Archaeological discovery of Tukulti Ninurta altar, re-discovery of Meluhha writing (Indus script)
It is suggested that a stylus and tablet in the centre of the altar, is a chump, a block of wood, karaṇḍā -- a hieroglyph read rebus: karandi 'fire-god' (Munda). Thus, the chump is the divine symbol of fire-god and the hieroglyph karaṇḍā 'block of wood' is relatable to the tradition of writing on a tablet rendered rebus -- kharaḍa 'a brief metalwork memorandum'. खरडें n A scrawl; a memorandum-scrap; a foul, blotted, interlined piece of writing. खरडें घासणें To fag at the desk; to drive the quill. 2 (With implication of indifference.) To write: answering to To pen it; to scribble away &c. (Marathi)
Altar of Tukulti Ninurta I, Berlin Museum.
[quote]Description: Although the cult pedestal of the Middle Assyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta mentions in its short inscription that it is dedicated to the god Nuska, the relief on the front that depicts the king in a rare kind of narrative, standing and kneeling in front of the very same pedestal was frequently discussed by art-historians. More strikingly on top of the depicted pedestal there is not the lamp, the usual divine symbol for the god Nuska, but most likely the representation of a tablet and a stylus, symbols for the god Nabû. (Klaus Wagensonner, University of Oxford)[unquote] http://cdli.ox.ac.uk/wiki/doku.php?id=pedestal_tukulti_ninurta
[quote]Description: Although the cult pedestal of the Middle Assyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta mentions in its short inscription that it is dedicated to the god Nuska, the relief on the front that depicts the king in a rare kind of narrative, standing and kneeling in front of the very same pedestal was frequently discussed by art-historians. More strikingly on top of the depicted pedestal there is not the lamp, the usual divine symbol for the god Nuska, but most likely the representation of a tablet and a stylus, symbols for the god Nabû. (Klaus Wagensonner, University of Oxford)[unquote] http://cdli.ox.ac.uk/wiki/doku.php?id=pedestal_tukulti_ninurta
Wall painting, fragment, found at Kar-Tukulti-Ninurta in Mesopotamia, Assyrian. Safflowers.See: http://www.dijitalimaj.com/alamyDetail.aspx?img=%7BA5C441A3-C178-489B-8989-887807B57344%7D Sigmund Freud commented on the stake held in the fire-altar as a rebus recollecting in a 'dream' the adoration of Tukulti Ninurta's ancestors.
Hieroglyph: A pair of spoked wheels: The spoked wheel eraka, arā (nave, spokes) carried aloft on standards or flagposts are trade announcements. Two flagposts are shown signifying dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'cast (metal)'. Thus, together, the rebus reading is: dul eraka '(copper) molten infusion metal casting'.
Glyphic element: kund opening in the nave or hub of a wheel to admit the axle (Santali) Rebus: 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).
The signifier of Tukulti-Ninurta's dream is a fire-altar. The narrative of the dream is associated with the messages of the dream signifiers of the signifieds, signifiers of spoked wheels, safflowers signified as hard metal alloys of copper of the Bronze age. The word which signifies a fire-altar is kaṇḍa (Meluhha~Santali) The narrative is a prayer to fire-god. How to represent this prayer in a visible language detailing the life-activities which have imbued the images and related meanings into the unconscious mind? kāṇḍa is a stem or stick of the sugarcane; such a stem or stick is shown in visible language as the center-piece of the nuska-Ninurta fire altar image before which he kneels down and prays in adoration. He prays to karandi, the fire-god, the signified for which the visible language uses the signified: the stick. karandi 'fire-god' (Munda, Remo).
I suggest that the Meluhha hieroglyphs on Tukulti Ninurta are signifiers of kaṇḍa 'fire-altar'.
The signifier of Tukulti-Ninurta's dream is a fire-altar. The narrative of the dream is associated with the messages of the dream signifiers of the signifieds, signifiers of spoked wheels, safflowers signified as hard metal alloys of copper of the Bronze age. The word which signifies a fire-altar is kaṇḍa (Meluhha~Santali) The narrative is a prayer to fire-god. How to represent this prayer in a visible language detailing the life-activities which have imbued the images and related meanings into the unconscious mind? kāṇḍa is a stem or stick of the sugarcane; such a stem or stick is shown in visible language as the center-piece of the nuska-Ninurta fire altar image before which he kneels down and prays in adoration. He prays to karandi, the fire-god, the signified for which the visible language uses the signified: the stick. karandi 'fire-god' (Munda, Remo).
Tukulti Ninurta I (1243-1207 BCE) worships at the fire altar of Ishtar temple at Ashur.
The Tukulti-Ninurta altar is is a temple model for fire-god. This is evidenced by a gloss from Remo (Austro-asiatic) language, spoken by Bonda people in Malkangiri district of southern Odisha, India. Fire-god is called karandi. .
Hieroglyph: bhaṭa ‘worshipper’. Rebus: bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (Gujarati.); baṭa ‘a kind of iron’ (Gujarati)
If the ‘kneeling’ posture is the key hieroglyphic representation, the gloss is eragu ‘bow’ Rebus: erako ‘moltencast copper’.
Hieroglyph: करंडा [karaṇḍā] A clump, chump, or block of wood. The stock or fixed portion of the staff of the large leaf-covered summerhead or umbrella. करांडा [ karāṇḍā ] m C A cylindrical piece as sawn or chopped off the trunk or a bough of a tree; a clump, chump, or block. Rebus: fire-god: @B27990. #16671. Remo <karandi>E155 {N} ``^fire-^god''.(Munda)
This is also rebus for the safflower adorning volutes on either side of the altar hieroglyph
Hieroglyph: करडी [ karaḍī ] f (See करडई) Safflower: also its seed. (Marathi) Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy' of arka 'copper'. karaḍā means 'hard alloy of metals such as gold, silver etc.' kharaḍa means a brief metalwork memorandum.
dula 'pair, two' Rebus: dul 'cast metal' (Santali) Thus, together, dul karaḍā 'hard alloy metal casting'.
Spoked-wheel is an Indus Script hieroglyph. The same spoked-wheel hieroglyph occurs three times on and adorns the Dholavira Sign-board.
erako knave; era = knave of wheel. Glyphic element: āra ‘spokes’. Rebus: āra ‘brass’ as in ārakūṭa (Skt.) Rebus: Tu. eraka molten, cast (as metal); eraguni to melt (DEDR 866) 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.); erako molten cast (Tu.lex.)
See: āremu. [Mahr.] n. The name for Mahratta. ఆరెకాపులు a certain class of farmers. ఆరెలిపి Mahratta writing ఆరెలెక్కలు accounts written in Mahratta. ఆరెము or ఆరెభాష The Mahratta language.
Three segments of Dholavira Sign-board:
Segment 1: Working in ore, molten cast copper, lathe (work)
ḍato ‘claws or pincers of crab’ (Santali) rebus: dhatu ‘ore’ (Santali)
eraka ‘knave of wheel’ Rebus: eraka ‘copper’ (Kannada) eraka ‘molten cast (metal)(Tulu). sangaḍa 'pair' Rebus: sangaḍa‘lathe’ (Gujarati)
Segment 2: Native metal tools, pots and pans, metalware, engraving (molten cast copper)
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’.
aḍaren, ḍaren lid, cover (Santali) Rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ (Ka.) aduru = gan.iyinda tegadu karagade iruva aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Kannada) (Siddhānti Subrahmaṇya’ śāstri’s new interpretation of the Amarakośa, Bangalore, Vicaradarpana Press, 1872, p. 330)
koṇḍa bend (Ko.); Tu. Kōḍi corner; kōṇṭu angle, corner, crook. Nk. kōnṭa corner (DEDR 2054b) G. khū̃ṭṛī f. ʻangleʼ Rebus: 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) A. kundār, B. kũdār, ri, Or.Kundāru; H. kũderā m. ‘one who works a lathe, one who scrapes’, rī f., kũdernā ‘to scrape, plane, round on a lathe’; kundakara—m. ‘turner’ (Skt.)(CDIAL 3297). 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 ] 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)
eraka ‘knave of wheel’ Rebus: eraka ‘copper’ (Kannada) eraka ‘molten cast (metal)(Tulu).
Segment 3: Coppersmith mint, furnace, workshop (molten cast copper)
loa ’fig leaf; Rebus: loh ‘(copper) metal’ kamaḍha 'ficus religiosa' (Skt.); kamaṭa = portable furnace for melting precious metals (Te.); kampaṭṭam = mint (Ta.) The unique ligatures on the 'leaf' hieroglyph may be explained as a professional designation: loha-kāra 'metalsmith'; kāruvu [Skt.] n. 'An artist, artificer. An agent'.(Telugu).
khuṇṭa 'peg’; khũṭi = pin (M.) rebus: kuṭi= furnace (Santali) kūṭa ‘workshop’ kuṇḍamu ‘a pit for receiving and preserving consecrated fire’ (Te.) kundār turner (A.); kũdār, kũdāri (B.)
khuṇṭa 'peg’; khũṭi = pin (M.) rebus: kuṭi= furnace (Santali) kūṭa ‘workshop’ kuṇḍamu ‘a pit for receiving and preserving consecrated fire’ (Te.) kundār turner (A.); kũdār, kũdāri (B.)
eraka ‘knave of wheel’ Rebus: eraka ‘copper’ (Kannada) eraka ‘molten cast (metal)(Tulu).
An alternative interpretation of the central stake on the Tukulti Ninurta fire-altar. It could have been a symbol, a linga like the two pillars seen at Dholavira which could be read as skambha, 'pillar of fire' (uniting earth and heaven as alluded to in the Atharva veda Skambha sukta. The location of the pillars in Dholavira next to an S-shaped stone structure with a pillar (broken?) in front of a pedestal may lead to a surmise that the 'structure' was a kole.l 'smithy' Rebus: kole.l 'temple'. The S-shaped stone structure resembles some metal furnaces of the historical periods in India.
Harappa. Bead makers' kiln where the heat was distributed equally to all the holes. The 8-shaped stone structure indicates that this is a bead-maker's kiln. The 8-shaped stone structures with an altar or stone stool in the middle can thus be explained functionally as an anvil used by the bead makers to drill holes through beads and to forge material including metal artifacts.
Stone structure S-shaped in Dholavira (close to the two skambha 'pillars'):![]()
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Harappa. Bead makers' kiln where the heat was distributed equally to all the holes. The 8-shaped stone structure indicates that this is a bead-maker's kiln. The 8-shaped stone structures with an altar or stone stool in the middle can thus be explained functionally as an anvil used by the bead makers to drill holes through beads and to forge material including metal artifacts.
Stone structure S-shaped in Dholavira (close to the two skambha 'pillars'):
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
October 17, 2014