Indus script inscriptions: examples of brief memoranda of metalwork
Mirror: https://www.academia.edu/8736659/Indus_script_inscriptions_examples_of_brief_memoranda_of_metalwork
This monograph provides evidence that rebus readings of hieroglyphs adequately, unambiguously communicate the message contents of Meluhha metalwork.
These messages on tiny seals constitute brief memoranda of metalwork as detailed in the following sections: 1. Meluhha homonyms and 2. hieroglyphs.
For a measure of the tiny seals 1-2 inches square may be seen from a sample provided by Huntington. http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/resources/downloads/webPresentations/harappanSeals.pdf
See: https://www.academia.edu/8714300/Indus_Script_khara%E1%B8%8Da_brief_memoranda_of_metalworkIndus script, kharaḍa, brief memoranda of metalwork. This note had presented some hieroglyphs read rebus in Meluhha language.
Section 1 Meluhha homonyms
lo, no‘nine’ phonetic reinforcement of: loa‘ficus’ Rebus: lo‘copper’
mū̃h ‘human face’ Rebus: mū̃h‘ingot’ (See human face ligatured to a markhor: Seal m1186)
Kur. mūxā frog. Malt. múqe id. / Cf. Skt. mūkaka- id. (DEDR 5023) Rebus: mū̃h‘ingot’
muka ‘ladle’ (Tamil)(DEDR 4887) Rebus: mū̃h ‘ingot’ (Santali)
bicha‘scorpion’ (Assamese) Rebus: bica‘stone ore’ (Santali)
kuṭi; ‘water-carrier’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter furnace’
kuṭi ‘tree’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’
kuṭi ‘pudendum muliebre’. kuṭhi ‘smelter’.
kūdī 'bunch of twigs' (Sanskrit) Rebus: kuṭhi 'smelter furnace' (Santali)
kōḍu horn (Kannada. Tulu. Tamil)Rebus: kōḍu horn Rebus: ‘workshop’.
mlekh‘goat’ Rebus: milakkhu ‘copper’ (Pali) mlecchamukha‘copper’ (Sanskrit)
Dm. mraṅ m. ‘markhor’ Wkh. merg f. ‘ibex’ (CDIAL 9885) Tor. miṇḍ‘ram’, miṇḍā́l‘markhor’ (CDIAL 10310) Rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.)
maṇḍā ‘raised platform, stool’ Rebus: maṇḍā ‘warehouse’
maṇḍa ʻ some sort of framework (?) 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. (CDIAL 9737)
maṇḍa m. ʻ ornament ʼ lex. [√maṇḍ]Pk. maṁḍaya -- ʻ adorning ʼ; Ash. mōṇḍa, mōnda, mūnda NTS ii 266, mōṇə NTS vii 99 ʻ clothes ʼ; G. mã̄ḍ m. ʻ arrangement, disposition, vessels or pots for decoration ʼ, māṇ f. ʻ beautiful array of household vessels ʼ; M. mã̄ḍm. ʻ array of instruments &c. ʼ; Si. maḍa -- ya ʻ adornment, ornament ʼ. (CDIAL 9736). Rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.)
maṇḍa(Sanskrit) OMarw. mīḍako m. ʻ frog ʼ, mīṁḍakī f. ʻ small frog ʼ, G. me_ḍak, meḍ° m., me_ḍkī, meḍ° f.; M. mẽḍūk -- mukh n. ʻ frog -- like face ʼ. 1. Pa. maṇḍūka -- m., °kī -- f. ʻ frog ʼ, Pk. maṁḍū˘ka -- , °ḍūa -- , °ḍuga -- m., (CDIAL 9746) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.)
miṇḍāl ‘markhor’ (Tōrwālī)meḍho a ram, a sheep (Gujarati)(CDIAL 10120) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.)
bhaṭā G. bhuvɔ m. ʻ worshipper in a temple ʼ rather < bhr̥ta --(CDIAL 9554) Yājñ.com., Rebus: bhaṭā‘kiln, furnace’
eragu‘bow’ erugu = to bow, to salute or make obeisance (Telugu)er-agu = obeisance (Kannada) [Note image of an offering adorant] Rebus: eraka, erka = copper (Kannada) erako ‘moltencast copper’(Gujarati)
baṭa = rimless pot (Kannada) Rebus: baṭa = a kind of iron (Gujarati)
Mn. bhaṭa -- m. ʻ hired soldier, servant ʼ MBhS. bhaṛu ʻ clever, proficient ʼ, m. ʻ an adept ʼ; Ku. bhaṛ m. ʻ hero, brave man ʼ, adj. ʻ mighty ʼ; B. bhaṛ ʻ soldier, servant, nom. prop. ʼ, bhaṛil ʻ servant, hero ʼ bhr̥taka -- m. ʻ hired servant ʼ (CDIAL 9588) Rebus: M. bhaḍ f. ʻcrackling fuelʼ(CDIAL 9365) S. baṭhu m. ʻ large pot in which grain is parched, large cooking fire ʼ, baṭhī f. ʻ distilling furnace ʼ; L. bhaṭṭh m. ʻ grain -- parcher's oven ʼ, bhaṭṭhī f. ʻ kiln, distillery ʼ, awāṇ. bhaṭh; P. bhaṭṭh m., °ṭhī f. ʻ furnace ʼ, bhaṭṭhā m. ʻ kiln ʼ; N. bhāṭi ʻ oven or vessel in which clothes are steamed for washing ʼ; A. bhaṭā ʻ brick -- or lime -- kiln ʼ; B. bhāṭi ʻ kiln ʼ; Or. bhāṭi ʻ brick -- kiln, distilling pot ʼ; Mth. bhaṭhī, bhaṭṭī ʻ brick -- kiln, furnace, still ʼ; Aw.lakh. bhāṭhā ʻ kiln ʼ; H. bhaṭṭhā m. ʻ kiln ʼ, bhaṭ f. ʻ kiln, oven, fireplace ʼ; M. bhaṭṭā m. ʻ pot of fire ʼ, bhaṭṭī f. ʻ forge (CDIAL 9656)
kola‘woman’ Rebus: kol‘working in iron’; kolhe ‘smelter’
kol ‘tiger’ Rebus: kol‘working in iron’; kolhe ‘smelter’
The kneeling person is indicative of worshipful state. That a smelter/forge kole.l is a temple is emphatic from the etyma; the gloss kole.lmeans: smithy, temple: Ta. kol working in iron,blacksmith; kollaṉ blacksmith. Ma. kollan blacksmith, artificer. Ko. kole·l smithy, temple in Kota village. To. kwala·l Kota smithy. 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)
kamaḍha‘penance’ Rebus: kammaṭa ‘mint, coiner’.
kaṇḍo ‘stool, seat’ Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘metalware’ kaṇḍa ‘fire-altar’
loa ‘ficus religiosa’ Rebus: lo ‘iron’ (Sanskrit)
bagala ‘pleiades’ Rebus: bagalo = an Arabian merchant vessel (G.) bagala = an Arab boat of a particular description (Ka.); bagalā (M.); bagarige, bagarage = a kind of vessel (Ka.)
dhaṭu m. (also dhaṭhu) m. ‘scarf’ (Western Pahari) (CDIAL 6707) Rebus: dhatu‘minerals’ (Santali)
sã̄gāḍā m. ʻ frame of a building ʼ, °ḍī f ʻ lathe ʼ(CDIAL 12859) Rebus:sangataras.संगतराश lit. ‘to collect stones, stone-cutter, mason.’
dula'pair' Rebus: dul'cast metal'. (See two scorpions, two ladles)
Section 2 Hieroglyphs displaying the rebus readings provided in the Meluhha homonyms are seen in the following examples of Indus Script inscriptions. (The signifying semantics are provided in parenthesis for each example).
A symbolism of a woman spreading her legs apart, which recurs on an SSVC inscribed object. Cylinder-seal impression from Ur showing a squatting female. L. Legrain, 1936, Ur excavations, Vol. 3, Archaic Seal Impressions. [scorpions, pudendum mulibre] Brief memoranda: metal stone ore smelter. bicha‘scorpion’ (Assamese) Rebus: bica‘stone ore’ (Santali) dula‘pair’ Rebus: dul ‘cast metal’ kuṭi ‘pudendum muliebre’. kuṭhi ‘smelter’. Thus, cast stone ore in a smelter.
Mohenjo-daro. Sealing. Surrounded by fishes, lizard and snakes, a horned person sits in 'yoga' on a throne with hoofed legs. One side of a triangular terracotta amulet (Md 013); surface find at Mohenjo-daro in 1936, Dept. of Eastern Art, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. [seated person penance, crocodile?] Brief memoranda: kamaḍha‘penance’ Rebus: kammaṭa ‘mint, coiner’; kaṇḍo ‘stool, seat’ Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘metalware’ kaṇḍa ‘fire-altar’.
Chanhudaro Excavations, Pl. LI, 18 Text 6118. [kneeling, worshipper, tiger, tree, water-carrier] Brief memoranda:
kuṭi; ‘water-carrier’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter furnace’
kuṭi ‘tree’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’
kol ‘tiger’ Rebus: kol‘working in iron’; kolhe ‘smelter’
bhaṭā G. bhuvɔ m. ʻ worshipper in a temple ʼ rather < bhr̥ta --(CDIAL 9554) Yājñ.com., Rebus: bhaṭā‘kiln, furnace’
[Pleiades, scarfed, framework, scarfed person, worshipper, markhor, ficus religiosa] Brief memoranda:
bhaṭā G. bhuvɔ m. ʻ worshipper in a temple ʼ rather < bhr̥ta --(CDIAL 9554) Yājñ.com., Rebus: bhaṭā‘kiln, furnace’
m0448 (Framework, tiger, scarfed person, worshipper, twig, horn, markhor, stool, ladle)
h097 [Pleiades, twigs (on head), ladle, rimless pot]
Brief memoranda:
baṭa = rimless pot (Kannada) Rebus: baṭa = a kind of iron (Gujarati)
muka ‘ladle’ (Tamil)(DEDR 4887) Rebus: mū̃h ‘ingot’ (Santali) PLUS dula'pair' Rebus: dul'cast metal'. (See two ladles). Thus, the offering on the stool denotes: a metal ingot.
bagala ‘pleiades’ Rebus: bagalo = an Arabian merchant vessel (G.) bagala = an Arab boat of a particular description (Ka.); bagalā (M.); bagarige, bagarage = a kind of vessel (Ka.)
m1186 (DK6847) [Pleiades, scarfed, framework, ficus religiosa , scarfed person, worshipper, twigs (on head), horn, markhor, human face ligatured to markhor, stool, ladle, frame of a building] Brief memoranda:
bhaṭā G. bhuvɔ m. ʻ worshipper in a temple ʼ rather < bhr̥ta --(CDIAL 9554) Yājñ.com., Rebus: bhaṭā‘kiln, furnace’
bhaṭā G. bhuvɔ m. ʻ worshipper in a temple ʼ rather < bhr̥ta --(CDIAL 9554) Yājñ.com., Rebus: bhaṭā‘kiln, furnace’
mū̃h ‘human face’ Rebus: mū̃h‘ingot’ (See human face ligatured to a markhor: Seal m1186) PLUS Dm. mraṅ m. ‘markhor’ Wkh. merg f. ‘ibex’ (CDIAL 9885) Tor. miṇḍ‘ram’, miṇḍā́l‘markhor’ (CDIAL 10310) Rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.)
lo, no‘nine’ phonetic reinforcement of: loa‘ficus’ Rebus: lo‘copper’
dhaṭu m. (also dhaṭhu) m. ‘scarf’ (Western Pahari) (CDIAL 6707) Rebus: dhatu‘minerals’ (Santali)
maṇḍa m. ʻ ornament ʼ Rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.)
Detail of the seal.(Framework, ficus religiosa, scarfed person, twig, horn) http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/resources/downloads/webPresentations/harappanSeals.pdf
Detail of the seal. (ladles, rimless pot, worshipper, kneeling) http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/resources/downloads/webPresentations/harappanSeals.pdfBrief memoranda:
baṭa = rimless pot (Kannada) Rebus: baṭa = a kind of iron (Gujarati)
muka ‘ladle’ (Tamil)(DEDR 4887) Rebus: mū̃h ‘ingot’ (Santali) PLUS dula'pair' Rebus: dul'cast metal'. (See two ladles). Thus, the offering on the stool denotes: a metal ingot.
The ‘offering’ (and production of metal ingot) is on a fire-altar: kaṇḍo ‘stool, seat’ Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘metalware’ kaṇḍa ‘fire-altar’
m0442 (Seated in penance, ornament) Brief memoranda:
kamaḍha‘penance’ Rebus: kammaṭa ‘mint, coiner’; kaṇḍo ‘stool, seat’ Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘metalware’ kaṇḍa ‘fire-altar’.
maṇḍa m. ʻ ornament ʼ Rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.)
kaṇḍo ‘stool, seat’ Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘metalware’ kaṇḍa ‘fire-altar’
Engraved Shell. Barakat Gallery. (Framework, ficus religiosa, tiger, scarfed person, horns, worshipper, twig)
Rhd1A (Scorpions, frog, stool/platform)
Brief memoranda:
Kur. mūxā frog. Malt. múqe id. / Cf. Skt. mūkaka- id. (DEDR 5023) Rebus: mū̃h‘ingot’ PLUS dula ‘pair’ Rebus: dul‘cast metal’. Thus ingot casting.
bicha‘scorpion’ (Assamese) Rebus: bica‘stone ore’ (Santali)
kaṇḍo ‘stool, seat’ Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘metalware’ kaṇḍa ‘fire-altar’
Shahdad seal. [Nine (ficus religiosa?) leaves, woman; markhor, ibex, goat, horns, tree]
Brief memoranda:
lo, no‘nine’ phonetic reinforcement of: loa‘ficus’ Rebus: lo‘copper’
mlekh‘goat’ Rebus: milakkhu ‘copper’ (Pali) mlecchamukha‘copper’ (Sanskrit)
Dm. mraṅ m. ‘markhor’ Wkh. merg f. ‘ibex’ (CDIAL 9885) Tor. miṇḍ‘ram’, miṇḍā́l‘markhor’ (CDIAL 10310) Rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.)
kola‘woman’ Rebus: kol‘working in iron’; kolhe ‘smelter’
kuṭi ‘tree’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’
m0527 (E1908 Mackay, 1938) (tree)kuṭi ‘tree’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’
m0500 (DK 7810) (tree)kuṭi ‘tree’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
October 11, 2014