Mirror: http://tinyurl.com/np4euct
A link to an article by Andrew Robinson on cracking the Indus Script code is at http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/10/ancient-civilization-cracking-indus.html. Andrew provides a significant insight that proto-cuneiform waa used for numerical tallies of selected commodities. This yields a clue to the possible evolution of Indus Script as a code for signifying the metals used by lapidaries and smiths, particularly tin-bronzes which could be used to produce metal implements, replacing the scarce arsenical-coppers. Invention of tin-bronzes is matched by a writing system to promote trade exchanges across civilization areas.
The code is simple rebus in Meluhha (Mleccha), Prakritam of Indian sprachbund (linguistic area).
Pleased join me in the discussions at http://www.nature.com/news/ancient-civilization-cracking-the-indus-script-1.18587
Two issues need to be highlighted:
1. Inventions of tin-bronzes to substitute for scarcity of naturally-occurring arsenical copper.
2. Maritime Tin Route linking the largest tin belt of the world in Mekong River delta in Ancient Far East with the archaeometallurgically-attested artifacts including cylinder seals in Ancient Near East.
Products made of tin-bronzes constituted a revolutionary advance of the Bronze Age and led to long-distance maritime trade exchanges across Eurasia. A good example of the antiquity of artisanal competence in using material resources is provided by turbinella pyrum, s'ankha which is a signature resource indigenous to the Indian Ocean coastline. Columella of this conch-shell was also used to create cylinder seals. (Gensheimer, TR, 1984, The role of shell in Mesopotamia: evidence for trade exchange with Oman and the Indus Valley, in: Paleorient. Annee 1984. Volume 10. Numero 1, pp. 65-73).
Examples of seals made of turbinella pyrum or sea shell:
![thumbnail image]()
Six cylinder seals of various materials including marble, shell, agate, chlorite, and steatite. N. Syria and Mesopotamia, ca. late 4th to early 3rd millennium BCE. The large shell seal, second from the left, was carved from the columella of Turbinella pyrum, the Indian s'ankha shell. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History Catalog Number YPM ANT 295376
![]()
The discovery of over 200 bronze Dong Son drums is a a revelation on two counts: 1. the use of large resources of tin available in the region of Mekong River delta; and 2. cire perdue method of metal casting to achieve exquisite depiction of many Indus Script hieroglyphs on the surfaces of the drums. This discovery provides a lead to delineate a Maritime Tin Route which preceded the Silk Road. There are indications that another signature tune of the Indian civilization, the etched carnelian beads of Gujarat were found in ancient Bangkok. With the known spread of Austro-Asiatic languages from India to the Ancient Far East, the exploitation of tin resources of the Far East and possible trade exchanges through seafaring merchants with Indian merchants acting as intermediaries can be hypothesised for further archaeo-metallurgical investigations. The presence of about 2000 Indus Script hieroglyphs on so-called Dilmun or Persian Gulf seals and also on cylinder seals and other artifacts of the Tin route between Assur and Kultepe points to the continued use of Indus Script together with proto-cuneiform and cuneiform syllabic writing systems. The finds of three pure tin ingots with Indus Script hieroglyphs in a shipwreck in Haifa, Israel also evidence the extensive areas of contacts established by metalworkers of the Bronze Age. Cire perdue artifacts of Dong Son bronze drum surfaces are matched by the cire perdue lead weight of Shahi Tump and cire perdue artifacts of Nahal Mishmar copper-arsenical hoard. The links among these widely-dispersed evidences over space and time, are provided by Indus Script hieroglyphs.
![]()
Sample of Dong Son bronze drum surface with Indus script hieroglyphs. 2nd millennium BCE
![The potsherd with the engraving.]()
Hieroglyph of Indus Script. Dancing-girl on potsherd, Bhirrana. ca 4th millennium BCE
![]()
Dancing girl statue. 3rd millennium BCE. Mohenjo-daro. National Museum. Delhi
![]()
Sample of Nahal Mishmar hoard with Indus Script hieroglyphs. 4th millennium BCE. kole.l 'temple' Rebus: kole.l 'smithy'. karaDa 'aquatic bird' Rebus: karaDa 'hard alloy of copper, tin, zinc'.
![]()
![]()
Sample of Shahi Tump lead weight with Indus Script hieroglyphs. Beginning of 3rd millennium BCE.
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
October 21, 2015
A link to an article by Andrew Robinson on cracking the Indus Script code is at http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/10/ancient-civilization-cracking-indus.html. Andrew provides a significant insight that proto-cuneiform waa used for numerical tallies of selected commodities. This yields a clue to the possible evolution of Indus Script as a code for signifying the metals used by lapidaries and smiths, particularly tin-bronzes which could be used to produce metal implements, replacing the scarce arsenical-coppers. Invention of tin-bronzes is matched by a writing system to promote trade exchanges across civilization areas.
The code is simple rebus in Meluhha (Mleccha), Prakritam of Indian sprachbund (linguistic area).
Pleased join me in the discussions at http://www.nature.com/news/ancient-civilization-cracking-the-indus-script-1.18587
Two issues need to be highlighted:
1. Inventions of tin-bronzes to substitute for scarcity of naturally-occurring arsenical copper.
2. Maritime Tin Route linking the largest tin belt of the world in Mekong River delta in Ancient Far East with the archaeometallurgically-attested artifacts including cylinder seals in Ancient Near East.
Products made of tin-bronzes constituted a revolutionary advance of the Bronze Age and led to long-distance maritime trade exchanges across Eurasia. A good example of the antiquity of artisanal competence in using material resources is provided by turbinella pyrum, s'ankha which is a signature resource indigenous to the Indian Ocean coastline. Columella of this conch-shell was also used to create cylinder seals. (Gensheimer, TR, 1984, The role of shell in Mesopotamia: evidence for trade exchange with Oman and the Indus Valley, in: Paleorient. Annee 1984. Volume 10. Numero 1, pp. 65-73).
Examples of seals made of turbinella pyrum or sea shell:
| Seal. Bet Dwarka. Made of turbinella pyrum. Note the characteristic Indus Script feature of faces of three animals joined to a bovine body. These are deciphered as hieroglyph-multiplex in Meluhha, Prakritam to signify metalwork: sangaḍa ‘joined animal parts’ rebus: sangara'proclamation'; barad'bull' rebus: bharata'alloy of copper, pewter, tin'; ranku'antelope' rebus: ranku'tin'; kõda'young bull, bull-calf' rebus: kõdā'to turn in a lathe'; kōnda 'engraver, lapidary'; kundār'turner'. |
S’ankha wide bangle and other ornaments from a burial of a woman at Nausharo. Tomb MR3T.21, Mehrgarh, Period 1A, ca. 6500 BCE. The nearest source for the conch-shell is Makran coast near Karachi, 500 km. south (After Fig. 2.10 in Kenoyer, JM, 1998, Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, Karachi, OUP).
The discovery of over 200 bronze Dong Son drums is a a revelation on two counts: 1. the use of large resources of tin available in the region of Mekong River delta; and 2. cire perdue method of metal casting to achieve exquisite depiction of many Indus Script hieroglyphs on the surfaces of the drums. This discovery provides a lead to delineate a Maritime Tin Route which preceded the Silk Road. There are indications that another signature tune of the Indian civilization, the etched carnelian beads of Gujarat were found in ancient Bangkok. With the known spread of Austro-Asiatic languages from India to the Ancient Far East, the exploitation of tin resources of the Far East and possible trade exchanges through seafaring merchants with Indian merchants acting as intermediaries can be hypothesised for further archaeo-metallurgical investigations. The presence of about 2000 Indus Script hieroglyphs on so-called Dilmun or Persian Gulf seals and also on cylinder seals and other artifacts of the Tin route between Assur and Kultepe points to the continued use of Indus Script together with proto-cuneiform and cuneiform syllabic writing systems. The finds of three pure tin ingots with Indus Script hieroglyphs in a shipwreck in Haifa, Israel also evidence the extensive areas of contacts established by metalworkers of the Bronze Age. Cire perdue artifacts of Dong Son bronze drum surfaces are matched by the cire perdue lead weight of Shahi Tump and cire perdue artifacts of Nahal Mishmar copper-arsenical hoard. The links among these widely-dispersed evidences over space and time, are provided by Indus Script hieroglyphs.
Hieroglyph of Indus Script. Dancing-girl on potsherd, Bhirrana. ca 4th millennium BCE
Dancing girl statue. 3rd millennium BCE. Mohenjo-daro. National Museum. Delhi
Sample of Nahal Mishmar hoard with Indus Script hieroglyphs. 4th millennium BCE. kole.l 'temple' Rebus: kole.l 'smithy'. karaDa 'aquatic bird' Rebus: karaDa 'hard alloy of copper, tin, zinc'.
Sample of Shahi Tump lead weight with Indus Script hieroglyphs. Beginning of 3rd millennium BCE.S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
October 21, 2015