant (Santali); kolom (B.); kolom mit = to engraft; kolom porena = the cutting has struck root; kolom kat.hi = a reed pen (Santali.lex.) ku_l.e stump (Ka.) [ku_li = paddy (Pe.)] xo_l = rice-sheaf (Kur.) ko_li = stubble of jo_l.a (Ka.); ko_r.a = sprout (Kui.)ko_le = a stub or stump of corn (Te.)(DEDR 2242). kol.ake, kol.ke, the third crop of rice (Ka.); kolake, kol.ake (Tu.)(DEDR 2154)kolma =  a paddy plant; kolma hor.o ‘ a variety of rice plant’ (Santali.lex.) [kural = corn-ear (Ta.)] Rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge'.

Reverse side of moulded tablet H-172 Harappa

Reverse side of moulded tablet M-482 Mohenjo-daro

Seal m-410 Mohenjo-daro

m1429b

m1429a

One side of prism tablet m 1429c. See readings of hieroglyph-mutiplexes as supercargo on a boat with oxhide ingots: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/05/backbone-of-indus-script-corpora-tin.html

Burial urn. Cemetery H. Harappa. National Museum, India.

Harappa. Burial urn. Kenoyer Slide 164

Figure of a person is ligatured within the body of the peacock with a wavy plume (first peacock on the right); The person shown within the circle is probably the depiction of the departed a_tman, who has, after cremation, become an ancestor. The stylized depiction of the arms is paralleled by the stylized depiction of arms (or horns?) of the copper anthropomorphs found in Copper Hoard Culture.

The Munda word for peacock *mara'k/mara "cryer > peacock", later Sanskrit ma_ra (and Pali etc) 'death, God Death', the Munda peacock symbol = death, and the Cemetery H peacock pictures on urns with cremated bodies.

Peacock and heaven (marak = peacock; merxa_ = sky, heaven ?may the soul go to heaven); Parji. marp- (mart-)= to lighten; Kurux. merxa_ = sky, heaven; Malto. mergu = sky, heaven; see Te. mer_umu = flash of lightning.

(marak = peacock; sma_raka = remembrance; ji_van-ji_vaka = cry of the peacock, peacock; living, the dead goes with life).

Santali glosses.

A hieroglyph on m0304 insription: A खांडा khāṇḍā ‘jag’ infixed inside kanka  ‘rim of jar’ glyph is read as the phrase: kaṇḍa kanka, ‘furnace account, scribe’. The rim-of-jar is the most frequently occurring hieroglyph in the corpora of Meluhha hieroglyphs (aka Indus writing). This hieroglyph is read rebus: Glyph: kaṇḍa kanka, 'rim of jar' Rebus: furnace account, scribe. cf. kul -- karṇī m. ʻvillage accountantʼ (Marathi); karṇikan id. (Tamil)கணக்கு kaṇakku, n. cf. gaṇaka. [M. kaṇakku] 1. Number, account, reckoning, calculation, computation (Tamil) kaṇḍ ‘fire-altar’ (Santali) kaṇḍa, furnace (fire-altar, consecrated pit). khondu id. (Kashmiri)

m1656 Mohenjodro Pectoral. kāṇṭamகாண்டம் kāṇṭam, n. < kāṇḍa. 1. Water; sacred water; நீர். துருத்திவா யதுக்கிய குங்குமக் காண் டமும் (கல்லா. 49, 16). <kanda>  {N} ``large earthen water ^pot kept and filled at the house''.  @1507.  #14261.(Munda) Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘metal tools,  pots and pans’ (Marathi)

<lo->(B)  {V} ``(pot, etc.) to ^overflow''.  See <lo-> `to be left over'.  @B24310.  #20851. Re<lo->(B)  {V} ``(pot, etc.) to ^overflow''.  See <lo-> `to be left over'. (Munda ) Rebus: loh ‘copper’ (Hindi) The hieroglyph clearly refers to the metal tools, pots and pans of copper. Thus, the two words read together Rebus: lōkhaṇḍa लोखंड Iron tools, vessels, or articles in general (Marathi).

khaṇṭi  ‘buffalo bull’ (Tamil) Rebus: khãḍ '(metal) tools, pots and pans' (Gujarati) கண்டி kaṇṭi buffalo bull (Tamil) kaṇḍ ‘buffalo’; rebus: kaṇḍ ‘stone (ore)’. 

lokhãḍ ‘overflowing pot’ Rebus: ʻtools, iron, ironwareʼ (Gujarati) 

ayaskāṇḍa is a compound attested in Pāṇini; the word may be semantically explained as 'metal tools, pots and pans' or as alloyed metal.

kāru‘crocodile’ (Telugu). Rebus: artisan (Marathi) Rebus: khar‘blacksmith’ (Kashmiri) kola‘tiger’ Rebus: kol‘working in iron’ (Tamil).

Buffalo horns on seated person. Buffalo hieroglyph.

Mohenjo-daro seal m0304. The 

platform is atop two stacks of hay 
(straw). 

Kur. kaṇḍō a stool. Malt. kanḍo stool, seat. (DEDR 1179) Rebus: kaṇḍ = a furnace, altar (Santali)  H. lokhaṇḍ  m. ʻiron tools, pots and pansʼ; G. lokhãḍ n. ʻtools, iron, ironwareʼ, the word khaṇḍ  denotes ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’.

Ta. takar sheep, ram, goat, male of certain other animals (yāḷi, elephant, shark). பொருநகர் தாக்கற்குப் பேருந் தகைத்து (குறள், 486).Ma. takaran huge, powerful as a man, bear, etc. Ka. tagar, ṭagaru, ṭagara, ṭegaru ram. Tu. tagaru, ṭagarů id. Te. tagaramu, tagaru id. / Cf. Mar. tagar id. (DEDR 3000). Rebus 1:tagromi 'tin, metal alloy' (Kuwi) takaram tin, white lead, metal sheet, coated with tin (Ta.); tin, tinned iron plate (Ma.); tagarm tin (Ko.); tagara, tamara, tavara id.(Ka.) tamaru, tamara, tavara id. (Ta.): tagaramu, tamaramu, tavaramu id. (Te.); ṭagromi tin metal, alloy (Kuwi); tamara id. (Skt.)(DEDR 3001). trapu tin (AV.); tipu (Pali); tau, taua lead (Pkt.); tū̃ tin (P.); ṭau zinc, pewter (Or.); tarūaum lead (OG.); tarvũ(G.); tumba lead (Si.)(CDIAL 5992). Rebus 2: damgar ‘merchant’.

The pair of antelopes have their heads turned backwards.క్రమ్మర krammara. adv. Again. క్రమ్మరిల్లు or క్రమరబడు Same as క్రమ్మరు.krəm backʼ(Kho.)(CDIAL 3145) Rebus: karmāra ‘smith, artisan’ (Skt.) kamar ‘smith’ (Santali) The two antithetical antelopes thus denote: tagar kamar‘tin artisan, tin smith, tin merchant.’ 

Trefoil hieroglyph Rebus: kole.l kanda 'temple fire-altar'

(After Fig. 18.10 Parpola, 2015, p. 232) (a) Neo-Sumerian steatite bowl from Ur (U.239), bearing symbols of the sun, the moon (crucible), stars and trefoils (b) Fragmentary steatite statuette from Mohenjo-daro. After Ardeleanu-Jansen 1989-205, fig. 19 and 196, fig. 1

A finely polished pedestal. Dark red stone. Trefoils. (DK 4480, cf. Mackay 1938: I, 412 and II, pl. 107.35). National Museum, Karachi.

Statuette (DK 1909). Mohenjo-daro. Robe decorated with trefoils worn with right-shoulder bare. AfterMarshall 1931: III, pl. 98.3. White steatite, with remnants of red paint inside the trefoils of the robe; height 17 cm. National Museum of Pakistan. Karachi. 

Hieroglyph: मेढ (p. 662) [ mēḍha ] The polar star. मेढेमत (p. 665) [ mēḍhēmata ] n (मेढ Polar star, मत Dogma or sect.) A persuasion or an order or a set of tenets and notions amongst the Shúdra-people. Founded upon certain astrological calculations proceeding upon the North star. Hence मेढेजोशी or डौरीजोशी.

Hieroglyph: arka 'sun' Rebus: arka, eraka 'copper, gold, moltencast' (Samskritam. Kannada. Tulu)

Hieroglyph: koThAri 'crucible' Rebus: koThAri 'treasurer, warehouse'

Hieroglyph-multiplex of three dotted circles: kandi 'bead' Rebus: kanda 'fire-altar' khaNDa 'metal implements' PLUS Hieroglyph: kolmo 'three' Rebus: kolimi 'smithy'; kolle 

'blacksmith'; kole.l 'smithy, temple' (Kota) 

Trefoils painted on steatite beads, Harappa (After Vats, Pl. CXXXIII, Fig.2)

Trefoil inlay decorated on a bull calf. Uruk (W.16017) ca. 3000 BCE. kõdā 'young bull calf' Rebus: kõdā 'turner-joiner' (forge),

damkom = a bull calf (Santali) Rebus: damha = a fireplace; dumhe = to heap, to collect together (Santali)

Trefoil design on the uttarIyam of the priest, AcArya, PotR. This denotes: three strands of rope: dāmā 'rope' rebus: dhāma ʻreligious conduct'.

Late Harappan Period dish or lid with perforation at edge for hanging or attaching to large jar. It shows a Blackbuck antelope with trefoil design made of combined circle-and-dot motifs, possibly representing stars. It is associated with burial pottery of the Cemetery H period, dating after 1900 BC. Credit Harappa.com

Madhu Swarup Vats reported the find of stone linga at Harappa.


In 1940, MS Vats discovered six Shiva Lingas at Harappa. This is an archival photo of one linga. Lingam, grey sandstone in situ, Harappa, Trench Ai, Mound F, Pl. X (c) (After Vats). "In an earthenware jar, No. 12414, recovered from Mound F, Trench IV, Square I... in this jar, six lingams were found along with some tiny pieces of shell, a unicorn seal, an oblong grey sandstone block with polished surface, five stone pestles, a stone palette, and a block of chalcedony..." (Vats, EH, p. 370)

Two decorated bases and a lingam, Mohenjodaro. 

If one end of a tape or belt is turned over three times and then pasted to the other, a trefoil knot results. (Shaw, George Russell (MCMXXXIII). Knots: Useful & Ornamental, p.11.)

In Atharva Veda stambha is a celestial scaffold, supporting the cosmos and material creation.

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/12/skambha-sukta-atharva-veda-x-7-pair-of.html Full text of Atharva Veda ( X - 7,8) --- Stambha Suktam with translation (with variant pronunciation as skambha). See Annex A List of occurrences of gloss in Atharva Veda.

A pair of Skambha in Dholavira close to kole.l'smithy, temple' ( (8-shaped stone structure): Ko. kole·l smithy, temple in Kota village. To. kwala·l Kota smithy.(DEDR 2133).

Fig. 8.304. Freestanding columns in situ, Dholavira

"8.9.2.2 Free standing columns. At least six examples of freestanding columns were discovered from the excavations. Three freestanding columns are tall and slender pillars with circular cross-section and with a top resembling a phallus or they are phallic in nature. That is why most of them were found in an intentionally damaged and smashed condition. The phallus is depicted realistically with even the drawing of foreskin shown clearly. Two of these freestanding columns are found near eastern end of high street of Castle. These columns measure nearly 1.5m in height and are found at the strategic location of entering into the high street from the east gate of Castle. These two columns are placed in such a manner at the beginning of high street that they divide the street into three equal parts. The other freestanding columns of the same variety and typology, numbering four were found in a completely smashed and broken condition. Two of such columns were found in a secondary condition, fitted as a masonry of Tank A while the other one was found in a masonry in a later period structure near the western fortification of Castle. Two more examles, completely smashed and destroyed ones were also found, one near the western end of Ceremonial Ground and the second near the north gate of Castle. The destruction and desecration of these columns can be equated with that of the damage caused to the stone statue, which clearly indicates a change in ideology and traditions, customs after the Harappan phase."(pp. 589-591)  http://asi.nic.in/pdf_data/dholavira_excavation_report_new.pdf

A Terracotta Linga from Kalibangan (2600 BC)

Cylindrical clay steles of 10 to 15 cms height occur in ancient fire-altars (See report by BB Lal on Kalibangan excavations).

Architectural fragment with relief showing winged dwarfs (or gaNa) worshipping with flower garlands, Siva Linga. Bhuteshwar, ca. 2nd cent BCE. Lingam is on a platform with wall under a pipal tree encircled by railing. (Srivastava,  AK, 1999, Catalogue of Saiva sculptures in Government Museum, Mathura: 47, GMM 52.3625) The tree is a phonetic determinant of the smelter indicated by the railing around the linga: kuṭa, °ṭi -- , °ṭha -- 3, °ṭhi -- m. ʻ tree ʼ  Rebus: kuṭhi 'smelter'. kuṭa, °ṭi -- , °ṭha -- 3, °ṭhi -- m. ʻ tree ʼ lex., °ṭaka -- m. ʻ a kind of tree ʼ Kauś.Pk. kuḍa -- m. ʻ tree ʼ; Paš. lauṛ. kuṛāˊ ʻ tree ʼ, dar. kaṛék ʻ tree, oak ʼ ~ Par. kōṛ ʻ stick ʼ IIFL iii 3, 98. (CDIAL 3228). http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/05/smithy-is-temple-of-bronze-age-stambha_14.html

Worship of Shiva Linga by Gandharvas - Shunga Period - Bhuteshwar - ACCN 3625 - Government Museum - Mathura 

kuThi 'smelter' lokhaNDa 'metal implements' (lo 'penis' -- Munda)

Trefoil decorations associated with the 'priest' statue, 'bull/calf statue' and 'lingam' base are indicative of the possibility that the Bharatam Janam of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro and in Meluhha settlements of Uruk held the aniconic form of lingam in veneration, pointing to an aadhyaatmika gestalt in those early Bronze-age times. Rebus readings have been dealt with elsewhere using Meluhha glosses relatable to the hieroglyphs of bull, bull-calf and priest. (e.g. trilogy of S. Kalyanaraman (2010, 2014); see: 
https://www.academia.edu/9643316/A_review_of_Dr_S._Kalyanaraman_s_trilogy_by_Dr_Shrinivas_Tilak).

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/01/sekkizhar-periya-puranam-candi-sukuh.html

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/01/stepped-socles-of-assur-meluhha.html 

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/02/meluhha-hieroglyphs-of-gudimallam.html
Siva linga was metaphored as pillar of light, consistent with the Atharvaveda Skambhasukta.

 

sãghāṛɔ 'lathe' (Gujarati. Desi) m0008 Mohenjo-daro seal. This shows the bottom bowl of the 'standard device' superimposed with dotted circles. Since the top portion of the 'device' is a drill-lathe, these dotted circles are orthographic representations of drilled beads which were the hallmark of lapidaries' work of the civilization. Rebus reading of the kandi 'beads' (Pa.) is: kaND, kandu 'fire altar, smelting furnace of a blacksmith' (Santali.Kashmiri)Glyphs of dotted circles on the bottom portion of the 'standard device': kandi (pl. -l) beads, necklace (Pa.); kanti (pl. -l) bead, (pl.) necklace; kandit. bead (Ga.)(DEDR 1215). Rebus: लोहकारकन्दुः f. a blacksmith's smelting furnace (Grierson Kashmiri) 

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2011/09/meluhha-epigraphia-indus-language.html

Three dotted circles joined together constitutes the hieroglyph-multiplex of trefoil: kolmo 'three' Rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge'; kole.l 'smithy' kole.l 'temple' kandi 'bead' Rebus: kanda 'fire-altar' Thus, together kole.l kanda 'temple fire-altar'.

Sumerian hunting wild bulls on a Late Uruk style cylinder sedal. After Amiet 1980: no. 1613. Source of image: http://www.newsnfo.co.uk/pages/deity-%20god-%20and-%20priest.htm

Hieroglyph: ``^penis'': So. laj(R)  ~ lij  ~ la'a'j  ~ laJ/ laj  ~ kaD `penis'.Sa. li'j `penis, esp. of small boys'.Sa. lO'j `penis'.Mu. lOe'j  ~ lOGgE'j `penis'.  ! lO'j Ho loe `penis'.Ku. la:j `penis'.@(C289)``^penis'':Sa. lOj `penis'. Mu. lOj `penis'.KW lOj @(M084) 

Rebus: lo 'copper' lōhá ʻ red, copper -- coloured ʼ ŚrS., ʻ made of copper ʼ ŚBr., m.n. ʻ copper ʼ VS., ʻ iron ʼ MBh. [*rudh -- ] Pa. lōha -- m. ʻ metal, esp. copper or bronze ʼ; Pk. lōha -- m. ʻ iron ʼ, Gy. pal. li°, lihi, obl. elhás, as. loa JGLS new ser. ii 258; Wg. (Lumsden) "loa"ʻ steel ʼ; Kho. loh ʻ copper ʼ; S. lohu m. ʻ iron ʼ, L. lohā m., awāṇ. lōˋā, P. lohā m. (→ K.rām. ḍoḍ. lohā), WPah.bhad. lɔ̃un., bhal. lòtilde; n., pāḍ. jaun. lōh, paṅ. luhā, cur. cam. lohā, Ku. luwā, N. lohu, °hā, A. lo, B. lo, no, Or. lohā, luhā, Mth. loh, Bhoj. lohā, Aw.lakh. lōh, H. loh, lohā m., G. M. loh n.; Si. loho, lō ʻ metal, ore, iron ʼ; Md. ratu -- lō ʻ copper ʼ. WPah.kṭg. (kc.) lóɔ ʻ iron ʼ, J. lohā m., Garh. loho; Md. lō ʻ metal ʼ.(CDIAL 11158)

Hieroglyph: mēṇḍha2 m. ʻ ram ʼ, °aka -- , mēṇḍa -- 4, miṇḍha -- 2, °aka -- , mēṭha -- 2, mēṇḍhra -- , mēḍhra -- 2, °aka -- m. lex. 2. *mēṇṭha- (mēṭha -- m. lex.). 3. *mējjha -- . [r -- forms (which are not attested in NIA.) are due to further sanskritization of a loan -- word prob. of Austro -- as. origin (EWA ii 682 with lit.) and perh. related to the group s.v. bhēḍra -- ]1. Pa. meṇḍa -- m. ʻ ram ʼ, °aka -- ʻ made of a ram's horn (e.g. a bow) ʼ; Pk. meḍḍha -- , meṁḍha -- (°ḍhī -- f.), °ṁḍa -- , miṁḍha -- (°dhiā -- f.), °aga -- m. ʻ ram ʼ, Dm. Gaw. miṇ Kal.rumb. amŕn/aŕə ʻ sheep ʼ (a -- ?); Bshk. mināˊl ʻ ram ʼ; Tor. miṇḍ ʻ ram ʼ, miṇḍāˊl ʻ markhor ʼ; Chil. mindh*ll ʻ ram ʼ AO xviii 244 (dh!), Sv. yēṛo -- miṇ; Phal. miṇḍ, miṇ ʻ ram ʼ, miṇḍṓl m. ʻ yearling lamb, gimmer ʼ; P. mẽḍhā m.,°ḍhī f., ludh. mīḍḍhā, mī˜ḍhā m.; N. meṛho, meṛo ʻ ram for sacrifice ʼ; A. mersāg ʻ ram ʼ ( -- sāg < *chāgya -- ?), B. meṛā m., °ṛi f., Or. meṇḍhā, °ḍā m., °ḍhi f., H. meṛh, meṛhā, mẽḍhā m., G. mẽḍhɔ, M.mẽḍhā m., Si. mäḍayā.2. Pk. meṁṭhī -- f. ʻ sheep ʼ; H. meṭhā m. ʻ ram ʼ.3. H. mejhukā m. ʻ ram ʼ.A. also mer (phonet. mer) ʻ ram ʼ (CDIAL 10310). Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Munda.Ho.)

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/01/sekkizhar-periya-puranam-candi-sukuh.html Histoire ancienne des Etats hindouises along the Tin Road from Haifa to Hanoi. NaMo, Obama, announce United Indian Ocean States.



http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/06/sacred-metalwork-bronze-age-hieroglyphs.html

lo 'penis' Rebus: loh 'copper, metal'







Hieroglyphs: gaṇḍa 'swelling' gaṇḍa 'four' gaṇḍa 'sword'



Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’ (Marathi)







Together, hieroglyphs: lo + gaṇḍa. Rebus:  lokhãḍ, लोखंड [ lōkhaṇḍa ] 'metalwork'







Archaeometallurgy links Hanoi and Haifa on the Maritime Tin Road which predates Silk Road by about 2 millennia.







Nahal Mishmar produces metal implements of arsenic copper using cire perdue technique.



Dong Son produces tin bronze drums using cire perdue technique to display hieroglyph-multiplexes.



Hieroglyph on Dong Son bronze drum: arka 'sun' Rebus: arka, eraka 'copper, gold, moltencast' 



meDha 'ram' Rebus: meD 'iron' (Ho.Mu.) Hieroglyph: Boat: kolam; rebus: kolami 'furnace'



Drum model with four frogs, Dongson culture, 300 BCE.–200 CE. Vietnam Bronze; H. 4 in. (10.2 cm) Samuel Eilenberg Collection,  Metmuseum 



http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/05/dating-tin-bronze-culture-of-ancient_15.html








Cire perdue castings: dancing girl, Mohenjo-daro











Foot with anklet; copper alloy. Mohenjo-daro (After Fig. 5.11 in Agrawal. D.P. 2000. Ancient Metal Technology & Archaeology of South Asia. Delhi: Aryan Books International.)











Bronze statue of a woman holding a small bowl, Mohenjodaro; copper alloy made using cire perdue method (DK 12728; Mackay 1938: 274, Pl. LXXIII, 9-11)








Cire perdue casting: Leopard bronze weight of Shahi-Tump (Baluchistan) with Meluhha hieroglyphs (See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/01/meluhha-dhokra-art-from-5th-millennium.html



Meluhha hieroglyphs; rebus readings: Leopard, kharaḍā; rebus:karaḍā 'hard alloy from iron, silver etc.'; ibex or markhor 'meḍh' rebus: ‘iron stone ore, metal merchant.’
खरडा [ kharaḍā ] A leopard. खरड्या [ kharaḍyā ] m or खरड्यावाघ m A leopard (Marathi). Kol. keḍiak tiger. Nk. khaṛeyak panther. Go. (A.) khaṛyal tiger; (Haig) kariyāl panther Kui kṛāḍi, krānḍi tiger, leopard, hyena. Kuwi (F.) kṛani tiger; (S.) klā'ni tiger, leopard; (Su. P. Isr.) kṛaˀni (pl. -ŋa) tiger. / Cf. Pkt. (DNM) karaḍa- id. (CDIAL 1132+). Rebus 1: kharādī ‘ turner, a person who fashions or shapes objects on a lathe’ (Gujarati) Rebus 2: करड्याची अवटी [ karaḍyācī avaṭī ] f An implement of the goldsmith. Rebus: करडा [karaḍā] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c. (Marathi)
miṇḍāl ‘markhor’ (Tōrwālī) meḍho a ram, a sheep (G.)(CDIAL 10120); rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.)mẽṛh t iron; ispat m. = steel; dul m. = cast iron (Munda) 




Lothal seal L048 Ibex. Another hieroglyph shown on the seal: ayo 'fish' rebus: ayo 'metal alloy' (Gujarati); ayas 'metal' (Sanskrit)




Fish sign incised on copper anthropomorph, Sheorajpur, upper Ganges valley, ca. 2nd millennium BCE, 4 kg; 47.7 X 39 X 2.1 cm. State Museum, Lucknow (O.37) Typical find of Gangetic Copper Hoards. miṇḍāl markhor (Tor.wali) meḍho a ram, a sheep (G.)(CDIAL 10120) Rebus: meḍh ‘helper of merchant’ (Gujarati) meḍ iron (Ho.) meṛed-bica = iron stone ore, in contrast to bali-bica, iron sand ore (Munda) ayo ‘fish’ Rebus: ayo, ayas ‘metal. Thus, together read rebus: ayo meḍh ‘iron stone ore, metal merchant.’
meḷh ‘goat’ (Br.) Rebus: meḍho ‘one who helps a merchant’ vi.138 ‘vaṇiksahāyah’ (deśi. Hemachandra). Allograph: meṛgo = with horns twisted back; meṛha, m., miṛhi f.= twisted, crumpled, as a horn (Santali)






A note on meD 'iron' (Munda), meD 'copper' in Slavic (Eurasian) glosses, possibly signified by the onyx or markhor hieroglyphs on Nahal Mishmar artefacts










Hieroglyph: frog:maṇḍa -- 5 m. ʻ frog ʼ .<menDaka>(A)  {N} ``^frog''.  *Hi.









<mE~dhak>, Skt.<maNDu:kam>.  #21820.  <poto menDka>(Z)  {N} 









``^toad''.  |<poto> `?'.  ^frog (which lives out of water).  *Loan?.  #27302. 









 <o~ia mendka>(Z),,<oJa mendka>(Z)  {N} ``^bullfrog''.  |<o~ia> `id.'.  ??









RECTE D?  #24562 (Gorum)









Rebus: meD 'iron' (Ho.)









Origin of the gloss med 'copper' in Uralic languages may be explained by the word meD (Ho.) of Munda family of Meluhha language stream:




Sa. <i>mE~R~hE~'d</i> `iron'.  ! <i>mE~RhE~d</i>(M).




Ma. <i>mErhE'd</i> `iron'.




Mu. <i>mERE'd</i> `iron'.




  ~ <i>mE~R~E~'d</i> `iron'.  ! <i>mENhEd</i>(M).




Ho <i>meD</i> `iron'.




Bj. <i>merhd</i>(Hunter) `iron'.




KW <i>mENhEd</i>




@(V168,M080)




http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/austroasiatic/AA/Munda/ETYM/Pinnow&Munda




— Slavic glosses for 'copper'




Мед [Med]Bulgarian




Bakar Bosnian




Медзь [medz']Belarusian




Měď Czech




Bakar Croatian




KòperKashubian




Бакар [Bakar]Macedonian




Miedź Polish




Медь [Med']Russian




Meď Slovak




BakerSlovenian




Бакар [Bakar]Serbian




Мідь [mid'] Ukrainian[unquote]




http://www.vanderkrogt.net/elements/element.php?sym=Cu 




Miedź, med' (Northern Slavic, Altaic) 'copper'.  




One suggestion is that corruptions from the German "Schmied", "Geschmeide" = jewelry. Schmied, a smith (of tin, gold, silver, or other metal)(German) result in med ‘copper’.




Hieroglyph of a worshipper kneeling: Konḍa (BB) meḍa, meṇḍa id. Pe. menḍa 




id. Manḍ. menḍe id. Kui menḍa id. Kuwi (F.) menda, (S. Su. P.) menḍa, (Isr.) meṇḍa id.Ta. maṇṭi kneeling, kneeling on one knee as an archer. Ma.maṇṭuka to be seated on the heels. Ka. maṇḍi what is bent, the knee. Tu. maṇḍi knee. Te. maṇḍĭ̄ kneeling on one knee. Pa.maḍtel knee; maḍi kuḍtel kneeling position. Go. (L.) meṇḍā, (G. Mu. Ma.)  Cf. 4645 Ta.maṭaṅku (maṇi-forms). / ? Cf. Skt. maṇḍūkī- (DEDR 4677)









maṇḍa6 ʻ some sort of framework (?) ʼ. [In nau -- maṇḍḗ n. du. ʻ the two sets of poles rising from the thwarts or the two bamboo covers of a boat (?) ʼ ŚBr. (as illustrated in BPL p. 42); and in BHSk. and Pa. bōdhi -- maṇḍa -- n. perh. ʻ thatched cover ʼ rather than ʻ raised platform ʼ (BHS ii 402). If so, it may belong to maṇḍapá -- and maṭha -- ]Ku. mã̄ṛā m. pl. ʻ shed, resthouse ʼ (CDIAL 9737)




Rebus: mḗdha m. ʻ sacrificial oblation ʼ RV.Pa. mēdha -- m. ʻ sacrifice ʼ(CDIAL 10327)







In 1961, an extraordinary treasure was found in a cave near the Dead Sea known as Nahal Mishmar. Two hieroglyphs are vivid: markhor on a flagpost or standard, aquatic bird on a 'crown'.






Hidden in a natural crevice and wrapped in a straw mat, the hoard contained 442 different objects: 429 of copper, six of hematite, one of stone, five of hippopotamus ivory, and one of elephant ivory. Many of the copper objects in the hoard were made using the lost-wax process, the earliest known use of this complex technique. For tools, nearly pure copper of the kind found at the mines at Timna in the Sinai Peninsula was used. However, the more elaborate objects were made with a copper containing a high percentage of arsenic (4–12%), which is harder than pure copper and more easily cast.Radiocarbon dating showed that they were from the Chalcolithic or Copper Age, between 4000 and 3500 BCE.











Cult stand/altar made of superimposed crowns, as reconstructed by Amiran (Amiran, Ruth, 1985, A suggestion to see the copper 'crowns' of the Judean Desert in treasure as Drums of Stand-like altars, in: Palestine in the Bronze and Iron Ages: Papers in honour of Olga Tufnell, ed. JN Tubb, 10-14, London, Institute of Archaeology, fig.1)



Foundation peg on the Nahal Mishmar arsenic-bronze 'crown' reinforces the nature of the horned building:kole.l 'smithy' Rebus: kole.l 'temple'. The artefacts might have been carried in procession from the smithy/temple to declare/announce the metallurgical repertoire of the artisans of the 5th millennium BCE, Nahal Mishmar. Ko. kole·l smithy, temple in Kota village. To. kwala·l Kota smithy.   Ta. kol working in iron, blacksmith; kollaṉ blacksmith. Ma. kollan blacksmith, artificer. Ka. kolime, kolume, kulame, kulime, kulume, kulme fire-pit, furnace; (Bell.; U.P.U.) konimi blacksmith (Gowda) kolla id. Koḍ. kollë blacksmith.  Te. kolimi furnace. Go. (SR.) kollusānā to mend implements; (Ph.) kolstānā, kulsānā to forge; (Tr.) kōlstānā to repair (of ploughshares); (SR.) kolmi smithy (Voc. 948). Kuwi (F.) kolhali to forge. (DEDR 2133)













מטמון נחל משמר – שרביט היעלים – מוזיאון הכט (העתק)



Replica of bronze sceptre from the Nahal Mishmar Hoard.


I suggest that the so-called crowns of Nahal Mishmar are stacked-up cylindrical rings, components of a rebus-metonymy layered representations of a smithy and objects out of the smithy: karaḍā 'hard metal alloys'. The structure of the horned building: koṭṭa -- , kuṭ° n.; Kt. kuṭ ʻ tower (?) (Prakritam). I agree with Irit Ziffer that the artefacts are NOT crowns. The two birds on the edge of the crown are aquatic birds:  Hieroglyph: కారండవము [kāraṇḍavamu] n. A sort of duck. కారండవము [ kāraṇḍavamu ] kāraṇḍavamu. [Skt.] n. A sort of duck. कारंडव [kāraṇḍava ] m S A drake or sort of duck. कारंडवी f S The female. karandava [ kârandava ] m. kind of duck. कारण्ड a sort of duck R. vii , 31 , 21 கரண்டம் karaṇṭam, n. Rebus: Rebus: karaḍā ‘hard alloy’ (Marathi) Hieroglyphy: horns: Ta. kōṭu (in cpds. kōṭṭu-) horn, tusk, branch of tree, cluster, bunch, coil of hair, line, diagram, bank of stream or pool; kuvaṭu branch of a tree; kōṭṭāṉ, kōṭṭuvāṉ rock horned-owl (cf. 1657 Ta. kuṭiñai). Ko. ko·ṛ (obl. ko·ṭ-) horns (one horn is kob), half of hair on each side of parting, side in game, log, section of bamboo used as fuel, line marked out. To. kw&idieresisside;ṛ (obl.kw&idieresisside;ṭ-) horn, branch, path across stream in thicket. Ka.  kōḍu horn, tusk, branch of a tree; kōr̤ horn. Tu. kōḍů, kōḍu horn. Te. kōḍu  rivulet, branch of a river. Pa. kōḍ (pl. kōḍul) horn. Ga. (Oll.) kōr (pl. kōrgul) id. Go. (Tr.) kōr (obl. kōt-, pl. kōhk) horn of cattle or wild animals, branch of a tree; (W. Ph. A. Ch.) kōr (pl. kōhk), (S.) kōr (pl. kōhku), (Ma.) kōr̥u (pl. kōẖku)horn; (M.) kohk branch (Voc. 980); (LuS.) kogoo a horn. Kui kōju (pl. kōska) horn, antler. (DEDR 2200) Rebus: fortified town: kōṭṭa1 m. (n. lex.) ʻ fort ʼ Kathās., kōṭa -- 1 m. Vāstuv. Aś. sn. koṭa -- ʻ fort, fortified town ʼ, Pk. koṭṭa -- , kuṭ° n.; Kt. kuṭ ʻ tower (?) ʼ NTS xii 174; Dm. kōṭ ʻ tower ʼ, Kal. kōṭ; Sh. gil. kōṭ m. ʻ fort ʼ (→ Ḍ. kōṭ m.), koh. pales. kōṭ m. ʻ village ʼ; K. kūṭh, dat. kūṭas m. ʻ fort ʼ, S. koṭu m., L. koṭ m.; P. koṭ m. ʻ fort, mud bank round a village or field ʼ; A. kõṭh ʻ stockade, palisade ʼ; B. koṭ, kuṭ ʻ fort ʼ, Or. koṭa, kuṭa, H. Marw. koṭ m.; G. koṭ m. ʻ fort, rampart ʼ; M. koṭ, koṭh m. ʻ fort ʼ, Si. koṭuva (Geiger EGS 50 < kōṣṭhaka -- ).Addenda: kōṭṭa -- 1: A. kõṭh ʻ fort ʼ and other lggs. with aspirate and meaning ʻ fort ʼ perh. X kṓṣṭha (CDIAL 3500).



http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/nihal-mishmar-hieroglyphs-on-crowns.html
















Steatite seal (two serpents) from SAr el-Jisr, Bahrain





kuDi 'drink' rebus: kuThi 'smelter


nAga 'snake' rebus: nAga 'lead'; dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'cast metal'


kola 'woman' kola 'tiger' rebus: kolle 'blacksmith'; kol 'working in iron' kole.l 'smithy, temple'







Figure 1. Map of Iran, with Jiroft, Konār Ṣandal, and sites of the 3rd millenium BCE with chlorite vessels.





Tepe Yahya/Jiroft frieze. Zebus and lions. A zebu gores a lion (the zebu seems to be then on the verge of domestication, Figure 7f.


c. 2900 BCE. Khafajah. The best known of the chlorite bowls is from Khafajah; it is of Mesopotamian manufacture. •A man kneels upon the hindquarters of one of a pair of standing zebu bulls facing away from each other. In each hand he holds a stream of water which flows over the head and finishes in front of each bull. Plants grow from the right stream, plants grow behind the left bull, and a plant grows in front of each bull. Above the man are a rosette, a crescent and (possibly) a snake. Above the left stream is some sort of carnivore, perhaps a panther. 


•An identical man stands behind or between two couchant panthers, rears together and tails raised but heads turned to face each other. In each hand he holds a snake; by his head is another rosette. 


•An eagle and a lion attack a bull which is lying on its back. Plants grow from behind the lion. To the left of this group is a scorpion. Below the lion’s hindquarters is a scene of two bears standing about a date palm licking their paws. 





"In the first half of the 3rd millennium B.C.E., the Iranian plateau (Figure 1) was at the crossroads of trade with its neighboring regions...In the first half of the 3rd millennium, Fars appears as the development center of the first writing, called “proto-Elamite,” which was soon used throughout Iranian plateau. In its southern part of Kerman, tablets have been identified 75 km away to the west of Jiroft at the small site of Tepe Yahya (Yaḥyā), located at about 130 km north of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf...The region of Jiroft, lying far away from the large centers of civilization, had not until now attracted the attention of researchers. It is located at a distance of 1000 km from the valley of the Euphrates in the west and from the Indus River in the east. Tepe Yahya and Shahdad (Šahdād), 200 km to the north-northeast of Kerman, were occupied at the end of the 3rd millennium and hint at a culture specific to the south of Iran."







Chlorite vessels. Plate IV. Various: miniature vessels a-b: tronconical vessels, single-horned zebu (h 8.2 cm);



Figure 6. Zebus: a: details of decoration on a tronconical vessel; b: line of zebus led by a man; c-d lying zebus.





http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/bull-and-horse-migrations-bos-indicus.html





A zebu on a plaque from the Elamite Diyala Valley (Lamberg-Karlovsky and Potts 2001: 225).


Zebu seals, Harappa










Early Harappan zebu figurine with incised spots from Harappa.




Some of the Early Harappan zebu figurines were decorated. One example has incised oval spots. It is also stained a deep red, an extreme example of the types of stains often found on figurines that are usually found in trash and waste deposits. Approximate dimensions (W x H(L) x D): 1.8 x 4.6 x 3.5 cm. (Photograph by Richard H. Meadow)





The majestic zebu bull, with its heavy dewlap and wide curving horns is perhaps the most impressive motif found on the Indus seals. Generally carved on large seals with relatively short inscriptions, the zebu motif is found almost exclusively at the largest cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. 





The rarity of zebu seals is curious because the humped bull is a recurring theme in many of the ritual and decorative arts of the Indus region, appearing on painted pottery and as figurines long before the rise of cities and continuing on into later historical times. The zebu bull may symbolize the leader of the herd, whose strength and virility protects the herd and ensures the procreation of the species or it stands for a sacrificial animal. When carved in stone, the zebu bull probably represents the most powerful clan or top officials of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. 





Harappa Archaeological Research Project.http://www.harappa.com/indus/27.html






aḍar ḍangra ‘zebu’ read rebus: aduru ḍhangar ‘native-unsmelted-metal blacksmith’ (Santali); aduru denotes ‘unsmelted, native metal’. ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’ (Maithili)  aduru ಗಣಿಯಿಂದ ತೆಗದು ಕರಗದೆ ಇರುವ ಅದುರು (Kannada) gan.iyinda tegadu karagade iruva aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Ka. Siddhānti Subrahmaṇya  Śastri’s new interpretation of the Amarakośa, Bangalore, Vicaradarpana Press, 1872, p.330). adar = fine sand (Tamil) aduru native metal (Kannada); ayil iron (Tamil) ayir, ayiram any ore (Malayalam); ajirda karba very hard iron (Tulu)(DEDR 192). Rebus: ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’ (Maithili)










khũṭ mʻ Brahmani bull ʼ (Kathiawar).(CDIAL 3899) (Kathiawar) khũṭro m. ʻ entire bull used for agriculture, not for breedingʼ(Gujarati). Rebus 1: khũṭ  ‘community’ (Guild). Cf. khũṭ a community, sect, society, division, clique, schism, stock (Santali) kuṭhi, kut.i (Or.; Sad. koṭhi) the smelting furnace of the blacksmith. 






kuṇṭha munda (loha) 'hard iron (native metal)'





Malt. goṭa a seed or berry. / Cf. words meaning 'fruit, kernel, seed' in Turner, CDIAL, no. 4271 (so noted by Turner).(DEDR 2069) Rebus: khōṭa 'alloy ingot' (Marathi)





Hieroglyph 1: adar 'zebu' rebus: aduru 'unsmelted metal or ore';





Hieroglyph 2: पोळ (p. 534) [ pōḷa ] m A bull dedicated to the gods, marked with a trident and discus, and set at large. Rebus: पोलाद (p. 533) [ pōlāda ] n ( or P) Steel. पोलादी a Of steel. pōḷa  'magnetite' (Asuri)






pola, ‘magnetite’  is denoted by pōḷī, ‘dewlap, honeycomb’ hieroglyphs.







 









See: Figure 13.31: Harappa 1988: Bull seal from southern edge of Mound E. (p.226)







These three zebu (bos indicus) seals are instructive. On two seals, the hieroglyphs presented relate to the lexemes: ayas + kaNDa read rebus: metal smelter (furnace). The Harappa seal presents the hieroglyphs: kodo 'millet' (Mu.) + kolmo 'three (numeral strokes)'(Mu.) read rebus: konda 'casting furnace, kiln' + kolami 'forge, smithy' (Te.)









It is unclear if two types of furnaces were identified by the hieroglyphs used: one type of furnace used for casting (metal) and another used for smelting (in smithy). It is also unclear if the 'three numeral strokes' glyph should be read as a phonetic determinative of the paired glyph, if the plant glyph on Harappa seal is read as: kolmo 'rice plant'. Seedecoding inscription on Indus seal of Mitathal seal. One way to resolve the issue is to identify an allograph in the script corpus and read the glyphs in the context of glyph sequences used. 









Sign 162 (Mahadevan) and related ligatured signs







Sign 169 and variants.













One 'plant' glyph shows three prongs (as on the Harappa zebu seal); another shows five. (i.e. Sign 162 - with three prongs and Sign 169 - with five prongs)







kūli-dolu rice plant; (Isr.) dulomi plant. (DEDR 3517) Rebus: dul ‘cast (metal)(Santali) 




Vikalpa (alternative): Three prongs glyph (Sign 162) of the plant may denote kodo 'millet'. Five prongs glyph (Sign 169) of the plant may denote tagara 'a kind of flowering tree' (Telugu). If this vikalpa holds, the scribe and artisan may have used the two signs distinctly to denote types of casting or smelting furnaces: one for tin (tagaraka) and the other for other metals.




Proto-Elamite seal impression. Susa. Lions and wild bulls dominate each other in turn. Script sign: KI flanks the lion on either side. After Amiet 180: no. 585




Proto-Elamite seal impression. Lions uphold mountains and trees (ficus?). Script sign: KI. After Amiet 1980: no. 577 Amiet, Pierre. 1980. La glyptiqu mesopotamienne archaique. Deuxieme edition revue et corrigee avec un supplement. Paris. Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.




Is the syllable or phoneme KI related to kalmeia? : "The nomenclature of zinc and its alloys is a difficult chapter of ancient metallurgy, for the ancients did not readily distinguish the alloys of lead, silver, tinb, zin and antimony, they could not analyse the components and the name very arbitrarily. This is the reason why they often vary their meaning in the course of the ages. Thus for instance the Sanskrit nAga is really lead, but it is used for tin or zinc too! Strabo tells us in an interesting passage (XIII, 1, 5, c. 610): 'There is a stone in the neighbourhood of Andeira which when burned becomes iron, and then, when heated in a furnace with a certain earth distils pseudoargyron and this with the addition of copper makes the mixture (krama) as it is called which some is called oreichalkos.'...Though zinc-iron ores exist this procedure is impossible. It would seem that Diergart is right here and that this pseudoargyron is a silver-like alloy of unknown composition. Though arsenical copper and iron ores abound in the Troad, it is doubtful whether an arsenic-copper or arsenic-iron alloy could be prepared he way Strabo suggests!...kadmeia, kadmia as the general names for zinc ores. The latter term was corrupted by the Arabian alchemists to kalmeia, kalamiya, kalimina and early in the fifteenth century we find the terms kalmis or galmei...The general Persian ter for zinc ores and zinc oxyde is tutiya, which occurs frequently in medieval literature as tutia or totia! Laufer has suggested that the Chinese l'ou shi (a metallic product from Sassanian Persia) was brass...The Sanskrit tuttha is derived from tutiya... "(Forbes, Robert James, 1964, Metallurgy in antiquity: a notebook for archaeologists and technologists, Bill Archive, pp.286-287).




Lion is shown as a bull body with horns: barad 'bull' Rebus: bharata 'alloy of copper, pewter, tin' arye 'lion' Rebus: Ara 'brass' dang 'mountain range' Rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'.




After Fig. 19.4. Intercourse of a bison bull and an anthropomorphic priestess. Impression of a lost Indus seal excavated at Chanhu-daro in Sindh. (cf. Mackay 1943: pl. 51, no. 13. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.




r-an:ku, ran:ku = fornication, adultery (Telugu); rebus: ranku ‘tin’ (Santali) barad 'bull' Rebus: bharata 'alloy of copper, pewter, tin' kamaDha 'copulation' Rebus: kammaTa 'coiner, mint' 


saṅghā, saṅgā  copulation (of animals) (Or.); rebus: sangaDa ‘turner’s lathe’. sangar 'fortification' sanghAta 'adamantine glue' (Varahamihira) sangata 'collection of materials'












The 'prostrate person' may be a ligature of neck of a bovine attached to a twig.










kamaTha 'crab' (Samskritam) Rebus: kammaTa 'coiner, mint' dula 'two' Rebus: dul 'cast metal' kanac 'corner' Rebus: kancu 'bronze' karNaka 'rim of jar' Rebus: dul karNI 'cast metal supercargo'. Trefoil hieroglyph-multiplex: kolmo 'three' Rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge'; kole.l 'smithy' kole.l 'temple' kandi 'bead' Rebus: kanda 'fire-altar' Thus, together kole.l kanda 'temple fire-altar'.











Examples of metalwork from Sheffieldd of Indus civilization: Chanhu-daro.'Sheffield of ancient India' Chanhujo-daro metal artefacts (Illustrated London News 1936, Nov. 21)




















Kalibangan065 Cylinder seal impression. Note the scarf of the person ligatured to a tiger.





























kuThi 'twigs' Rebus: kuThi 'smelter'


Hieroglyph: hand, bangles: kará ʻ doing, causing ʼ AV., m. ʻ hand ʼ RV. [√kr̥1] Pa. Pk. kara -- m. ʻ hand ʼ; S. karu m. ʻ arm ʼ; Mth. kar m. ʻ hand ʼ (prob. ← Sk.); Si. kara ʻ hand, shoulder ʼ, inscr. karā ʻ to ʼ < karāya. -- Deriv. S. karāī f. ʻ wrist ʼ; G. karã̄ n. pl. ʻ wristlets, bangles' (CDIAL 2779) Rebus: khār 1 खार् 'blacksmith' (Kashmiri)





















kolmo 'rice plant' kolom 'three' Rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge'












































































kuTi 'tree' Rebus: kuThi 'smelter'











































































dhaṭu  m.  (also dhaṭhu)  m. ‘scarf’  (WPah.) (CDIAL 6707); 





































Rebus: dhātu ‘mineral (Pali).








































karat.i, karut.i, kerut.i fencing, school or gymnasium where wrestling and fencing are taught (Ta.); garad.i, garud.i fencing school (Ka.); garad.i, garod.i (Tu.); garid.i, garid.i_ id., fencing (Te.)(DEDR 1262). 













Rebus: khara_di_ = turner (Gujarati)



































Kalibangan050






































pon ‘four’ (Santali); pon‘metal’ (Ta.)




kūtī = bunch of twigs (Skt.)







The bunch of twigs = kūdī, kūṭī(Skt.lex.) kūdī (also written as kūṭī in manuscripts) occurs in the Atharvaveda(AV 5.19.12) and KauśikaSūtra (Bloomsfield's ed.n, xliv. cf. Bloomsfield,American Journal of Philology, 11, 355; 12,416; Roth, Festgruss anBohtlingk, 98) denotes it as a twig. This is identified as that of Badarī, the jujube tied to the body of the dead to efface their traces. (See Vedic Index, I, p. 177).









kuṭhi 'smelting furnace‘; koṭe ‘forged metal’ (Santali)














maṇḍa 











= a branch; a twig; a twig with leaves on it (Te.lex.)
















maṇḍā 

















= warehouse, workshop (Kon.lex.)










aḍaru twig; ad.iri small and thin branch of a tree; aḍari small branches  (Ka.); aḍarutwig (Tu.)(DEDR 67). adar = splinter (Santali); rebus: adaru = native metal (Ka.)































kolom ‘three’ (Mu.) 

















kolmo ‘rice plant' (Mu.)  









kolom = cutting, graft; to graft, engraft, prune;kolma hoṛo = a variety of the paddy plant (Desi)(Santali.) 









kolime, kolume, kulame, kulime, kulume, kulme fire-pit, furnace (Ka.); kolimi furnace (Te.); pit (Te.); kolame a very deep pit (Tu.); kulume kanda_ya a tax on blacksmiths (Ka.); kol, kolla a furnace (Ta.)kole.l smithy, temple in Kota village (Ko.); kwala.l Kota smithy (To.);konimi blacksmith; kola id. (Ka.); kolle blacksmith (Kod.); kollusa_na_ to mend implements; kolsta_na, kulsa_na_ to forge; ko_lsta_na_ to repair (of plough-shares); kolmi smithy (Go.); kolhali to forge (Go.)(DEDR 2133).] kolimi-titti = bellows used for a furnace (Te.lex.) kollu- to neutralize metallic properties by oxidation (Ta.lex.) kol brass or iron bar nailed across a door or gate; kollu-t-tat.i-y-a_n.i large nail for studding doors or gates to add to their strength (Ta.lex.) kollan--kamma_lai < + karmas'a_la_, kollan--pat.t.arai, kollan-ulai-k-ku_t.am blacksmith's workshop, smithy (Ta.lex.) cf. ulai smith's forge or furnace (Na_lat.i, 298); ulai-k-kal.am smith's forge; ulai-k-kur-at.u smith's tongs; ulai-t-turutti smith's bellows; ulai-y-a_n.i-k-ko_l smith's poker, beak-iron (Ta.lex.) [kollulaive_r-kan.alla_r: nait.ata. na_t.t.up.); mitiyulaikkollan- mur-iot.ir.r.an-n-a: perumpa_)(Ta.lex.) Temple; smithy: kol-l-ulai blacksmith's forge (kollulaik ku_t.attin-a_l : Kumara. Pira. Ni_tiner-i. 14)(Ta.lex.) cf. kolhua_r sugarcane milkl and boiling house (Bi.); kolha_r oil factory (P.)(CDIAL 3537). kulhu ‘a hindu caste, mostly oilmen’ (Santali) kolsa_r = sugarcane mill and boiling house (Bi.)(CDIAL 3538).













Together with kol 'tiger, woman'; the ligatured glyph composition with twig as head-dress connotes: metal alloy furnace-smelter/workshop.











kōlupuli = Bengal tiger (Te.); kol = tiger (Santali) kōla = woman (Nahali)











Rebus: kol metal (Ta.) kol = pan~calōkam (five metals) (Ta.lex.)  




















There are leaf-less branches of tree in the background of the entire pictorial composition of the Kalibangan cylinder seal.





























Pk. ḍhaṁkhara -- m.n. ʻ branch without leaves or fruit ʼ (CDIAL 5524)






























Rebus: 







ḍān:ro = a term of contempt for a blacksmith (N.)(CDIAL 5524).   ṭhākur = blacksmith (Mth.) (CDIAL 5488). 
















Two examples of Indus Script seals with a three-stranded rope:


m1406 






Hieroglyphs: thread of three stands + drummer + tumblers





dhollu ‘drummer’ (Western Pahari) dolutsu 'tumble' Rebus: dul ‘cast metal’





karaḍa 'double-drum' Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy'. dhAtu 'strands of rope' Rebus: dhAtu 'mineral, metal, ore'







Kalibangan seal. k020 Hieroglyphs: thread of three strands + water-carrier + one-horned young bull. 






Examples of acrobats as hieroglyphs:


















Mehrgarh. Terracotta circular button seal. (Shah, SGM & Parpola, A., 1991, Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions 2: Collections in Pakistan, Helsinki: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia, MR-17. A humped bull (water buffalo?) and abstract forms (one of which is like a human body) around the bull. The human body is tossed from the horns of the bovine. 

















m0312 Persons vaulting over a water buffalo. The water buffalo tosses a person on its horns. Four or five bodies surround the animal. Rounded edges indicate frequent use to create clay seal impressions.
























Impression of a steatite stamp seal (2300-1700 BCE) with a water-buffalo and acrobats. Buffalo attack or bull-leaping scene, Banawali (after UMESAO 2000:88, cat. no. 335). A figure is impaled on the horns of the buffalo; a woman acrobat wearing bangles on both arms and a long braid flowing from the head, leaps over the buffalo bull. The action narrative is presented in five frames of the acrobat getting tossed by the horns, jumping and falling down.Two Indus script glyphs are written in front of the buffalo. (ASI BNL 5683).





Rebus readings of hieroglyphs: ‘1. arrow, 2. jag/notch, 3. buffalo, 4.acrobatics’:






1.     kaṇḍa ‘arrow’ (Skt.) H. kãḍerā m. ʻ a caste of bow -- and arrow -- makers (CDIAL 3024). Or. kāṇḍa, kã̄ṛ ʻstalk, arrow ʼ(CDIAL 3023). ayaskāṇḍa ‘a quantity of iron, excellent  iron’ (Pāṇ.gaṇ)




2.     खांडा [ khāṇḍā ] m  A jag, notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool or weapon). (Marathi) Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘tools, pots and pans, metal-ware’.






3. rāngo ‘water buffalo bull’ (Ku.N.)(CDIAL 10559) 






Rebus: rango ‘pewter’. ranga, rang pewter is an alloy of tin, lead, and antimony (anjana) (Santali).  "








Pewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and sometimes, less commonly today, lead. Silver is also sometimes used." 














https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pewter











4. ḍullu to fall off; ḍollu to roll over (DEDR 2698) Te. ḍul(u)cu, ḍulupu to cause to fall; ḍollu to fall; ḍolligillu to fall or tumble over (DEDR 2988) డొలుచు [ḍolucu] or  ḍoluṭsu. [Tel.] v. n. To tumble head over heels as dancing girls do (Telugu) Rebus 1: dul ‘to cast in a mould’; dul mẽṛhẽt, dul meṛeḍ, 'cast iron'; koṭe meṛeḍ ‘forged iron’ (Santali) Bshk. ḍōl ʻ brass pot (CDIAL 6583). Rebus 2: WPah. ḍhōˋḷ m. ʻstoneʼ, ḍhòḷṭɔ m. ʻbig stone or boulderʼ, ḍhòḷṭu ʻsmall id.ʼ Him.I 87(CDIAL 5536). Rebus: K. ḍula m. ʻ rolling stoneʼ(CDIAL 6582). 








Hieroglyph:  धातु [p= 513,3] m. layer , stratum Ka1tyS3r. Kaus3. constituent part , ingredient (esp. [ and in RV. only] ifc. , where often = " fold " e.g. त्रि-ध्/आतु , threefold &c ; cf.त्रिविष्टि- , सप्त- , सु-) RV. TS. S3Br. &c (Monier-Williams) dhāˊtu  *strand of rope ʼ (cf. tridhāˊtu -- ʻ threefold ʼ RV., ayugdhātu -- ʻ having an uneven number of strands ʼ KātyŚr.).; S. dhāī f. ʻ wisp of fibres added from time to time to a rope that is being twisted ʼ, L. dhāī˜ f.(CDIAL 6773) tántu m. ʻ thread, warp ʼ RV. [√tan] Pa. tantu -- m. ʻ thread, cord ʼ, Pk. taṁtu -- m.; Kho. (Lor.) ton ʻ warp ʼ < *tand (whence tandeni ʻ thread between wings of spinning wheel ʼ); S. tandu f. ʻ gold or silver thread ʼ; L. tand (pl. °dũ) f. ʻ yarn, thread being spun, string of the tongue ʼ; P. tand m. ʻ thread ʼ, tanduā, °dūā m. ʻ string of the tongue, frenum of glans penis ʼ; A. tã̄t ʻ warp in the loom, cloth being woven ʼ; B. tã̄t ʻ cord ʼ; M. tã̄tū m. ʻ thread ʼ; Si. tatu, °ta ʻ string of a lute ʼ; -- with -- o, -- ā to retain orig. gender: S. tando m. ʻ cord, twine, strand of rope ʼ; N. tã̄do ʻ bowstring ʼ; H. tã̄tā m. ʻ series, line ʼ; G. tã̄tɔ m. ʻ thread ʼ; -- OG. tāṁtaṇaü m. ʻ thread ʼ < *tāṁtaḍaü, G.tã̄tṇɔ m.(CDIAL 5661) Rebus: M. dhāū, dhāv m.f. ʻ a partic. soft red stone ʼ (whence dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻ a caste of iron -- smelters ʼ, dhāvḍī ʻ composed of or relating to iron ʼ); dhāˊtu n. ʻ substance ʼ RV., m. ʻ element ʼ MBh., ʻ metal, mineral, ore (esp. of a red colour) ʼ; Pk. dhāu -- m. ʻ metal, red chalk ʼ; N. dhāu ʻ ore (esp. of copper) ʼ; Or. ḍhāu ʻ red chalk, red ochre ʼ (whence ḍhāuā ʻ reddish ʼ; (CDIAL 6773) धातु  primary element of the earth i.e. metal , mineral, ore (esp. a mineral of a red colour) Mn. MBh. &c element of words i.e. grammatical or verbal root or stem Nir. Pra1t. MBh. &c (with the southern Buddhists धातु means either the 6 elements [see above] Dharmas. xxv ; or the 18 elementary spheres [धातु-लोक] ib. lviii ; or the ashes of the body , relics L. [cf. -गर्भ]) (Monier-Williams. Samskritam). 












Small Workshop







m 1202. Squirrel hieroglyh







Seal Nd-1 Nindowari Squirrel hieroglyph









khANDa notch' Rebus: khaNDa 'metal implements'







Kalandaka 1. a squirrel Miln 368 (Pali) Rebus: 


करडा [ karaḍā ]Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c. (Marathi)















tsāni, tsānye ‘squirrel’ (Kon.) caṇila squirrel (To.); Vikalpa: sega ‘a species of squirrel’ (Santali) rebus: śannī a small workshop (WPah) śannī f. ʻ small room in a house to keep sheep in ‘ (WPah.) Bshk. šan, Phal.šān ‘roof’ (Bshk.)(CDIAL 12326). seṇi (f.) [Class. Sk. śreṇi in meaning "guild"; Vedic= row] Woṭ. šen ʻ roof ʼ, Bshk. šan, Phal. šān(AO xviii 251, followed by Buddruss Woṭ 126, < śar(a)ṇa -- ); WPah. (Joshi) śannī f. ʻ small room in a house to keep sheep in ʼ. Addenda: śaraṇá -- 2. 2. *śarṇa --WPah. kṭg.śɔ́nni f. ʻ bottom storey of a house in which young of cattle are kept ʼ. śaraṇá ʻ protecting ʼ, n. ʻ shelter, home ʼ RV. 2. *śarṇa -- . [√śar] 1. Pa. Pk. saraṇa -- n. ʻ protection, shelter, house ʼ; Ḍ. šərṓn m. ʻ roof ʼ (← Sh.?), Dm. šaran; P. saraṇ m. ʻ protection, asylum ʼ, H. saran f.; G. sarṇũ n. ʻ help ʼ; Si.saraṇa ʻ defence, village, town ʼ; -- < *śarāṇa -- or poss. *śāraṇa -- : Kho. šarān ʻ courtyard of a house ʼ, Sh. šarāṇŭ m. ʻ fence ʼ. (CDIAL 12326) Vikalpa: Other lexemes (for rebus readings of variant readings of glyphs): meṇḍa A twist or tangle arising in thread or cord, a curl or snarl. (Marathi) (CDIAL 10312). Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) salae sapae = untangled, combed out, hair hanging loose (Santali.lex.) Rebus: sal workshop (Santali) Vikalpa: ḍhompo = knot on a string (Santali) ḍhompo = ingot (Santali) kana, kanac = corner (Santali); kañcu = bronze (Te.) kan- copper work (Ta.) kōḍel bandicoot (Pa.) [koḍel = rat (Go.)] Rebus: kole.l = smithy, temple in Kota village (Ko.) Vikalpa: mũhã̄ = the quantity of iron produced at one time in a native smelting furnace of the Kolhes; iron produced by the Kolhes and formed like a four-cornered piece a little pointed at each end; mūhā mẽṛhẽt = iron smelted by the Kolhes and formed into an equilateral lump a little pointed at each end; kolhe tehen me~ṛhe~t mūhā akata = the Kolhes have to-day produced pig iron (Santali.lex.) The superscript ligatures can be read as suffixes: - kāra ‘artisan’. kāruvu = mechanic, artisan, Vis'vakarma, the celestial artisan (Te.); kāruvu. [Skt.] n. An artist, artificer. An agent . One is a loha-kāra (metalsmith). the other is a cunda-kāra (ivory turner). kōṭṭa1 m. (n. lex.) ʻ fort ʼ Kathās., kōṭa -- 1 m. Vāstuv. Aś. sn. koṭa -- ʻ fort, fortified town ʼ, Pk. koṭṭa -- , kuṭ° n.; Kt. kuṭ ʻ tower (?) ʼ NTS xii 174; Dm. kōṭ ʻ tower ʼ, Kal. kōṭ; Sh. gil. kōṭ m. ʻ fort ʼ (→ Ḍ. kōṭ m.), koh. pales. kōṭ m. ʻ village ʼ; K. kūṭh, dat. kūṭas m. ʻ fort ʼ, S. koṭu m., L. koṭ m.; P. koṭ m. ʻ fort, mud bank round a village or field ʼ; A. kõṭh ʻ stockade, palisade ʼ; B. koṭ, kuṭ ʻ fort ʼ, Or. koṭa, kuṭa, H. Marw. koṭ m.; G. koṭ m. ʻ fort, rampart ʼ; M. koṭ, koṭh m. ʻ fort ʼ(CDIAL 3500). Cloak, trefoil glyph: got.a_ a garment with clusters of flowers woven in it; got.a_kor [+ kor a border] a border of a garment having clusters of flowers woven in it; got.iyum a piece of cloth made use of in making up a turban to give it a round shape (G.) go_t.u embroidery, lace (Tu.); go~_t.u an ornamental appendage to the border of a cloth, fringe, hem, edging (Te.); got. Hem of garment; got.a_ edging of gold lace (H.)(DEDR 2201). go_t.u = an ornamental appendage to the border of a cloth, fringe, hem, edging (Te.); embroidery (Tu.) kont.l.= pocket in outside edge of cloak (Ko.); got. = hem of garment (M.); got.a_ = edging of gold lace (H.) got. hem of a garment, metal wristlet (M.); got.t.a_ gold or silver lace (P.)(CDIAL 4271). Gu {N} ``^cloth''. Rebus: (Z),,(Z) {N} ``^worker, ^assistant, ^serf, ^slave; ^serfdom''. #11620.





"Indus inscriptions resemble the Egyptian hieroglyphs...": John Marshall "A good many important facts can be determined, however, to clear the ground for more satisfactory research. In the first place this script is in no way even remotely connected with either the Sumerian or Proto-Elamitic signs. I have compare some of the signs with the signs of these scripts. For the references to the Sumerian pictographs, or the earliest forms of the Sumerian signs, I have referred the reader to the numbers of REC. (Thureau-Dangin, "Recherches sur l'Origine de l'Ecriture Cuneiforme") and for the Proto-Elamitic signs to Professor Scheil's "Textes de Comptabilite Proto-Elamites", in vol. xvii of Memoires de la Mission Archeologique de Perse, pp. 31-66. This series is commonly cited as Del. Per. (Delegation en Perse). The Indus inscriptions resemble the Egyptian hieroglyphs far more than they do the Sumerian linear and cuneiform system." [John Marshall, 1996 (Repr.), Mohenjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization: Being an official account of Archaeological Excavations at Mohenjo-Daro carried out by the Government of India between the years 1922 and 1927,Asian Educational Services, pp. 423-424] http://books.google.com/books?id=SZWE7O-5vusC&dq=elam+indus&source=gbs_navlinks_s





Mohenjodro 0304 Seal impression. Identical impression on m0494/0495 two prism-shaped tablets.  This is an update on Nov. 13, 2011 of a note posted on Nov. 12, 2011. An annex is added, decoding another long inscription. (The blog post was originally titled: 'Decoding the longest inscription of Indus Script'). Now it has been retitled to cover another long inscription. This note decodes the longest inscription --on one side of a tablet -- of Indus Script. There are two prism tablets (m0494 and m0495) with an identical inscription of three lines on three sides (of the two tablets). The three lines of m0494/m0495 read together, may constitute an inscription longer than the one on m-0304 seal impression. The inscription on m-0494/m-0495 which contains 23 glyphs (adding all the glyphs on three sides of a prism) is decoded in the annex -- treating the three lines of inscriptions on the prisms as one composite inscription with a composite message.  There can only be a congecture as to why the prism tablets were mass produced with identical three lines of impression: it is likely that the tablets were used by artisans of a guild performing identical metal work for transporting packages with identical contents and hence, identical messages conveyed through the inscription. Executive summary The indus script inscription is a detailed account of the metal work engaged in by the Indus artisans. It is a professional calling card of the metalsmiths' guild of Mohenjodaro used to affix a sealing on packages of metal artefacts traded by Meluhha (mleccha)speakers.



Text. Reading of glyphs on m0314 Seal impression. A notable featue of the sequencing of glyphs is the use of three variants of 'fish' glyphs on line 1 of the inscription. Each variant 'fish' glyph has been distinctively decoded as working with ore, metalwork (forging, turning) and casting. Rebus decoding of glyphs on the seal impression: Three lines of the inscription with glyphs can be read rebus from right to left -- listing the metallurgical competence of the artisans' guild:Line 1: Turner workshop; forge, stone ore, ingot; excellent cast metal Line 2: Metal workshop, ingot furnace, casting, riveting smithy,forge; Furnace scribe Line 3: Smithy, lump of silver (forging metal); Mint, gold furnace; Smithy/forge; Turner small workshop Details: Line 1 1.1. Turner workshop



kund opening in the nave or hub of a wheel to admit the axle (Santali) Rebus: kundam, kund a sacrificial fire-pit (Skt.) kunda ‘turner’ kundār turner (A.) sal ‘splinter’; rebus: sal ‘workshop’ (Santali) 1.2. Forge, stone ore, ingot Fish + corner, aya koṇḍa, ‘metal turned, i.e. forged’ Fish + scales aya ãs (amśu) ‘metllic stalks of stone ore Fish + sloping stroke, aya dhāḷ ‘metal ingot’ (Vikalpa: ḍhāḷ = a slope; the inclination of a plane (G.) Rebus: : ḍhāḷako = a large metal ingot (G.) 1.3. Excellent cast metal ḍol ‘the shaft of an arrow, an arrow’ (Santali) Vikalpa: dul ‘casting’ (Santali) Vikalpa: kaṇḍa ‘arrow’ (Skt.) ayaskāṇḍa ‘a quantity of iron, excellent iron’ Line 2 2.1 Iron workshop मेंढा [ mēṇḍhā ] A crook or curved end (of a stick, horn &c.) and attrib. such a stick, horn, bullock. मेढा [ mēḍhā ] m A stake, esp. as forked. Vikalpa: kottaṉ a mason (Ta.) kotti pick-axe, stone-digger, carver (Ma.) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.) 2.2 Ingot furnace S. baṭhu m. ‘large pot in which grain is parched, Rebus; bhaṭṭhā m. ‘kiln’ (P.) baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) Vikalpa: meṛgo = rimless vessels (Santali) bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (G.) baṭa = kiln (Santali); baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) bhaṭṭha -- m.n. ʻ gridiron (Pkt.) baṭhu large cooking fire’ baṭhī f. ‘distilling furnace’; L. bhaṭṭh m. ‘grain—parcher's oven’, bhaṭṭhī f. ‘kiln, distillery’, awāṇ. bhaṭh; P. bhaṭṭh m., ṭhī f. ‘furnace’, bhaṭṭhā m. ‘kiln’; S. bhaṭṭhī keṇī ‘distil (spirits)’. (CDIAL 9656)Rebus: meḍ iron (Ho.) ḍabu ‘an iron spoon’ (Santali) Rebus: ḍab, ḍhimba, ḍhompo ‘lump (ingot?)’, clot, make a lump or clot, coagulate, fuse, melt together (Santali)  2.3 Casting, iron (riveting smithy), forge kolmo ‘rice plant’ (Mu.) Rebus: kolami ‘furnace,smithy’ (Te.) Vikalpa: M. meḍ(h), meḍhī f., meḍhā m. ʻ post, forked stake ʼ(CDIAL 10317). Rebus: meḍ, mẽṛhẽt 'iron'(Mu.Ho.)  mēthí m. ʻ pillar in threshing floor to which oxen are fastened, prop for supporting carriage shafts ʼ AV., °thī -- f. KātyŚr.com., mēdhī -- f. Divyāv. 2. mēṭhī -- f. PañcavBr.com., mēḍhī -- , mēṭī -- f. BhP. 1. Pa. mēdhi -- f. ʻ post to tie cattle to, pillar, part of a stūpa ʼ; Pk. mēhi -- m. ʻ post on threshing floor ʼ, N. meh(e), miho, miyo, B. mei, Or. maï -- dāṇḍi, Bi. mẽh, mẽhā ʻ the post ʼ, (SMunger) mehā ʻ the bullock next the post ʼ, Mth. meh, mehā ʻ the post ʼ, (SBhagalpur) mīhã̄ ʻ the bullock next the post ʼ, (SETirhut) mẽhi bāṭi ʻ vessel with a projecting base ʼ. 2. Pk. mēḍhi -- m. ʻ post on threshing floor ʼ, mēḍhaka<-> ʻ small stick ʼ; K. mīr, mīrü f. ʻ larger hole in ground which serves as a mark in pitching walnuts ʼ (for semantic relation of ʻ post -- hole ʼ see kūpa -- 2); L. meṛh f. ʻ rope tying oxen to each other and to post on threshing floor ʼ; P. mehṛ f., mehaṛ m. ʻ oxen on threshing floor, crowd ʼ; OA meṛha, mehra ʻ a circular construction, mound ʼ; Or. meṛhī, meri ʻ post on threshing floor ʼ; Bi. mẽṛ ʻ raised bank between irrigated beds ʼ, (Camparam) mẽṛhā ʻ bullock next the post ʼ, Mth. (SETirhut) mẽṛhā ʻ id. ʼ; M. meḍ(h), meḍhī f., meḍhā m. ʻ post, forked stake ʼ. (CDIAL 10317) Vikalpa: pajhaṛ = to sprout from a root (Santali); Rebus: pasra ‘smithy, forge’ (Santali) Vikalpa: *jāḍyadhānya ʻ winter rice ʼ. [jāˊḍya -- , dhānyà -- ] Bhoj. jaṛahan ʻ winter rice ʼ; H. jaṛhan m. ʻ rice reaped at the end of the Rains ʼ.(CDIAL 5181) *jāḍa -- ʻ joining, pair ʼ. [← Drav. LM 333]; 2. S. jāṛo m. ʻ twin ʼ, L. P. jāṛā m.; M. j̈āḍī f. ʻ a double yoke ʼ. (CDIAL 5091) Rebus: *jaḍati ʻ joins, sets ʼ. 1. Pk. jaḍia -- ʻ set (of jewels), joined ʼ; K. jarun ʻ to set jewels ʼ (← Ind.); S. jaṛaṇu ʻ to join, rivet, set ʼ, jaṛa f. ʻ rivet, boundary between two fields ʼ; P.jaṛāuṇā ʻ to have fastened or set ʼ; A. zarāiba ʻ to collect ʼ; B. jaṛāna ʻ to set jewels, wrap round, entangle ʼ, jaṛ ʻ heaped together ʼ; Or. jaṛibā ʻ to unite ʼ; OAw.jaraï ʻ sets jewels, bedecks ʼ; H. jaṛnā ʻ to join, stick in, set ʼ (→ N. jaṛnu ʻ to set, be set ʼ); OMarw. jaṛāū ʻ inlaid ʼ; G. jaṛvũ ʻ to join, meet with, set jewels ʼ; M.j̈aḍṇẽ ʻ to join, connect, inlay, be firmly established ʼ, j̈aṭṇẽ ʻ to combine, confederate ʼ. (CDIAL 5091) Vikalpa: dula दुल । युग्मम् m. a pair, a couple, esp. of two similar things (Rām. 966) (Kashmiri); dol ‘likeness, picture, form’ (Santali) Rebus: dul ‘to cast metal in a mould’ (Santali) dul meṛeḍ cast iron (Mundari. Santali) 2.4 Furnace scribe kaṇḍ kanka ‘rim of jar’; Rebus: karṇaka ‘scribe’; kaṇḍ ‘furnace, fire-altar’. Thus the ligatured sign is decoded: kaṇḍ karṇaka ‘furnace scribe Line 3 3.1 Smithy kolmo ‘three’ (Mu.); rebus: kolami ‘smithy’ (Te.) 3.2 Lump of silver (forging metal) guḍá—1. — In sense ‘fruit, kernel’ cert. ← Drav., cf. Tam. koṭṭai ‘nut, kernel’; A. goṭ ‘a fruit, whole piece’, °ṭā ‘globular, solid’, guṭi ‘small ball, seed, kernel’; B. goṭā ‘seed, bean, whole’; Or. goṭā ‘whole, undivided’, goṭi ‘small ball, cocoon’, goṭāli ‘small round piece of chalk’; Bi. goṭā ‘seed’; Mth. goṭa ‘numerative particle’ (CDIAL 4271) Rebus: koṭe ‘forging (metal)(Mu.) Rebus: goṭī f. ʻlump of silver' (G.) Fish signs (and variants) seem to be differentiated from, perhaps a loop of threads formed on a loom or loose fringes of a garment. This may be seen from the seal M-9 which contains the sign: 



Sign 180 Signs 180, 181 have variants. Warp-pegs kor.i = pegs in the ground in two rooms on which the thread is passed back and forth in preparing the warp (S.) Edging, trimming (cf. orthography of glyph in the middle of the epigraph) K. goṭh f., dat. °ṭi f. ʻ chequer or chess or dice board ʼ; S. g̠oṭu m. ʻ large ball of tobacco ready for hookah ʼ, °ṭī f. ʻ small do. ʼ; P. goṭ f. ʻ spool on which gold or silver wire is wound, piece on a chequer board ʼ; N. goṭo ʻ piece ʼ, goṭi ʻ chess piece ʼ; A. goṭ ʻ a fruit, whole piece ʼ, °ṭā ʻ globular, solid ʼ, guṭi ʻ small ball, seed, kernel ʼ; B. goṭā ʻ seed, bean, whole ʼ; Or. goṭā ʻ whole, undivided ʼ, goṭi ʻ small ball, cocoon ʼ, goṭāli ʻ small round piece of chalk ʼ; Bi. goṭā ʻ seed ʼ; Mth. goṭa ʻ numerative particle ʼ; H. goṭ f. ʻ piece (at chess &c.) ʼ; G. goṭ m. ʻ cloud of smoke ʼ, °ṭɔ m. ʻ kernel of coconut, nosegay ʼ, goṭī f. ʻ lump of silver, clot of blood ʼ, °ṭilɔm. ʻ hard ball of cloth ʼ; M. goṭā m. ʻ roundish stone ʼ, °ṭī f. ʻ a marble ʼ, goṭuḷā ʻ spherical ʼ; Si. guṭiya ʻ lump, ball ʼ; -- prob. also P. goṭṭā ʻ gold or silver lace ʼ, H.goṭā m. ʻ edging of such ʼ (→ K. goṭa m. ʻ edging of gold braid ʼ, S. goṭo m. ʻ gold or silver lace ʼ); M. goṭ ʻ hem of a garment, metal wristlet ʼ. Ko. gōṭu ʻ silver or gold braid ʼ.(CDIAL 4271) Rebus: goṭī f. ʻlump of silver' (G.) 3.3 Mint, gold furnace kamāṭhiyo = archer; kāmaṭhum = a bow; kāmaḍ, kāmaḍum = a chip of bamboo (G.) kāmaṭhiyo a bowman; an archer (Skt.lex.) Rebus: kammaṭi a coiner (Ka.); kampaṭṭam coinage, coin, mint (Ta.) kammaṭa = mint, gold furnace (Te.) 3.4 Smithy, forge kolmo ‘rice plant’ (Mu.) Rebus: kolami ‘furnace,smithy’ (Te.) Vikalpa: pajhaṛ = to sprout from a root (Santali); Rebus: pasra ‘smithy, forge’ (Santali) 3.5 Turner S. kuṇḍa f. ʻcornerʼ; P. kū̃ṭ f. ʻcorner, sideʼ (← H.). (CDIAL 3898) Rebus: kundār turner (A.) kũdār, kũdāri (B.); kundāru (Or.); kundau to turn on a lathe, to carve, to chase; kundau dhiri = a hewn stone; kundau murhut = a graven image (Santali) kunda a turner's lathe (Skt.)(CDIAL 3295). 3.6 Small Workshop tsāni, tsānye ‘squirrel’ (Kon.) caṇila squirrel (To.); Vikalpa: sega ‘a species of squirrel’ (Santali) rebus: śannī a small workshop (WPah) śannī f. ʻ small room in a house to keep sheep in ‘ (WPah.) Bshk. šan, Phal.šān ‘roof’ (Bshk.)(CDIAL 12326). seṇi (f.) [Class. Sk. śreṇi in meaning "guild"; Vedic= row] Woṭ. šen ʻ roof ʼ, Bshk. šan, Phal. šān(AO xviii 251, followed by Buddruss Woṭ 126, < śar(a)ṇa -- ); WPah. (Joshi) śannī f. ʻ small room in a house to keep sheep in ʼ. Addenda: śaraṇá -- 2. 2. *śarṇa --WPah. kṭg.śɔ́nni f. ʻ bottom storey of a house in which young of cattle are kept ʼ. śaraṇá ʻ protecting ʼ, n. ʻ shelter, home ʼ RV. 2. *śarṇa -- . [√śar] 1. Pa. Pk. saraṇa -- n. ʻ protection, shelter, house ʼ; Ḍ. šərṓn m. ʻ roof ʼ (← Sh.?), Dm. šaran; P. saraṇ m. ʻ protection, asylum ʼ, H. saran f.; G. sarṇũ n. ʻ help ʼ; Si.saraṇa ʻ defence, village, town ʼ; -- < *śarāṇa -- or poss. *śāraṇa -- : Kho. šarān ʻ courtyard of a house ʼ, Sh. šarāṇŭ m. ʻ fence ʼ. (CDIAL 12326) Vikalpa: Other lexemes (for rebus readings of variant readings of glyphs): meṇḍa A twist or tangle arising in thread or cord, a curl or snarl. (Marathi) (CDIAL 10312). Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) salae sapae = untangled, combed out, hair hanging loose (Santali.lex.) Rebus: sal workshop (Santali) Vikalpa: ḍhompo = knot on a string (Santali) ḍhompo = ingot (Santali) kana, kanac = corner (Santali); kañcu = bronze (Te.) kan- copper work (Ta.) kōḍel bandicoot (Pa.) [koḍel = rat (Go.)] Rebus: kole.l = smithy, temple in Kota village (Ko.) Vikalpa: mũhã̄ = the quantity of iron produced at one time in a native smelting furnace of the Kolhes; iron produced by the Kolhes and formed like a four-cornered piece a little pointed at each end; mūhā mẽṛhẽt = iron smelted by the Kolhes and formed into an equilateral lump a little pointed at each end; kolhe tehen me~ṛhe~t mūhā akata = the Kolhes have to-day produced pig iron (Santali.lex.) The superscript ligatures can be read as suffixes: - kāra ‘artisan’. kāruvu = mechanic, artisan, Vis'vakarma, the celestial artisan (Te.); kāruvu. [Skt.] n. An artist, artificer. An agent . One is a loha-kāra (metalsmith). the other is a cunda-kāra (ivory turner). kōṭṭa1 m. (n. lex.) ʻ fort ʼ Kathās., kōṭa -- 1 m. Vāstuv. Aś. sn. koṭa -- ʻ fort, fortified town ʼ, Pk. koṭṭa -- , kuṭ° n.; Kt. kuṭ ʻ tower (?) ʼ NTS xii 174; Dm. kōṭ ʻ tower ʼ, Kal. kōṭ; Sh. gil. kōṭ m. ʻ fort ʼ (→ Ḍ. kōṭ m.), koh. pales. kōṭ m. ʻ village ʼ; K. kūṭh, dat. kūṭas m. ʻ fort ʼ, S. koṭu m., L. koṭ m.; P. koṭ m. ʻ fort, mud bank round a village or field ʼ; A. kõṭh ʻ stockade, palisade ʼ; B. koṭ, kuṭ ʻ fort ʼ, Or. koṭa, kuṭa, H. Marw. koṭ m.; G. koṭ m. ʻ fort, rampart ʼ; M. koṭ, koṭh m. ʻ fort ʼ(CDIAL 3500). Cloak, trefoil glyph: got.a_ a garment with clusters of flowers woven in it; got.a_kor [+ kor a border] a border of a garment having clusters of flowers woven in it; got.iyum a piece of cloth made use of in making up a turban to give it a round shape (G.) go_t.u embroidery, lace (Tu.); go~_t.u an ornamental appendage to the border of a cloth, fringe, hem, edging (Te.); got. Hem of garment; got.a_ edging of gold lace (H.)(DEDR 2201). go_t.u = an ornamental appendage to the border of a cloth, fringe, hem, edging (Te.); embroidery (Tu.) kont.l.= pocket in outside edge of cloak (Ko.); got. = hem of garment (M.); got.a_ = edging of gold lace (H.) got. hem of a garment, metal wristlet (M.); got.t.a_ gold or silver lace (P.)(CDIAL 4271). Gu {N} ``^cloth''. Rebus: (Z),,(Z) {N} ``^worker, ^assistant, ^serf, ^slave; ^serfdom''. #11620. AnnexDecoding Indus script inscription on two prism tablets There are two tablets with identical seal impressions which contain a long Indus inscription composed of 23 glyphs. Reported in Marshall 1931 (Vol. II, p.402); repeated in Vol. III, Pl. CXVI.23.





m0494A,BGt Prism Tablet in bas-relief. (BGt is a side view of two sides – B and G -- the prism tablet).






m0495A,B,Gt Prism Tablet in bas-relief


A reading of m0495G shown and discussed in http://indusscriptmore.blogspot.com/2011/09/indus-signs-of-17-and-18-strokes.html with particular reference to the first sign read as 'X'. If the glyph is a composite glyphic of four forked sticks, a vikalpa (alternative) reading is: मेंढा [ mēṇḍhā ] A crook or curved end (of a stick, horn &c.) and attrib. such a stick, horn, bullock. मेढा [ mēḍhā ] m A stake, esp. as forked. meḍ(h), meḍhī f., meḍhā m. ʻ post, forked stake ʼ.(Marathi)(CDIAL 10317) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.) gaṇḍa 'four'; rebus: kaṇḍa 'furnace, altar'. Thus, the composite glyphis is read rebus: iron (metal) furnace, meḍ kaṇḍa. Inscription on tablet m0495 serves as a reinforcement of the reading of inscription on tablet m0494 (see the side shot of sides B and G reproduced above). The organizer of the photographic corpus, Asko Parpola, should be complimented for a painstaking effort to produce a high resolution reading of 3 lines of the text on the prism tablets (which almost look like five- sided object as may be seen from the photograph M-494F). Sharper resolution images of the two tablets (3.6 cm. long) with three sides of a prism are as follows: m-0495A m-0495B m-0495G The reading of the text of the inscription on the two prism tablets provided in Mahadevan concordance is as follows:


Text 1623/Text 2847 Decoding the identical inscription on Prism tablets m0494 and m0495 Line 1 Turner, mint, brass-work, furnace scribe, smelter, gridiron smithy, smithy/forge Line 2 Mineral (ore), furnace/altar, furnace scribe workshop; metal (a kind of iron), casting furnace; cast metal ingot; casting workshop Line 3 Furnace scribe workshop; cast bronze; kiln; gridiron; casting workshop; smithy (with) furnace; cast bronze; native metal; metal turner; furnace scribe. Thus, line 1 is a description of the repertoire of a smithy/forge including mint and brass-work; line 2 is a smelting, casting workshop for ingots; line 3 is furnace scribe workshop for caste bronze, with kiln, furnace and native metal turning. Line 1  1.1 Corner (of a room) glyph. S. kuṇḍa f. ʻcornerʼ; P. kū̃ṭ f. ʻcorner, sideʼ (← H.). (CDIAL 3898) Rebus: kundār turner (A.) kũdār, kũdāri (B.); kundāru (Or.); kundau to turn on a lathe, to carve, to chase; kundau dhiri = a hewn stone; kundau murhut = a graven image (Santali) kunda a turner's lathe (Skt.)(CDIAL 3295). 1.2 Crab glyph


Sign 57. Crab or claws of crab. kamaṭha crab (Skt.) Rebus: kammaṭa = portable furnace (Te.) kampaṭṭam coiner, mint (Ta.) Vikalpa: ḍato ‘claws or pincers (chelae) of crabs’; ḍaṭom, ḍiṭom to seize with the claws or pincers, as crabs, scorpions; ḍaṭkop = to pinch, nip (only of crabs) (Santali) Rebus: dhātu ‘mineral’ (Vedic); dhatu ‘a mineral, metal’ (Santali) Vikalpa: erā ‘claws’; Rebus: era ‘copper’. 


Argument: Allographs of a leaf sign, ligature with crab sign [After Parpola, 1994, fig. 13.15] The archer shown on one copper tablet seems to be equivalent to a glyph on another copper plate -- that of ligatured U (rimless wide-mouthed pot) with leaves and crab’s claws. The archer has been decoded: kamāṭhiyo = archer; kāmaṭhum = a bow; kāmaḍ, kāmaḍum = a chip of bamboo (G.) kāmaṭhiyo a bowman; an archer (Skt.lex.) Rebus: kammaṭi a coiner (Ka.); kampaṭṭam coinage, coin, mint (Ta.) kammaṭa = mint, gold furnace (Te.) 1.3 Backbone, rib cage




Sign 48. kaśēru ‘the backbone’ (Bengali. Skt.); kaśēruka id. (Skt.) Rebus: kasērā ʻmetal workerʼ (Lahnda)(CDIAL 2988, 2989) Spine, rib-cage: A comparable glyptic representation is on a seal published by Omananda Saraswati. In Pl. 275: Omananda Saraswati 1975. Ancient Seals of Haryana (in Hindi). Rohtak.” (I. Mahadevan, 'Murukan' in the Indus Script, The Journal of the Institute of Asian Studies, March 1999). B.B. Lal, 1960. From Megalithic to the Harappa: Tracing back the graffiti on pottery. Ancient India, No.16, pp. 4-24.  1.4 Rim of jar glyph kaṇḍa kanka (Santali); Rebus: kaṇḍa kanka ‘furnace scribe’. kaṇḍa ‘fire-altar, furnace’ (Santali); kan ‘copper’ (Ta.) karṇaka 'scribe, accountant' (Skt.) Vikalpa: kaṇḍ kanaka ‘gold furnace’. kánaka n. ʻ gold ʼ (Skt.) கன் kaṉ ,n. perh. கன்மம். 1. workmanship; வேலைப்பாடு. கன்னார் மதில்சூழ் குடந்தை (திவ். திருவாய். 5, 8, 3). 2. copper work; கன்னார் தொழில். (W.) 3. copper; செம்பு. (ஈடு, 5, 8, 3.) MBh. Pa. kanaka -- n., Pk. kaṇaya -- n., MB. kanayā ODBL 659, Si. kanā EGS 36.(CDIAL 2717) కనకము [ kanakamu ] kanakamu. [Skt.] n. Gold. (Telugu) கனகம் kaṉakam, n. < kanaka. 1. Gold; பொன். காரார்வண்ணன் கனகமனையானும் (தேவா. 502, 9 (Tamil) kanaka (nt.) [cp. Sk. kanaka; Gr. knh_kos yellow; Ags. hunig=E. honey. See also kañcana] gold, usually as uttatta˚ molten gold; said of the colour of the skin Bu i.59; Pv iii.32; J v.416; PvA 10 suvaṇṇa).-- agga gold -- crested J v.156; -- chavin of golden complexion J vi.13; -- taca (adj.) id. J v.393; -- pabhā golden splendour Bu xxiii.23; -- vimāna a fairy palace of gold VvA 6; PvA 47, 53; -- sikharī a golden peak, in ˚rājā king of the golden peaks (i. e. Himālayas): Dāvs iv.30. (Pali) Vikalpa: kaṉ ‘copper work’ (Ta.) The sequence of two glyphs discussed in 1.3 and 1.4 above occur with high frequency on copper tablets. The pair of glyphs is read rebus as: metal work, furnace scribe -- kasērā kaṇḍa kanka.  The following examples are of 8 copper tablets recovered in Harappa by HARP project. A third glyph on these tablets is an oval sign -- like a metal ingot -- and is ligatured with an infixed sloping stroke: ḍhāḷiyum = adj. sloping, inclining (G.) The ligatured glyph is read rebus as: ḍhālako = a large metal ingot (G.) ḍhālakī = a metal heated and poured into a mould; a solid piece of metal; an ingot (G.) The inscription on these tablets is in bas-relief:


Copper tablet (H2000-4498/9889-01) with raised script found in Trench 43. Slide 351 harappa.com Copper tablets with Indus script in bas-relief, Harappa. The three glyphs on the ingots are read in sequence: ḍhālako kasērā kaṇḍa kanka 'metal ingot, metal work, furnace scribe'.  This is a professional calling card of the artisan engaged in metal work.


1.5 Water-carrier glyph kuṭi ‘water-carrier’ (Telugu); Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter furnace’ (Santali) kuṛī f. ‘fireplace’ (H.); krvṛI f. ‘granary (WPah.); kuṛī, kuṛo house, building’(Ku.)(CDIAL 3232) kuṭi ‘hut made of boughs’ (Skt.) guḍi temple (Telugu) A comparable glyptic representation is provided in a Gadd seal found in an interaction area of the Persian Gulf. Gadd notes that the ‘water-carrier’ seal is is an unmistakable example of an 'hieroglyphic' seal. Seal impression, Ur (Upenn; U.16747); [After Edith Porada, 1971, Remarks on seals found in the Gulf States. Artibus Asiae 33 (4): 331-7: pl.9, fig.5]; water carrier with a skin (or pot?) hung on each end of the yoke across his shoulders and another one below the crook of his left arm; the vessel on the right end of his yoke is over a receptacle for the water; a star on either side of the head (denoting supernatural?). The whole object is enclosed by 'parenthesis' marks. The parenthesis is perhaps a way of splitting of the ellipse (Hunter, G.R., JRAS, 1932, 476).  1.6 Three (rimless) pots kolmo ‘three’ (Mu.); rebus: kolami ‘smithy’ (Te.) S. baṭhu m. ‘large pot in which grain is parched, Rebus; bhaṭṭhā m. ‘kiln’ (P.) baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) Vikalpa: meṛgo = rimless vessels (Santali) bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (G.) baṭa = kiln (Santali); baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) bhaṭṭha -- m.n. ʻ gridiron (Pkt.) baṭhu large cooking fire’ baṭhī f. ‘distilling furnace’; L. bhaṭṭh m. ‘grain—parcher's oven’, bhaṭṭhī f. ‘kiln, distillery’, awāṇ. bhaṭh; P. bhaṭṭh m., ṭhī f. ‘furnace’, bhaṭṭhā m. ‘kiln’; S. bhaṭṭhī keṇī ‘distil (spirits)’. (CDIAL 9656)Rebus: meḍ iron (Ho.) kolmo ‘rice plant’ (Mu.) Rebus: kolami ‘furnace,smithy’ (Te.) Vikalpa: pajhaṛ = to sprout from a root (Santali); Rebus: pasra ‘smithy, forge’ (Santali) Line 2 2.1 Cross dāṭu = cross (Te.); Rebus: dhatu = mineral (ore)(Santali) dhātu ‘mineral (Pali) dhātu ‘mineral’ (Vedic); a mineral, metal (Santali); dhāta id. (G.)  2.2 Arrow kaṇḍa ‘arrow’; Rebus: kaṇḍ = a furnace, altar (Santali) 2.3 Rim of jar + infixed short stroke Rim of jar is decoded as: kaṇḍa kanka ‘furnace scribe’. (See line 1.4) sal stake, spike, splinter, thorn, difficulty (H.); sal ‘workshop’ (Santali) Vikalpa: aṭar ‘a splinter’ (Ma.) aṭaruka ‘to burst, crack, sli off,fly open; aṭarcca ’ splitting, a crack’; aṭarttuka ‘to split, tear off, open (an oyster) (Ma.); a ḍ aruni ‘to crack’ (Tu.) (DEDR 66) Rebus: aduru ‘native, unsmelted metal’ Rebus: adaru = native metal (Ka.) aduru = gan.iyinda tegadu karagade iruva aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Ka. Siddha_nti Subrahman.ya’ S’astri’s new interpretation of the Amarakos’a, Bangalore, Vicaradarpana Press, 1872, p. 330) Thus, the ligatured glyph is read rebus as: scribe (of) native,unsmelted metal furnace. 


2.4 Body mēd ‘body’ (Kur.)(DEDR 5099); meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) 2.5 Bird (circumscribed in bracket) Decoding: Furnace for riveting metal (a kind of iron) baṭa= quail (Santali) Rebus: baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (G.) baṭa = kiln (Santali) Vikalpa: pota ‘pigeon’; pot ‘beads’ (H.G.M.)(CDIAL 8403). Vikalpa: baṭṭai quail (N.) vartaka = a duck (Skt.)(CDIAL 11361). batak = a duck (G.) vartikā = quail (RV.); wuwrc partridge (Ash.); barti = quail, partridge (Kho.); vaṭṭaka_ quail (Pali); vaṭṭaya (Pkt.) (CDIAL 11361). Rebus: vartaka ‘merchant’ (Skt.)  ( ) A pair of enclosures: *jāḍa -- ʻ joining, pair ʼ. [← Drav. LM 333]; 2. S. jāṛo m. ʻ twin ʼ, L. P. jāṛā m.; M. j̈āḍī f. ʻ a double yoke ʼ. (CDIAL 5091) Rebus: *jaḍati ʻ joins, sets ʼ. 1. Pk. jaḍia -- ʻ set (of jewels), joined ʼ; K. jarun ʻ to set jewels ʼ (← Ind.); S. jaṛaṇu ʻ to join, rivet, set ʼ, jaṛa f. ʻ rivet, boundary between two fields ʼ; P.jaṛāuṇā ʻ to have fastened or set ʼ; A. zarāiba ʻ to collect ʼ; B. jaṛāna ʻ to set jewels, wrap round, entangle ʼ, jaṛ ʻ heaped together ʼ; Or. jaṛibā ʻ to unite ʼ; OAw.jaraï ʻ sets jewels, bedecks ʼ; H. jaṛnā ʻ to join, stick in, set ʼ (→ N. jaṛnu ʻ to set, be set ʼ); OMarw. jaṛāū ʻ inlaid ʼ; G. jaṛvũ ʻ to join, meet with, set jewels ʼ; M.j̈aḍṇẽ ʻ to join, connect, inlay, be firmly established ʼ, j̈aṭṇẽ ʻ to combine, confederate ʼ. (CDIAL 5091) Vikalpa: dula दुल । युग्मम् m. a pair, a couple, esp. of two similar things (Rām. 966) (Kashmiri); dol ‘likeness, picture, form’ (Santali) Rebus: dul ‘to cast metal in a mould’ (Santali) dul meṛeḍ cast iron (Mundari. Santali) ‘cast bronze’; it is a glyptic formed of a pair of brackets (): kuṭila ‘bent’; rebus: kuṭila, katthīl = bronze (8 parts copper and 2 parts tin) 2.6 Two over-lapping (or pair of) ovals: Oval is the shape of an ingot (of metal). Paired ovals (ingots) are decoded as ‘cast’ ‘metal ingots’. mũh metal ingot (shaped like an oval) (Santali) mũhã̄ = the quantity of iron produced at one time in a native smelting furnace of the Kolhes; iron produced by the Kolhes and formed like a four-cornered piece a little pointed at each end; mūhā me~r.he~t = iron smelted by the Kolhes and formed into an equilateral lump a little pointed at each end; kolhe tehen me~r.he~tko mūhā akata = the Kolhes have to-day produced pig iron (Santali.lex.) kaula mengro ‘blacksmith’ (Gypsy) paired: dul ‘likeness’; dul ‘cast (metal)’] 2.7 A pair of linear strokes (two long linear strokes) Decoded as casting workshop dula ‘pair’; rebus: dul ‘cast (metal)(Santali) goṭ = one (Santali); goṭi = silver (G.) koḍa ‘one’ (Santali); koḍ ‘workshop’ (G.) Line 3 3.1 Rim of jar + infixed short stroke as in Line 2.3 above. Decoded as: furnace scribe workshop. 3.2 Two bent (curved) lines. Decoded as ‘cast bronze’. kuṭila ‘bent’; rebus: kuṭila, katthīl = bronze (8 parts copper and 2 parts tin) dula ‘pair’; rebus: dul ‘cast (metal)(Santali) 3.3 Rimless pot. Decoded as: gridiron. See 1.6 above (for three rimless pots). S. baṭhu m. ‘large pot in which grain is parched, Rebus; bhaṭṭhā m. ‘kiln’ (P.) baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) Vikalpa: meṛgo = rimless vessels (Santali) bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (G.) baṭa = kiln (Santali); baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) bhaṭṭha -- m.n. ʻ gridiron (Pkt.) baṭhu large cooking fire’ baṭhī f. ‘distilling furnace’; L. bhaṭṭh m. ‘grain—parcher's oven’, bhaṭṭhī f. ‘kiln, distillery’, awāṇ. bhaṭh; P. bhaṭṭh m., ṭhī f. ‘furnace’, bhaṭṭhā m. ‘kiln’; S. bhaṭṭhī keṇī ‘distil (spirits)’. (CDIAL 9656)Rebus: meḍ iron (Ho.)


3.4 Nave of spoked wheel. Decoded as (molten cast copper) turner, kundār ‘turner’. era = knave of wheel; rebus: era = copper; erako = molten cast (G.) eraka, (copper) ‘metal infusion’; āra ‘spokes’; rebus: āra ‘brass’ as in ārakūṭa (Skt.) kund opening in the nave or hub of a wheel to admit the axle (Santali) Rebus: kundam, kund a sacrificial fire-pit (Skt.) kunda ‘turner’ kundār turner (A.); kũdār, kũdāri (B.); kundāru (Or.); kundau to turn on a lathe, to carve, to chase; kundau dhiri = a hewn stone; kundau murhut = a graven image (Santali) kunda a turner's lathe (Skt.)(CDIAL 3295) Vikalpa: era, er-a = eraka = ?nave; erako_lu = the iron axle of a carriage (Ka.M.); cf. irasu (Ka.lex.) [Note Sign 391 and its ligatures Signs 392 and 393 may connote a spoked-wheel, nave of the wheel through which the axle passes; cf. ara_, spoke] ஆரம்² āram , n. < āra. 1. Spoke of a wheel. See ஆரக்கால். ஆரஞ்சூழ்ந்த வயில்வாய் நேமியொடு (சிறுபாண். 253) (Tamil) 3.5 As in 2.7 above. A pair of linear strokes (two long linear strokes) Decoded as ‘casting workshop’. dula ‘pair’; rebus: dul ‘cast (metal)(Santali) goṭ = one (Santali); goṭi = silver (G.) koḍa ‘one’ (Santali); koḍ ‘workshop’ (G.) 3.6 Four + Three short strokes. Decoded as smithy (with) furnace. Four + three strokes are read (since the strokes are shown on two lines one below the other) : gaṇḍa ‘four’ (Santali); Rebus: kaṇḍa ‘furnace’ (Santali); kolmo ‘three’ (Mu.); rebus: kolami ‘smithy’ (Te.) Vikalpa: ?ea ‘seven’ (Santali); rebus: ?eh-ku ‘steel’ (Te.) Vikalpa: pon ‘four’ (Santali) rebus: pon ‘gold’ (Ta.) 3.7 As in 3.2 above. Two bent (curved) lines. Decoded as ‘cast bronze’. kuṭila ‘bent’; rebus: kuṭila, katthīl = bronze (8 parts copper and 2 parts tin) dula ‘pair’; rebus: dul ‘cast (metal)(Santali) 3.8 Harrow aḍar ‘harrow’; rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ 3.9 Horned body (Body as in 2.4 above.) Decoded as ‘metal (iron) turner’. mēd ‘body’ (Kur.)(DEDR 5099); meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) kōḍ, kōṇḍa ‘horn’. Pa. kōḍ (pl. kōḍul) horn; Ka. kōḍu horn, tusk, branch of a tree; kōr̤ horn Tu. kōḍů, kōḍu horn Ko. kṛ (obl. kṭ-)( (DEDR 2200) Paš. kōṇḍā́‘bald’, Kal. rumb. kōṇḍa ‘hornless’.(CDIAL 3508). Kal. rumb.khōṇḍ a‘ half’ (CDIAL 3792). Rebus: कोंडण [kōṇḍaṇa] f A fold or pen. (Marathi) kõdā ‘to turn in a lathe’ (Bengali) कोंद kōnda ‘engraver, lapidary setting or infixing gems’ (Marathi) कोंदण [ kōndaṇa ] n (कोंदणें) Setting or infixing of gems.(Marathi) খোদকার [ khōdakāra ] n an engraver; a carver. খোদকারি n. engraving; carving; interference in other's work. খোদাই [ khōdāi ] n engraving; carving. খোদাই করা v. to engrave; to carve. খোদানো v. & n. en graving; carving. খোদিত [ khōdita ] a engraved. (Bengali) खोदकाम [ khōdakāma ] n Sculpture; carved work or work for the carver. खोदगिरी [ khōdagirī ] f Sculpture, carving, engraving: also sculptured or carved work. खोदणावळ [ khōdaṇāvaḷa ] f (खोदणें) The price or cost of sculpture or carving. खोदणी [ khōdaṇī ] f (Verbal of खोदणें) Digging, engraving &c. 2 fig. An exacting of money by importunity. v लाव, मांड. 3 An instrument to scoop out and cut flowers and figures from paper. 4 A goldsmith's die. खोदणें [ khōdaṇēṃ ] v c & i ( H) To dig. 2 To engrave. खोद खोदून विचारणें or -पुसणें To question minutely and searchingly, to probe. खोदाई [ khōdāī ] f ( H) Price or cost of digging or of sculpture or carving. खोदींव [ khōdīṃva ] p of खोदणें Dug. 2 Engraved, carved, sculptured. (Marathi) 3.10 Rim of jar. As in 1.4 above. Decoded as: kaṇḍa kanka ‘furnace scribe’.


Sit Shamshi. Model of a place of worship, known as the Sit Shamshi, or "Sunrise (ceremony)" Middle-Elamite period, toward the 12th century BC Acropolis mound, Susa, Iran; Bronze; H. 60 cm; W. 40 cm Excavations led by Jacques de Morgan, 1904-5; Sb 2743; Near Eastern Antiquities, Musée du Louvre/C. Larrieu. Two nude figures squat on the bronze slab, one knee bent to the ground. One of the figures holds out open hands to his companion who prepares to pour the contents of a lipped vase onto them.The scene takes place in a stylized urban landscape, with reduced-scale architectural features: a tiered tower or ziggurat flanked with pillars, a temple on a high terrace. There is also a large jar resembling the ceramic pithoi decorated with rope motifs that were used to store water and liquid foodstuffs. An arched stele stands by some rectangular basins. Rows of 8 dots in relief flank the ziggurat; jagged sticks represent trees.An inscription tells us the name of the piece's royal dedicator and its meaning in part: "I Shilhak-Inshushinak, son of Shutruk-Nahhunte, beloved servant of Inshushinak, king of Anshan and Susa [...], I made a bronze sunrise." 




Three jagged sticks on the Sit Shamshi bronze, in front of the water tank (Great Bath replica?) If the sticks are orthographic representations of 'forked sticks' and if the underlying language is Meluhha (mleccha), the borrowed or substratum lexemes which may provide a rebus reading are: kolmo 'three'; rebus; kolami 'smithy' (Telugu) मेंढा [ mēṇḍhā ] A crook or curved end (of a stick, horn &c.) and attrib. such a stick, horn, bullock. मेढा [ mēḍhā ] m A stake, esp. as forked. meḍ(h), meḍhī f., meḍhā m. ʻ post, forked stake ʼ.(Marathi)(CDIAL 10317) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.) Thus, three jagged sticks on the Sit Shamshi bronze may be decoded as meḍ kolami 'iron (metal) smithy'. 'Iron' in such lexical entries may refer to 'metal'. Sit Shamshi bronze illustrates the complex technique of casting separate elements joined together with rivets, the excavations at Susa have produced one of the largest bronze statues of Antiquity: dating from the 14th century BC, the effigy of "Napirasu, wife of Untash-Napirisha," the head of which is missing, is 1.29 m high and weighs 1,750 kg. It was made using the solid-core casting method. These metallurgical techniques find an expression on Indus script inscriptions as seen on this longest inscription on a seal impression found in Mohenjodaro (m-314)-- all glyphs of the inscription relate to the repertoire of artisans engaged in metal work. See related links: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2011/11/mohenjo-daro-stupa-great-bath-modeled.html http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2011/11/decoding-indus-scipt-susa-cylinder-seal.html http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2011/11/decoding-indus-scipt-susa-cylinder-seal.html









http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2011/11/decoding-longest-inscription-of-indus.html



























Gold pendant with Indus script inscription. The pendant is needle-like with cylindrical body. It is made from a hollow cylinder with soldered ends and perforated oint. Museum No. MM 1374.50.271; Marshall 1931: 521, pl. CLI, B3 (After Fig. 4.17 a,b in: JM Kenoyer, 1998, p. 196)









kanac 'corner' Rebus: kancu 'bronze' dATu 'cross' Rebus: dhatu 'mineral ore' gaNDa 'four' Rebus: khaNDa 'metal implements' kolmo 'three' Rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge' aya 'fish' Rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal.





















Dholavira Seal No. 56, Acc. No. 13204 (p. 272 Excavation report). Early Stage IIIA. A horned deity standing erect, between two branches of a tree, each with 3 leaves on outer side and one at the top of a devotee kneeling with bent R leg and L being drawn at the knee and the hands touching the ground before he deity, R lower side of a goat, with outstretched wavy horns, upturned tail, standing facing the deity. Knob: wagon-vault, with a vertical perforation. Saw marks visible on the back.



'markhor'.Hieroglyph: miṇḍāl 'markhor' (Tōrwālī) meḍho a ram, a sheep (Gujarati)(CDIAL 10120) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Munda.Ho.)

Hieroglyph: Person with markhor horns: meD 'body' Rebus: meD 'iron' (Ho. Munda)

Hieroglyph: loa 'ficus religiosa' Rebus: lo, loh 'copper, metal' (Samskritam)Rebus: lo 'copper' lōhá ʻ red, copper -- coloured ʼ ŚrS., ʻ made of copper ʼ ŚBr., m.n. ʻ copper ʼ VS., ʻ iron ʼ MBh. [*rudh -- ] Pa. lōha -- m. ʻ metal, esp. copper or bronze ʼ; Pk. lōha -- m. ʻ iron ʼ, Gy. pal. li°, lihi, obl. elhás, as. loa JGLS new ser. ii 258; Wg. (Lumsden) "loa"ʻ steel ʼ; Kho. loh ʻ copper ʼ; S. lohu m. ʻ iron ʼ, L. lohā m., awāṇ. lōˋā, P. lohā m. (→ K.rām. ḍoḍ. lohā), WPah.bhad. lɔ̃un., bhal. lòtilde; n., pāḍ. jaun. lōh, paṅ. luhā, cur. cam. lohā, Ku. luwā, N. lohu, °hā, A. lo, B. lo, no, Or. lohā, luhā, Mth. loh, Bhoj. lohā, Aw.lakh. lōh, H. loh, lohā m., G. M. loh n.; Si. loho, lō ʻ metal, ore, iron ʼ; Md. ratu -- lō ʻ copper ʼ. WPah.kṭg. (kc.) lóɔ ʻ iron ʼ, J. lohā m., Garh. loho; Md. lō ʻ metal ʼ.(CDIAL 11158)

kaula 'worshipper' (Samskritam); *kōla4 ʻ curved, crooked ʼ. [Cf. kaula -- m. ʻ worshipper of Śakti according to left -- hand ritual ʼ, khōla -- 3 ʻ lame ʼ s.v. khōra -- 1. Prob. < *kaura -- (IE. *qou -- lo -- cf. WP i 371?) in Khot.kūra -- ʻ crooked ʼ BSOS ix 72 and poss. Sk. kōra -- m. ʻ movable joint ʼ Suśr.] Ash. kṓlə ʻ curved, crooked ʼ; Dm. kōla ʻ crooked ʼ, Tir. kṓolə; Paš. kōlāˊ ʻ curved, crooked ʼ, Shum. kolāˊṇṭa; Kho. koli ʻ crooked ʼ, (Lor.) also ʻ lefthand, left ʼ; Bshk. kōl ʻ crooked ʼ, Tor. kōl (Grierson Tor 161 < kuṭila -- : rejected by Morgenstierne AO xii 181), Phal. kūulo; Sh. kōlṷ ʻ curved, crooked ʼ.(CDIAL 3533) Rebus: kolhe 'kole, smelters' (Santali)

khaṇḍiyo [cf. khaṇḍaṇī a tribute] tributary; paying a tribute to a superior king (Gujarti) Rebus: khaṇḍaran,  khaṇḍrun ‘pit furnace’ (Santali) kaṇḍ ‘furnace’. fire-altar (Santali)

Comparable hieroglyph of kneeling adorant with outstretched hands occurs on a Mohenjo-daro seal m1186, m478A tablet and on Harappa tablet h177B:





baṭa = rimless pot (Kannada) Rebus: baṭa = a kind of iron (Gujarati) bhaṭa 'a furnace'




m478B









m0478B tablet erga = act of clearing jungle (Kui) [Note image showing two men carrying uprooted trees].









Aḍaru twig; aḍiri small and thin branch of a tree; aḍari small branches (Ka.); aḍaru twig (Tu.)(DEDR 67). Aḍar = splinter (Santali); rebus: aduru = native metal (Ka.) Vikalpa: kūtī = bunch of twigs (Skt.) Rebus: kuṭhi = furnace (Santali) ḍhaṁkhara — m.n. ʻbranch without leaves or fruitʼ (Prakrit) (CDIAL 5524)




•era, er-a = eraka = ?nave; erako_lu = the iron axle of a carriage (Ka.M.); cf. irasu (Ka.lex.)




•era_ = claws of an animal that can do no harm (G.)




•era female, applied to women only, and generally as a mark of respect, wife; hopon era a daughter; era hopon a man’s family; manjhi era the village chief’s wife; gosae era a female Santal deity; bud.hi era an old woman; era uru wife and children; nabi era a prophetess; diku era a Hindu woman (Santali)








•Rebus: er-r-a = red; eraka = copper (Ka.) erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka) copper (metal); crystal (Ka.lex.) erako molten cast (Tu.lex.)  agasa_le, agasa_li, agasa_lava_d.u = a goldsmith (Te.lex.)




 Hieroglyph: Looking back: krammara 'look back' (Telugu) kamar 'smith, artisan' (Santali)









erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka) copper (metal); crystal (Ka.lex.) cf. eruvai = copper (Ta.lex.) eraka, er-aka = any metal infusion (Ka.Tu.); 











^  Inverted V, m478 (lid above rim of narrow-necked jar)




The rimmed jar next to the tiger with turned head has a lid. Lid ‘ad.aren’; rebus: aduru ‘native metal’









karnika 'rim of jar' Rebus: karni 'supercargo' (Marathi) Thus, together, the jar with lid composite hieroglyhph denotes 'native metal supercargo'.









kuTi 'tree' Rebus: kuṭhi = (smelter) furnace (Santali) 









eraka, hero = a messenger; a spy (G.lex.) kola ‘tiger, jackal’ (Kon.); rebus: kol working in iron, blacksmith, ‘alloy of five metals, panchaloha’ (Tamil) kol ‘furnace, forge’ (Kuwi) kolami ‘smithy’ (Te.) heraka = spy (Skt.); er to look at or for (Pkt.); er uk- to play 'peeping tom' (Ko.) Rebus: eraka ‘copper’ (Ka.) kōṭu  branch of tree, Rebus: खोट [ khōṭa ] f A mass of metal (unwrought or of old metal melted down); an ingot or wedge. 




karn.aka = handle of a vessel; ka_n.a_, kanna_ = rim, edge; 




kan.t.u = rim of a vessel; kan.t.ud.iyo = a small earthen vessel


kan.d.a kanka = rim of a water-pot; kan:kha, kankha = rim of a vessel









m1186 seal. kaula— m. ‘worshipper of Śakti according to left—hand ritual’, khōla—3 ‘lame’; Khot. kūra— ‘crooked’ BSOS ix 72 and poss. Sk. kōra— m. ‘movable joint’ Suśr.] Ash. kṓlƏ ‘curved, crooked’; Dm. kōla ‘crooked’, Tir. kṓolƏ; Paš. kōlā́ ‘curved, crooked’, Shum. kolā́ṇṭa; Kho. koli ‘crooked’, (Lor.) also ‘lefthand, left’; Bshk. kōl ‘crooked’; Phal. kūulo; Sh. kōlu̯ ‘curved, crooked’ (CDIAL 3533). 




Rebus: kol ‘pancaloha’ (Tamil)









karA 'arm with bangles' Rebus: khAr 'blacksmith' (Kashmiri)




loa 'ficus' Rebus: loh 'copper, metal'









dhatu 'scarf' Rebus: dhatu 'mineral ore' (Santali)









The rice plant adorning the curved horn of the person (woman?) with the pig-tail is kolmo; read rebus, kolme ‘smithy’. Smithy of what? Kol ‘pancaloha’. The curving horn is: kod.u = horn; rebus: kod. artisan’s workshop (Kuwi)




The long curving horns may also connote a ram:




h177B4316 Pict-115: From R.—a person standing under an ornamental arch; a kneeling adorant; a ram with long curving horns.




The ram read rebus: me~d. ‘iron’; glyph: me_n.d.ha ram; min.d.a_l markhor (Tor.); meh ram (H.); mei wild goat (WPah.) me~r.hwa_ a bullock with curved horns like a ram’s (Bi.) me~r.a_, me~d.a_ ram with curling horns (H.)









https://kalyan97.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/mleccha-written-read-rebus/



See map. Ganeriwala or Ganweriwala (Urdu: گنےریوالا‎ Punjabi: گنیریوالا) is a Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization site in Cholistan, Punjab, Pakistan.


Ganweriwala tablet.

Glyphs on a broken molded tablet, Ganweriwala. The reverse includes the 'rim-of-jar' glyph in a 3-glyph text. Observe shows a  person seated on a stool and a kneeling adorant below.

Hieroglyph: kamadha 'penance' Rebus: kammata 'coiner, mint'.

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/witzels-breath-taking-announcement-of.html 





Witzel's breath-taking announcement of cracking the Indus writing code. Mohenjo-daro Indus temple or Bauddham stupa? 







Rebus readings: maṇḍa ‘ some sort of framework (?) ʼ. [In nau - maṇḍḗ n. du. ʻ the two sets of poles rising from the thwarts or the two bamboo covers of a boat (?) ʼ ŚBr. Rebus: M. mã̄ḍ m. ʻ array of instruments &c. ʼ; Si. maḍa -- ya ʻ adornment, ornament ʼ. (CDIAL 9736) kamaḍha 'penance' (Pkt.)Rebus: kampaṭṭam 'mint' (Tamil) battuḍu. n. A worshipper (Telugu) Rebus: pattar merchants (Tamil), perh. Vartaka (Skt.)





Reading rebus three glyphs of text on Ganweriwala tablet: brass-worker, scribe, turner:





1. kuṭila ‘bent’; rebus: kuṭila, katthīl = bronze (8 parts copper and 2 parts tin) [cf. āra-kūṭa, ‘brass’ (Skt.) (CDIAL 3230) 





2. Glyph of ‘rim of jar’: kárṇaka m. ʻ projection on the side of a vessel, handle ʼ ŚBr. [kárṇa -- ]Pa. kaṇṇaka -- ʻ having ears or corners ʼ; (CDIAL 2831) kaṇḍa kanka; Rebus: furnace account (scribe). kaṇḍ = fire-altar (Santali); kan = copper (Tamil) khanaka m. one who digs , digger , excavator Rebus: karanikamu. Clerkship: the office of a Karanam or clerk. (Telugu) káraṇa n. ʻ act, deed ʼ RV. [√kr̥1] Pa. karaṇa -- n. ʻdoingʼ; NiDoc. karana,  kaṁraṁna ʻworkʼ; Pk. karaṇa -- n. ʻinstrumentʼ(CDIAL 2790)







3. khareḍo = a currycomb (G.) Rebus: kharādī ‘ turner’ (G.) 














http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/04/migrating-channels-of-vedic-river.html









a person seated in penance, two serpents are shown flanking the person. 









  Text on obverse of the tablet m453A: Text 1629. m453BC Seated in penance, the person is flanked on either side by a kneeling adorant, offering a pot and a hooded serpent rearing up.  Glyph: kaṇḍo ‘stool’. Rebus; kaṇḍ ‘furnace’. Vikalpa: kaṇḍ ‘stone (ore) metal’.  Rebus: kamaḍha ‘penance’. Rebus 1: kaṇḍ ‘stone ore’. Rebus 2: kampaṭṭa ‘mint’. Glyph: ‘serpent hood’: paṭa. Rebus: pata ‘sharpness (of knife), tempered (metal). padm ‘tempered iron’ (Ko.) Glyph: rimless pot: baṭa. Rebus: bhaṭa ‘smelter, furnace’. It appears that the message of the glyphics is about a mint  or metal workshop which produces sharpened, tempered iron (stone ore) using a furnace. Rebus readings of glyphs on text of inscription: koṇḍa bend (Ko.); Tu. Kōḍi  corner; kōṇṭu angle, corner, crook. Nk. Kōnṭa corner (DEDR 2054b)  G. khū̃ṭṛī  f. ʻangleʼRebus: kõdā ‘to turn in a lathe’(B.) कोंद kōnda ‘engraver, lapidary setting or infixing gems’ (Marathi) koḍ ‘artisan’s workshop’ (Kuwi) koḍ  = place where artisans work (G.) ācāri koṭṭya ‘smithy’ (Tu.) कोंडण [kōṇḍaṇa] f A fold or pen. (Marathi) B. kõdā ‘to turn in a lathe’; Or.kū̆nda ‘lathe’, kũdibā, kū̃d ‘to turn’ (→ Drav. Kur. Kū̃d ’ lathe’) (CDIAL 3295)   aṭar ‘a splinter’ (Ma.) aṭaruka ‘to burst, crack, sli off,fly open; aṭarcca ’ splitting, a crack’; aṭarttuka ‘to split, tear off, open (an oyster) (Ma.); aḍaruni ‘to crack’ (Tu.) (DEDR 66) Rebus: aduru ‘native, unsmelted metal’ (Kannada)  ãs = scales of fish (Santali); rebus: aya ‘metal, iron’ (Gujarati.) cf. cognate to amśu 'soma' in Rigveda: ancu 'iron' (Tocharian) 



G.karã̄ n. pl. ‘wristlets, bangles’; S. karāī f. ’wrist’ (CDIAL 2779).  Rebus: khār खार् ‘blacksmith’ (Kashmiri)









dula ‘pair’; rebus dul ‘cast (metal)’


Glyph of ‘rim of jar’: kárṇaka m. ʻ projection on the side of a vessel, handle ʼ ŚBr. [kárṇa -- ]Pa. kaṇṇaka -- ʻ having ears or corners ʼ; (CDIAL 2831) kaṇḍa kanka; Rebus: furnace account (scribe). kaṇḍ = fire-altar (Santali); kan = copper (Tamil) khanaka m. one who digs , digger , excavator Rebus: karanikamu. Clerkship: the office of a Karanam or clerk. (Telugu) káraṇa n. ʻ act, deed ʼ RV. [√kr̥1] Pa. karaṇa -- n. ʻdoingʼ; NiDoc. karana,  kaṁraṁna ʻworkʼ; Pk. karaṇa -- n. ʻinstrumentʼ(CDIAL 2790) The suggested rebus readings indicate that the Indus writing served the purpose of artisans/traders to create metalware, stoneware, mineral catalogs -- products with which they carried on their life-activities in an evolving Bronze Age.
[quote]Textual analysis of cuneiform tablets coupled with recent excavations along the Persian Gulf also show that Indus merchants routinely plied the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf, likely in reed boats with cotton sails. “They were major participants in commercial trade,” says Bisht, who sees Dholavira and other sites along the coast as trading centers thanks to monsoon winds that allowed sailors to cross 800 kilometers of open waters speedily. “These people were aggressive traders, there is no doubt about it,” adds Possehl, who has found Indus-style pottery made from Gujarat clay at a dig in Oman. Archaeologist Nilofer Shaikh, vice chancellor of Latif University, takes that assertion a step further, arguing that “the Indus people were controlling the trade. They controlled the quarries, the trade routes, and they knew where the markets were.”






She points out that although Indus artifacts spread far and wide, only a small number of Mesopotamian artifacts have been found at Indus sites. Evidence suggests that some Indus merchants and diplomats lived abroad, although the trade was certainly two-way. An inscription from the late 3rd millennium B.C.E. refers to one Shu-ilishu, an interpreter from Meluhha, reports NYU's Wright in a forthcoming book. What may be Shu-ilishu and his wife are featured on a seal wearing Mesopotamian dress. There is some evidence for a village of Indus merchants between 2114 and 2004 B.C.E. in southern Iraq. And “a man from Meluhha” knocked out someone's tooth during an altercation and was made to pay a fine, according to a cuneiform text, hinting at a life that was neither faceless nor boring. [unquote]





Ganeriwala is situated near the Indian border on the dry river bed of the Ghaggar-Hakra (also called the Sarasvati River), now a part of vast desert. It is spread over 80 hectares and comparable in size with the largest sites of the Indus Valley Civilization, such as Mohenjo-daro. A terrecotta tablet is a significant find. In this seal, a cross legged person (suggested as yogic posture) and a kneeling person below a tree and upon a tree are depicted. Such kneeling persons on tree, particularly in front of a tiger like animal, are shown in tablets or seals found at Harappa (H 163 a), Mohenjadaro(M 309 a) and Kalibangan (K 49a).  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganeriwala


















After fig. 21.4 Parpola, 2015, opcit. Harappa tablets h1191, h1192. gaNDa 'four'Rebus: khaNDa 'metal implements' aya 'fish' Rebus: aya 'iron, metal' baTa 'rimless pot' Rebus: bhaTa 'furnace' Thus the message: metal implements out of iron furnace (smelter).





S. Kalyanaraman


Sarasvati Research Center


August 22, 2015