Two newly discovered seals from Dholavira; decipherment as metalwork catalogues
Mirror: https://www.academia.edu/12016896/Two_newly_discovered_seals_from_Dholavira_decipherment_as_metalwork_catalogues
Two Indus script seals have been published. They are from Dholavira and listed in the recent Report on Dholavira Excavations (2015). This note renders a decipherment of the Indus inscriptions on the two seals using the layered rebus-metonymy Indus script cipher.
Both the seals are metalwork catalogs listing the competence of metalworkers creating and working with copper alloys.
This is an addendum to: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/04/excavations-at-dholavifra-1989-2005-rs.html
Mirror: https://www.academia.edu/12016896/Two_newly_discovered_seals_from_Dholavira_decipherment_as_metalwork_catalogues
Two Indus script seals have been published. They are from Dholavira and listed in the recent Report on Dholavira Excavations (2015). This note renders a decipherment of the Indus inscriptions on the two seals using the layered rebus-metonymy Indus script cipher.
Both the seals are metalwork catalogs listing the competence of metalworkers creating and working with copper alloys.
This is an addendum to: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/04/excavations-at-dholavifra-1989-2005-rs.html
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117 antelope; sun motif![]()
40 Three-headed animal, plant; sun motif
Hieroglyph: arka 'sun' Rebus: arka 'copper' (Kannada) eraka 'moltencast copper'(Tulu) அருக்கம்¹ arukkam , n. < arka. (நாநார்த்த.) 1. Copper; செம்பு. అగసాలెవాడు agasāli. [Tel.] n. A goldsmith. కంసాలివాడు .(Telugu) Kannada (Kittel lexicon):![]()
Hieroglyph: mlekh 'goat' Rebus: milakkhu 'copper' mleccha 'copper'Hieroglyph: kolmo 'sprout' Rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge'
Hieroglyph: barad, barat 'ox' Rebus: भरत (p. 603) [ bharata ] n A factitious metal compounded of copper, pewter, tin &c.(Marathi)Hieroglyph: one-horned young bull: खोंड (p. 216) [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf.(Marathi) खोंडरूं [ khōṇḍarūṃ ] n A contemptuous form of खोंडा in the sense of कांबळा -cowl.खोंडा [ khōṇḍā ] m A कांबळा of which one end is formed into a cowl or hood. खोंडी [ khōṇḍī ] f An outspread shovelform sack (as formed temporarily out of a कांबळा , to hold or fend off grain, chaff &c.)
Hieroglyph: kōḍ 'horn' Rebus: kōḍ 'place where artisans work, workshop' কুঁদন, কোঁদন [ kun̐dana, kōn̐dana ] n act of turning (a thing) on a lathe; act of carving (Bengali) कातारी or कांतारी (p. 154) [ kātārī or kāntārī ] m (कातणें ) A turner.(Marathi)
Rebus: खोदकाम [ khōdakāma ] n Sculpture; carved work or work for the carver.खोदगिरी [ khōdagirī ] f Sculpture, carving, engraving: also sculptured or carved work.खोदणें [ khōdaṇēṃ ] v c & i (खोदणें Dug. 2 Engraved, carved, sculptured.
Hieroglyph: horn:
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)
Hieroglyph: Te. kōḍiya, kōḍe young bull; adj. male (e.g. kōḍe dūḍa bull calf), young, youthful; kōḍekã̄ḍu a young man. Kol. (Haig) kōḍē bull. Nk. khoṛemale calf. Konḍa kōḍi cow; kōṛe young bullock. Pe. kōḍi cow. Manḍ. kūḍi id. Kui kōḍi id., ox. Kuwi (F.) kōdi cow; (S.) kajja kōḍi bull; (Su. P.) kōḍicow. (DEDR 2199)
Rebus: kũdār ‘turner’ (Bengali)
S. KalyanaramanSarasvati Research CenterApril 20, 2015
117 antelope; sun motif
40 Three-headed animal, plant; sun motifHieroglyph: arka 'sun' Rebus: arka 'copper' (Kannada) eraka 'moltencast copper'(Tulu) அருக்கம்¹ arukkam , n. < arka. (நாநார்த்த.) 1. Copper; செம்பு.
Hieroglyph: mlekh 'goat' Rebus: milakkhu 'copper' mleccha 'copper'
Hieroglyph: kolmo 'sprout' Rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge'
Hieroglyph: barad, barat 'ox' Rebus: भरत (p. 603) [ bharata ] n A factitious metal compounded of copper, pewter, tin &c.(Marathi)
Hieroglyph: one-horned young bull: खोंड (p. 216) [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf.(Marathi) खोंडरूं [ khōṇḍarūṃ ] n A contemptuous form of खोंडा in the sense of कांबळा -cowl.खोंडा [ khōṇḍā ] m A कांबळा of which one end is formed into a cowl or hood. खोंडी [ khōṇḍī ] f An outspread shovelform sack (as formed temporarily out of a कांबळा , to hold or fend off grain, chaff &c.)
Hieroglyph: kōḍ 'horn' Rebus: kōḍ 'place where artisans work, workshop' কুঁদন, কোঁদন [ kun̐dana, kōn̐dana ] n act of turning (a thing) on a lathe; act of carving (Bengali) कातारी or कांतारी (p. 154) [ kātārī or kāntārī ] m (कातणें ) A turner.(Marathi)
Rebus: खोदकाम [ khōdakāma ] n Sculpture; carved work or work for the carver.
खोदगिरी [ khōdagirī ] f Sculpture, carving, engraving: also sculptured or carved work.खोदणें [ khōdaṇēṃ ] v c & i (Hieroglyph: horn:
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: kũdār ‘turner’ (Bengali)
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
April 20, 2015