Santali glosses

Inscribed tin ingot with a moulded head, from Haifa (Artzy, 1983: 53). (Michal Artzy, 1983, Arethusa of the Tin Ingot, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, BASOR 250, pp. 51-55) https://www.academia.edu/5476188/Artzy-1983-Tin-Ignot Face on this tin ingot: mũhe ‘face’ (Santali) Rebus: mũh ‘ingot’ (Santali). The three hieroglyphs are: ranku 'antelope' Rebus: ranku 'tin' (Santali) ranku 'liquid measure' Rebus: ranku 'tin' (Santali). dāṭu = cross (Te.); dhatu = mineral (Santali) Hindi. 

Head of bull between two storage jars filled with ingots. Warka vase hieroglyph-multiplex.

Mahadeva Śiva removes mists of Draviḍa Māyā http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/01/mahadeva-siva-removes-mists-of-dravida.html 

Siva stands on the shoulders of a stumpy dwarf or goblin, gaNa. Ananda Coomaraswamy sees similarity of the goblin figure with 'kupiro yakho' (Kubera yaksha) of Bharhut.

Pl. I Gudimallam sculpture

6. Face with prominent nose on Mahavira pot of Vedic Yajna
Context: Indus Script decipherment. Māyābheda sukta (RV 10.177.1-3) and hieroglyph components from mAhAvIra, gharma pot in pravargya prefacing agniṣṭōma अग्निष्टोम Soma yajna  

Gandhara Swat Grave culture

A pottery urn with bulbous body, surmoA pottery urn with bulbous body, surmounted by a narrow neck and with a flared rim. One side of the vessel features a highly abstract representation of a human face with holes for the eyes and mouth, and applied clay ridges forming the eyebrows and nose.  http://www.benjanssens.com/chinese/2004/46isea_urn-2004.html

A cremation urn with a lid from Pakistan, dating to ca. 1200 BC. Swat Valley, Gandhara Grave Culture, made of terracotta.Courtesy of the LACMA, via their online collections: AC1994.234.8a-b. Terracotta

(a) Urn: 17 x 15 in. (43.18 x 38.1 cm); (b) Lid: 2 x 8 1/4 in. (5.08 x 20.96 cm) Gift of Marilyn Walter Grounds (AC1994.234.8a-b) http://collections.lacma.org/node/177356

http://ancientart.tumblr.com/post/113109747567/a-cremation-urn-with-a-lid-from-pakistan-dating

.After Fig. 2 Gandhara grave culture (Ghalegay V period) face urn from Zarif Karuna near Peshawar, now in the Islamabad Museum.Source: Parpola, Asko, The face urns of Gandhara and the Nasatya cult in: Asko Parpola, ed., Migration, trade and peoples Part 3: Aryans and Nomads, London, British Assn. for South Asian Studies, British Academy, pp. 149-162. "The parallelism in the head symbolism between the gharma vessel in the cult of the As'vins -- the 'possessorsof horses' -- and the face of the urn of the Gandhara Graves appears not to be just a coincidence...the conspicuous three-dimensional 'nose' of the later face urns has a counterpart in the gharma vessel. The Satapatha Brahmana (14.1.2.17) describes the preparation of the gharma vessel thus: 'He then takes a lump of clay and makes the Mahavira (pot) with (the mantra), 'For Makha thee! for Makha's head thee!...a span high, for the head is, as it were, a span high; -- contracted in the middle, for the head is, as it were, contracted in the middle. At the top he then draws it out (unnayati) (so as to form) a spout (mukham 'mouth') of three thumb's breadths (high); he thereby makes a nose (nAsikam) to this (Mahavira, or Pravargya).' It is true that the description does not exactly match the making of the face urns of the Gandhara Graves, but it is remarkable that the gharma pot alone of all the vessels described in the Vedic literature is expressly told to have a 'nose'. It is also true that the Satapatha Brahmana is the only Vedic text to mention this 'nose', and although its present redactions are younger than the texts of the Black Yajurveda, it goes back to an earlier version and its contents in some respects differ entirely from all the other texts. That it can well have preserved ancient traditions prevalent among the Kanvas is quite likely on the basis that one of the two redactions belongs to the Kanvas. The 'nose' of the face urn and the gharma pot should have some specific function, and it indeed is meaningful when considered in the context of the As'vin cult...Comparing the gharma vessel with the cinerary urn of the Gandhara Grave culture implies that there should be a close relationship between the gharma rite and the funeral. I think such a relationship does indeed exist. According to the Rigveda, the gharma rite was instituted by Atri and offered by his descendants out of gratitude to the As'vins, because these had saved Atri from the distress of the rbIsa pit. It was the As'vins who had first given the hot gharma drink to Atri while saving him, so the gharma rite imitates the service rendered by the As'vins. I am arguing that the Atri legend reflects the Atri clan's initial adoption of the cremation burial and the associated cult of the As'vins as funeral deities, who revive the dead by means of their drink of heated milk. These funeral practices new to them the Atris took over from the Kanvas, with whom they established friendly relations while setting in Gandhara." (pp.156-157).

"About 1800 BCE, there is a major cultural change in the Swat Valley with the introduction of new ceramics and two new burial rites: flexed inhumation in a pit and cremation burial in an urn which, according to early Vedic literature, were both practiced in early Indo-Aryan society." http://www.indicstudies.us/Archives/AIT/Aryan%20Migration%20Theories.doc

Asko Parpola goes on to relate nas- 'nose' to NAsatya, an extrapolation which may be a stretch.

Assuming that the Zarif Karuna (near Peshwar) pot is rebus-metonymy layer signifying muha~ 'iron ingot' (Santali), both the prominent 'nose' hieroglyph and the 'face' hieroglyph on the pot can be explained as cognate signifiers, 

Focus on nose, face, mouth on Zarif Karuna pot

In one stream of the Indian sprachbund lexis one set of glosses relate to mukha, the semantics relate to face, mouth; in another stream the entries relate to muk 'nose'.

A simple explanation can be offered for the prominence of the 'nose' in gharma or Pravargya clay pot.

The rebus reading of mu~h 'face' and mu~h 'ingot' has been notd. The cognates for mu~h face in languages of Indian sprachbund: Ta. muka (-pp-, -nt-), mukar (-v-, -nt-), mō (-pp-, -nt-) to smell; mōppam smell; nose (DEDR 4886) Ta. mukam face, mouth; Ka. moga face, mouth; Go. (G. Ma.) mukam, (M.) mukum id. (Voc. 2861); (A. S. Ko.) mokom id (Voc. 2972). Konḍa mokom id.;Kuwi (Su. P. Isr. F.) mūmbu, (S.) mūmbū, (Mah.) mūkā id. (DEDR 4889) Ko. mu·k nose, funnel of bellows; mu·kn man with long nose; fem. mu·ky. To. mu·k nose (in songs); Koḍ. mu·kï nose. Tu. mūku, mūgu, mūṅku nose, beak; Ta. mūkku nose, nostril, beak, nose-shaped part of anything; Te. mukku nose, beak, end, point, tip. Kol. muŋgaḍ (Kin.) mukk, (SR.)  mukku nose (DEDR 5024)

Allograph: See frogs on the Dong Son Bronze drums: Kur. mūxā frog.  Malt. múqe id. / Cf. Skt. mūkaka- id. (DEDR 5023) If the rebus reading was the same as in Santali muha~ (as an Autro-asiatic gloss of Indian sprachbund), the message conveyed by the bronze-smiths of Dong Son can be interpreted: that iron castings are also part of the supercargo conveyed together with the bronze drums.

Hieroglyph: múkha n. ʻ mouth, face ʼ RV., ʻ entrance ʼ MBh.Pa. mukha -- m.; Aś.shah. man. gir. mukhato, kāl. dh. jau. °te ʻ by word of mouth ʼ; Pk. muha -- n. ʻ mouth, face ʼ, Gy. gr. hung. muy m., boh. muy, span. muí, wel. mūīf., arm. muc̦, pal. mu', mi', pers. mu; Tir. mū ʻ face ʼ; Woṭ. mū m. ʻ face, sight ʼ; Kho. mux ʻ face ʼ; Tor. mū ʻ mouth ʼ, Mai. mũ; K. in cmpds. mu -- ganḍ m. ʻ cheek, upper jaw ʼ, mū -- kāla ʻ having one's face blackened ʼ, rām. mūī˜, pog. mūī, ḍoḍ. mū̃h ʻ mouth ʼ; S. mũhũ m. ʻ face, mouth, opening ʼ; L. mũh m. ʻ face ʼ, awāṇ. mū̃ with descending tone, mult. mũhã m. ʻ head of a canal ʼ; P. mū̃h m. ʻ face, mouth ʼ, mū̃hã̄ m. ʻ head of a canal ʼ; WPah.śeu. mùtilde; ʻ mouth, ʼ cur. mū̃h; A. muh ʻ face ʼ, in cmpds. -- muwā ʻ facing ʼ; B. mu ʻ face ʼ; Or. muhã ʻ face, mouth, head, person ʼ; Bi. mũh ʻ opening or hole (in a stove for stoking, in a handmill for filling, in a grainstore for withdrawing) ʼ; Mth. Bhoj. mũh ʻ mouth, face ʼ, Aw.lakh. muh, H. muh, mũh m.; OG. muha, G. mɔ̃h n. ʻ mouth ʼ, Si. muya, muva. -- Ext. -- l<-> or -- ll -- : Pk. muhala -- , muhulla -- n. ʻ mouth, face ʼ; S. muhuro m. ʻ face ʼ (or < mukhará -- ); Ku. do -- maulo ʻ confluence of two streams ʼ; Si. muhul, muhuna, mūṇa ʻ face ʼ H. Smith JA 1950, 179.; -- -- ḍ -- : S. muhaṛo m. ʻ front, van ʼ; Bi. (Shahabad) mohṛā ʻ feeding channel of handmill ʼ. -- Forms poss. with expressive -- kkh -- : seemúkhya -- . -- X gōcchā -- s.v. *mucchā -- .mukhará -- , múkhya -- , maukhya -- ; *mukhakāṣṭha -- , *mukhaghāṭā -- , mukhacandra -- , *mukhajāla -- , *mukhanātha -- , mukhatuṇḍaka -- , *mukhatuttikā -- , *mukhadhara -- , mukhaśuddhi -- , *mukhahāra -- , mukhāgra -- , *mukhāñcala -- , *mukhānta -- , *mukhāyana -- ; amukhá -- , abhimukhá -- , āmukha -- , unmukha -- , *nirmukha -- ; adhōmukha -- , ūrdhvamukha -- , kālamukha -- , gṓmukha -- , caturmukha -- , *paścamukha -- , valīmukha -- , śilīmukha -- , saṁmukhá -- , *sāṁmukha -- , sumukha -- .Addenda: múkha -- : WPah.kṭg. (kc.) mū̃ (with high level tone) m. (obl. -- a) ʻ mouth, face ʼ; OMarw. muhaṛaü ʻ face ʼ.(CDIAL 10158)

Rebus: mũh ‘ingot’ (Munda) mũh ʻ opening or hole (in a stove for stoking, in a handmill for filling, in a grainstore for withdrawing) ʼ (Bihari)(CDIAL 10158)mleccha-mukha (Skt.) = copper; milakkha (Pali) mu~hu~ = face (S.); rebus: mu_ha ‘smelted ingot’ [mũh opening or hole (in a stove for stoking, in a handmill for filling, in a grainstore for withdrawing)(Bi.)] 

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/context-indus-script-decipherment.html

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/context-indus-script-decipherment.html

Item 7. Face (one eye) of a woman holding back rearing tigerskaṇga 'eye' (Pe.) Rebus: kang m. ʻ brazier, fireplace ʼ?(Kashmiri)(CDIAL 2999)

Pe. kaṇga (pl. -ŋ, kaṇku) eye. Ta. kaṇ eye, aperture, orifice, star of a peacock's tail. Ma. kaṇ, kaṇṇu eye, nipple, star in peacock's tail, bud. Ko. kaṇ eye. To. koṇ eye, loop in string.Ka. kaṇ eye, small hole, orifice. Koḍ. kaṇṇï id. Tu. kaṇṇů eye, nipple, star in peacock's feather, rent, tear. Te. kanu, kannu eye, small hole, orifice, mesh of net, eye in peacock's feather. Kol. kan (pl. kanḍl) eye, small hole in ground, cave. Nk. kan (pl. kanḍḷ) eye, spot in peacock's tail. Nk. (Ch.) kan (pl. -l) eye. Pa.(S. only) kan (pl. kanul) eye. Ga. (Oll.) kaṇ (pl. kaṇkul) id.; kaṇul maṭṭa eyebrow; kaṇa (pl. kaṇul) hole; (S.) kanu (pl. kankul) eye. Go. (Tr.) kan (pl.kank) id.; (A.) kaṛ (pl. kaṛk) id. Konḍa kaṇ id. Pe. kaṇga (pl. -ŋ, kaṇku) id. Manḍ. kan (pl. -ke) id. Kui kanu (pl. kan-ga), (K.) kanu (pl. kaṛka) id. Kuwi(F.) kannū (pl. kar&nangle;ka), (S.) kannu (pl. kanka), (Su. P. Isr.) kanu (pl. kaṇka) id. Kur. xann eye, eye of tuber; xannērnā (of newly born babies or animals) to begin to see, have the use of one's eyesight (for ērnā, see 903). Malt. qanu eye. Br. xan id., bud. (DEDR 1159) kāṇá ʻ one -- eyed ʼ RV.
Pa. Pk. kāṇa -- ʻ blind of one eye, blind ʼ; Ash. kã̄ṛa, °ṛī f. ʻ blind ʼ, Kt. kãŕ, Wg. kŕãmacrdotdot;, Pr. k&schwatildemacr;, Tir. kāˊna, Kho. kāṇu NTS ii 260,kánu BelvalkarVol 91; K. kônu ʻ one -- eyed ʼ, S. kāṇo, L. P. kāṇã̄; WPah. rudh. śeu. kāṇā ʻ blind ʼ; Ku. kāṇo, gng. kã̄&rtodtilde; ʻ blind of one eye ʼ, N. kānu;A. kanā ʻ blind ʼ; B. kāṇā ʻ one -- eyed, blind ʼ; Or. kaṇā, f. kāṇī ʻ one -- eyed ʼ, Mth. kān, °nā, kanahā, Bhoj. kān, f. °ni, kanwā m. ʻ one -- eyed man ʼ, H. kān,°nā, G. kāṇũ; M. kāṇā ʻ one -- eyed, squint -- eyed ʼ; Si. kaṇa ʻ one -- eyed, blind ʼ. -- Pk. kāṇa -- ʻ full of holes ʼ, G. kāṇũ ʻ full of holes ʼ, n. ʻ hole ʼ (< ʻ empty eyehole ʼ? Cf. ã̄dhḷũ n. ʻ hole ʼ< andhala -- ).S.kcch. kāṇī f.adj. ʻ one -- eyed ʼ; WPah.kṭg. kaṇɔ ʻ blind in one eye ʼ, J. kāṇā; Md. kanu ʻ blind ʼ.(CDIAL 3019) Ko. kāṇso ʻ squint -- eyed ʼ.(Konkani) 

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/09/cipher-of-indus-script-corpora-explains.html

Cylinder seal: man grasping an antelope, bull's head over ingot

Period: Late Cypriot

Date: ca. 16th–12th century B.C.

Geography: Cyprus, Ayia Paraskevi; Cyprus

Culture: Cypriot

Medium: Black-grey steatite

Dimensions: 0.63 in. (1.6 cm)

Classification: Stone-Cylinder Seals

Credit Line: The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76

Accession Number: 74.51.4325 Metmuseum

The cylinder seal (unprovenanced) shows head of bull together with other hieroglyphs: 6 dotted circles, lion, eagle ligatured to a feline and an antelope with head turned backwards).

baTa 'six' Rebus: baTa 'furnace'. eruvai 'eagle' Rebus: eraka 'moltencast copper'. ranku 'antelope' Rebus: ranku 'tin' krammara 'head turned back' Rebus: kamar 'blacksmith' arya 'lion' (Akkadian) Rebus: arA 'brass'. muh 'face (of bull)' Rebus: muh 'ingot'.

Cylinder seal: lion and sphinx over an antelope The depiction of a bull’s head together with an antelope is significant and recalls the association of bull’s head with oxhide ingots. The antelope looking backwards is flanked by a lion (with three dots at the back of the head) and a winged animal (tiger?)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/05/backbone-of-indus-script-corpora-tin.html  Backbone of Indus Script Corpora. Tin Road of Bronze Age Indian Ocean Community linking Ancient Far East and Ancient Near East.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/ancient-near-east-cylinder-seal.html Ancient Near East cylinder seal hieroglyphs cord, monkey, crucible, sun of deciphered Indus Script metalwork catalogues

I realize that the examples of inscriptions cited span a vast civilizational space from Hanoi to Haifa and may relate to a time-span of over 2 millennia from 4th millennium BCE, but underscore the fact that all the inscriptions relate to messages or catalogues of metalwork by artisans of the Bronze Age. Without adequate archaeometallurgical evidence, it is tough to venture even a hypothesis on the sojourns, along the Maritime Tin Route, of the metalworkers working in extensive Eurasia civilizational contact areas and supplying the resources for metal implements. One signifier unifies all the artifacts discussed in this art appreciation note which is documentation of metalwork catalogues, proclaiming the artisanal competence demonstrated.

One conclusion can be heralded or proclaimed like a sangara of many Indus Script inscriptions: the purport of Indus Script Corpora is to write-down, engrave information on such catalogues. Clearly, a writing system with representations in over 600 hieroglyphs was in place matching the advances in metallurgical repertoire of Meluhha artisans, who were referred by Visvamitra as Bhāratam Janam, 'metalcaster folk'. (RV 3.53.12) [भरत (p. 603) [ bharata ] n A factitious metal compounded of copper, pewter, tin &c.भरती (p. 603) [ bharatī ] a Composed of the metal भरत.भरताचें भांडें (p. 603) [ bharatācē mbhāṇḍēṃ ] n A vessel made of the metal भरत. 2 See भरिताचें भांडें. (Marathi)].

S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
October 18, 2015