Nahal Mishmar hoard also had a copper alloy U-shaped vessel comparable in shape to the one shown on Meluhha standard as a crucible or portable furnace. The zig-zag shaped decoration on the copper vessel is comparable to the zig-zag shape shown on the 'gimlet' ligature on Meluhha standard (Mohenjo-dao seal m008). The zig-zag pattern shows the circular motion of the lathe --sangaḍa --Drawing showing three components of  Meluhha standard device: scepter, portable furnace, gimlet (lathe) juxtaposed to a standard in the Nahal Mishmar hoard of lost-wax castings. See, in particular, the three components of the Meluhha standard shown on Mohenjo-daro seal m008.

Mohenjo-daro seal m008 and variants of flagposts on Meluhha standard. (Note: Meluhha refers to mleccha vernacular language of the people of Indus-Sarasvati also called Harappa-Mohenjo-daro or Indus Valley Civilization Sets of Meluhha hieroglyphs refer to Indus script discussed in my book. Thus, Meluhha, mleccha vernacular of India is clearly attested in 4400 BCE at Nahal Mishmar.)

Executive Summary

This monograph suggests that the Nahal Mishmar standard is comparable to the Meluhha standard which carried hieroglyphs in a trade-guild procession. This complements the following blogpost: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/01/meluhha-dhokra-art-from-5th-millennium.html   

Meluhha dhokra art from 5th millennium BCE at Nahal (Nachal) Mishmar, transiting into Bronze Age http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/01/meluhha-metallurgical-roots-and-spread.html 

Meluhha: spread of lost-wax casting in the Fertile Crescent. Smithy is the temple. Veneration of ancestors.

This blogpost compared Nahal Mishmar hoard with Meluhha artifacts, and in particular two Meluhha seals with inscriptions from Dholavira and Mohenjo-daro demonstrating the dhokra was a Meluhha word for cire perdue (lost-wax) casting method evidenced by Nahal Mishmar copper hoard and that dhokra metal casting is practiced even today in many parts of India

The hieroglyphs carried on the Meluhha standard represented the tools-of-trade and denoted professional competence of the Meluhha lapidary-smithy artisans as the artisans transited from the chalcolithic to true bronze-age with competence in creating metal alloys and cast objects using the lost-wax casting method as demonstrated by the over 429 copper alloy objects discovered in Nahal Mishmar (ca. 4400 BCE).

The shape of this standard compares with the standard which holds the 'standard device' often shown in front of one-horned young bull on many Meluhha (Indus script) inscriptions. 

The Meluhha standard holds two devices on top: 1. bowl-shaped crucible or portable furnace; 2. gimlet (lathe) There are two Mohenjo-daro tablets which show the Meluhha standared carried by a standard-bearer in a procession with three other standard-bearers bearing the standards of 'one-horned young bull', 'scarf', 'spoked nave of wheel'. 

The argument in the context of Indus writing is that these are Meluhha hieroglyphs read rebus . The readings are: sangad, 'lathe, portable furnace' rebus: 'entrustment articles of guild'; konda 'young bull' rebus: konda 'turner'; dhatu 'scarf' rebus: dhatu 'ore'; eraka 'nave of wheel'; ara 'spoke of wheel' rebus: eraka 'copper casting' ara 'brass (alloy)'.

• 
  
• Unfinished" Kudurru
  Kassite period, attributed to the reign of Melishipak (1186-1172 BC)
  Susa (where it had been taken as war booty in the 12th century BC)
• Limestone J. de Morgan excavations Sb 25
• “The royal art of the Middle-Elamite period
  
  “Shilhak-Inshushinak was one of the most brilliant sovereigns of the dynasty founded by Shutruk-Nahhunte in the early 12th century BC. Numerous foundation bricks attest to his policy of construction. He built many monuments in honor of the great god of Susa, Inshushinak. The artists of Susa in the Middle-Elamite period were particularly skilled in making large bronze pieces. Other than the Sit Shamshi, which illustrates the complex technique of casting separate elements joined together with rivets, the excavations at Susa have produced one of the largest bronze statues of Antiquity: dating from the 14th century BC, the effigy of "Napirasu, wife of Untash-Napirisha," the head of which is missing, is 1.29 m high and weighs 1,750 kg. It was made using the solid-core casting method. Other bronze monuments underscore the mastery of the Susa metallurgists: for example, an altar table surrounded by snakes borne by divinities holding vases with gushing waters, and a relief depicting a procession of warriors set above a panel decorated with engravings of birds pecking under trees. These works, today mutilated, are technical feats. They prove, in their use of large quantities of metal, that the Susians had access to the principal copper mines situated in Oman and eastern Anatolia. This shows that Susa was located at the heart of a network of circulating goods and long-distance exchange.”[i]
   
  
  

  ---

  
  

  [i]http://www.louvre.fr/media/repository/ressources/sources/illustration/atlas/image_66481_v2_m56577569830704548.jpg
• Beneath the rings of the serpent that lies coiled around the top of the kudurru, the principal deities of the pantheon are represented in symbolic form. Below them is a cortege of animals and deities playing musical instruments. Walls and crenellated towers surround a space left blank for an inscription that was never carved. A horned serpent, symbol of the god Marduk, is coiled round the base.

  An anepigraphic kudurru

  This kudurru is one of a number of Mesopotamian works found in Susa. They were brought there by the Elamite king Shutruk-Nahhunte (late 12th century BC) as part of the spoils of his victorious campaigns in Mesopotamia. Kudurrus are characteristic of the Kassite Dynasty. They are decorated with bas-relief carvings, generally consisting of divine symbols and a text recording the details of royal gifts of land or privileges granted by the king to high-ranking dignitaries or members of his family. In this case, the decoration is divided into three registers, delineated at the top and base by two huge horned serpents. The lower register, where the text was to have been carved, is empty, although the surface was carefully prepared to receive the inscription: there are four polished zones demarcated by walls. Two of these zones are carved with horizontal lines ready for the cuneiform script.

  Divine symbols

  The word 'kudurru' is an Akkadian term meaning a boundary stone. However, contrary to what this name suggests, kudurrus were in fact stored in temples. Although they were primarily legal documents, their iconography provides a precious record of the religious life of the rulers who commissioned them. The upper register depicts the symbols associated with the principal deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon. Their order reflects the accepted hierarchy of the gods. The first triad consists of the three great deities: Anu, the sky god; Enlil, the earth god; and Ea, the god of Apsu, the body of fresh water on which the earth was believed to float. The second level represented the astral deities: Sin, the moon god, and his two children Shamash, the sun god, and Ishtar, the planet Venus. Immediately below them are the deities most in favor in the 2nd millennium BC. Marduk and his animal attribute - a horned dragon named Mushussu - are given pride of place, reflecting the theological desire to establish a universal god for Babylon, the capital of Mesopotamia. The iconographic style of this stele is very close to that of the kudurrus dating from the reign of King Melishihu (1186-1172 BC). This kudurru can thus be dated to the same period.

  An unusual procession

  While it was usual for kudurrus to be carved with a succession of divine symbols, in this case the carvings on the middle register are most unusual. They depict a procession of eight figures, all carrying bows and wearing the horned crowns that mark them out as gods. Seven of the figures are bearded gods, playing the lute and accompanied by animals. A goddess playing the tambourine and possibly dancing follows them. Although such friezes were very popular during the Kassite period, this composition is remarkable, even unique, in that it is most unusual to find two separate representations of the gods - one symbolic, one anthropomorphic - on the same monument. The ruler who commissioned the kudurru must have had a particular reason for including the procession as well as the more conventional symbolic representation. Unfortunately, this reason remains a mystery. The procession may refer to a ritual involving the minor deities, probably the protectors of animals. The figures may also possibly be foreign deities. Whatever the truth of the matter, the long lock of hair hanging from their headdress indicates that they are marginal figures in the classical pantheon.

  Bibliography

  L'empire du temps : mythes et créations, catalogue d'exposition du musée du Louvre, Éditions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, 2000, p. 44, cat. n 14.
  La cité royale de Suse : découvertes archéologiques en Iran conservées au musée du Louvre, catalogue d'exposition, Éditions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, 1994, pp. 178-180, fig. 116.
  Louvre, antiquités orientales : guide du visiteur, Éditions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, 1997.

• Statuette of a god wearing a coiled serpent and mounted on a chariot
  End of the Sukkalmah period, 16th-15th century BC
  Susa
• Copper
• J. de Morgan excavations
  Sb 2824

This god riding a chariot has the ears of a bull and a long beard edged with twisted locks, which enables us to identify him as Nergal, the Mesopotamian god of the devastating summer sun, sometimes associated with the Underworld. He is depicted here in a procession. His tiara headdress is crowned with a snake, a benevolent animal in Elamite mythology. This objects reflects the great skill of the Iranian metallurgists. It is part of a group of twenty-six objects found at the Susa acropolis.

A god with bull's ears

Sitting astride his chariot, the god is dressed in a kaunakes, a ruffled cloak in the Mesopotamian style. This garment was traditionally attributed to divine figures, while human beings customarily wore thin, draped fabrics. The figure is of human appearance but has the ears of a bull. This detail, along with the long beard divided into two separate parts edged with twisted locks, are the characteristics of the Mesopotamian death-god, Nergal, widely represented in Elam. This god of sickness and death was often portrayed in the form of terra-cotta figurines in Babylonia in the early 2nd millennium. However, none have been found at Susa. Holding a branch, the god is here shown in a procession, on the occasion of a religious feast of a visit to a deceased person. Texts attest to a funerary prayer that was addressed to a chariot-borne protector-god.

The snake, symbol of the forces of the underworld

The figure's tiara headdress is in the shape of a conical skull cap, formed in fact by a coiled snake whose head, facing right, is visible at the top. The presence of the snake places this figurine among the various images of the Elamite "snake god." This reptile, seen as a benevolent animal symbolizing the chthonic world and forces of the underworld, is a common motif in the art of ancient Iran. In the 2nd millennium, it was particulary associated with a god of uncertain identity known as the "god with snake and gushing water." Often shown coiled up, the snake was depicted with the god in various ways, notably on the latter's throne or headdress. Over time, its appearance evolved into that of a mythological creature, first a snake with a human head, later a dragon-snake.

A marked taste for metallurgy

The Susians were excellent metallurgists. This statuette is part of a series of twenty-six items found on the acropolis at Susa in 1904 near the temple of Inshushinak. Today, all are kept in the Louvre Museum. Some were plated with gold, like the figurine of the god with the golden hand (sb2823). The god and the chariot were each made in one casting, using the solid casting method. The metal of the chariot is more heterogeneous, however.

Bibliography

Borne interactive du département des Antiquités orientales.
Miroschedji Pierre de, "Le dieu élamite au serpent", in Iranica antiqua, vol. 16, 1981, Gand, ministère de l'Éducation et de la Culture, 1989, p. 20, pl. IV, fig. 1.
Tallon Françoise, "Un aspect de la métallurgie du cuivre à Suse. La petite statuaire au IIe millénaire", in Iranica Antiqua, vol. 24, 1989, Gand, ministère de l'Éducation et de la Culture, 1989, p. 123, pl. I, fig. 2.

 
The Susa panels show the standard bearers ligatured to the buttock of a bovine. This characteristic ligaturing style showing bovine features such as hindlegs of bovine, or bovine horns or tails, is also seen on Meluhha artifacts (seals and tablets).

Pict-87 Standing person with horns and bovine features (hoofed legs and/or tail).

 Harappa tablets. Pict-85, Pict-86 Standing person with horns and bovine features (hoofed legs and/or tail).

• Panels of molded bricks
  Mid 12th century BC
  Apadana mound, Susa
• Baked clay
  H. 1.355 m; W. 0.375 m
• Excavations led by Roland de Mecquenem 1913¿21; panels sb19575¿19577 were restored thanks to the Philip Morris Jury Prize, 1991
  Sb 2732, Sb 2733, Sb 2734, Sb 2735, Sb 14390, Sb 14391, Sb 19575, Sb 19576, Sb 19577 

• http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/panels-molded-bricks

et al 1978)..." (p. 168) 

See: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/121/1218186467.pdf  Dhavalikar, M.K., 1982. Daimabad bronzes. In: Possehl, G.L. (ed.), Harappan civilization: a contemporary perspective. Warminster, Aris & Phillips -: pp. 362-366 

Processions of animals shown on Ancient Near East artifacts and Indus inscriptions.

h1973B h1974B Two tablets. One side shows a person seated on a tree branch, a tiger looking up, a crocodile on the top register and other animals in procession in the bottom register.

          Glyph: seven: eae ‘seven’ (Santali); rebus: eh-ku ’steel’ (Ta.)

h1966A h1966B 1.     Glyph: ‘bull’: ḍhangra ‘bull’. Rebus: ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’.pattar 'trough' Rebus: pattar 'guild'. dula 'pair, likenes' Rebus: dul 'cast metal. Thus the hieroglyphs denote pattar 'guild' of blacksmiths, casters of metal.

1. a tiger, a fox on leashes held by a man kol 'tiger' Rebus: kol 'working in iron, alloys' lo ‘fox’ (WPah.) Rebus: lōha ʻmetalʼ (Pali) 

2. a procession of boars (rhinoceros?) and tiger in two rows kāṇṭā 'rhinoceros. Rebus: āṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’ (Gujarati)

3. a stalk/twig, sprout (or tree branch) kūdī, kūṭī bunch of twigs (Sanskrit) Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelting furnace‘ (Santali)

Thanks to Abdallah Kahil for the line drawing which clearly demonstrates that the narrative is NOT 'a hunting with dogs or herding boars in a marsh environment.' Traces of hieroglyphs are found on both sides of the tablet which also contains a proto-cuneiform inscription. It is noteworthy that cuneiform evolved TOGETHER WITH the use of Indus writing hieroglyphs on tablets, cylinder seals and other artifacts. I wish every success for efforts at decoding proto-elamite script using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) System (see below).

Fig. 24 Line drawing showing the seal impression on this tablet. Illustration by Abdallah Kahil. Proto-Cuneiform tablet with seal impressions. Jemdet Nasr period, ca. 3100-2900 BCE. Mesopotamia. Clay H. 5.5 cm; W.7 cm.  The blurb of Metropolitan Museum of Art says "The seal impression depicts a male figure guiding two dogs on a leash and hunting or herding boars in a marsh environment."

Boar or rhinoceros in procession. Cylinder seal impression: Rhinoceros, elephant, lizard (gharial?).Tell Asmar (Eshnunna), Iraq. IM 14674; glazed steatite. Frankfort, 1955, No. 642; Collon, 1987, Fig. 610. 

A group of animal hieroglyphs (including tiger/jackal, rhinoceros/boar) are show on many tablets with Indus writing : m2015Am2015Bm2016Am1393tm1394tm 1395Atm1395Bt

m1431B

m1431A, B, C, E and Text 2805 Row of animals in file (a one-horned bull, an elephant and a rhinoceros from right); a gharial with a fish held in its jaw above the animals; a bird (?) at right. Pict-116: From R.—a person holding a vessel; a woman with a platter (?); a kneeling person with a staff in his hands facing the woman; a goat with its forelegs on a platform under a tree. [Or, two antelopes flanking a tree on a platform, with one antelope looking backwards?]

koḍe ‘young bull’ (Telugu) खोंड [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf. Rebus: kõdā ‘to turn in a lathe’ (B.) कोंडण [kōṇḍaṇa] f A fold or pen. (Marathi) ayakāra ‘ironsmith’ (Pali)[fish = aya (G.); crocodile = kāru (Te.)]baṭṭai quail (N.Santali) Rebus: bhaṭa = an oven, kiln, furnace (Santali) baṭhi furnace for smelting ore (the same as kuṭhi) (Santali) bhaṭa = an oven, kiln, furnace; make an oven, a furnace; iṭa bhaṭa = a brick kiln; kun:kal bhaṭa a potter’s kiln; cun bhaṭa = a lime kiln; cun tehen dobon bhaṭaea = we shall prepare the lime kiln today (Santali); bhaṭṭhā (H.) bhart = a mixed metal of copper and lead; bhartīyā= a barzier, worker in metal; bhaṭ, bhrāṣṭra = oven, furnace (Skt.) mẽṛhẽt baṭi = iron (Ore) furnaces. [Synonyms are: mẽt = the eye, rebus for: the dotted circle (Santali.lex) baṭha [H. baṭṭhī (Sad.)] any kiln, except a potter’s kiln, which is called coa; there are four kinds of kiln: cunabat.ha, a lime-kin, it.abat.ha, a brick-kiln, ērēbaṭha, a lac kiln, kuilabaṭha, a charcoal kiln; trs. Or intrs., to make a kiln; cuna rapamente ciminaupe baṭhakeda? How many limekilns did you make? Baṭha-sen:gel = the fire of a kiln; baṭi [H. Sad. baṭṭhi, a furnace for distilling) used alone or in the cmpds. arkibuṭi and baṭiora, all meaning a grog-shop; occurs also in ilibaṭi, a (licensed) rice-beer shop (Mundari.lex.) bhaṭi = liquor from mohwa flowers (Santali)

Stone vase from Mesopotamia

Late Uruk period, about 3400-3200 BCE. Ht. 1.2 cm. It shows a bull, goat and ram.

Pict-97: Person standing at the center pointing with his right hand at a bison facing a trough, and with his left hand pointing to the sign  

2841  Obverse: A tiger and a rhinoceros in file. Pict-48 A tiger and a rhinoceros in file

kola 'tiger' Rebus: kol 'working in iron, alloy of 5 metals - pancaloha'. ibha 'elephant' Rebus ibbo 'merchant'; ib 'iron'. kāṇḍa 'rhimpceros'  Rebus:khāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans, and metal-ware’.  The text on m0489 tablet: loa 'ficus religiosa' Rebus: loh 'copper'. kolmo 'rice plant' Rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge'. dula 'pair' Rebus: dul 'cast metal'. Thus the display of the metalware catalog includes the technological competence to work with minerals, metals and alloys and produce tools, pots and pans. The persons involved are krammara 'turn back' Rebus: kamar 'smiths, artisans'. kola 'tiger' Rebus: kol 'working in iron, working in pancaloha alloys'. పంచలోహము pancha-lōnamu. n. A mixed metal, composed of five ingredients, viz., copper, zinc, tin, lead, and iron (Telugu). Thus, when five svastika hieroglyphs are depicted, the depiction is of satthiya 'svastika' Rebus: satthiya 'zinc' and the totality of 5 alloying metals of copper, zinc, tin, lead and iron.

Akkadian cylinder seal, showing kneeling heroes. Around 2200 BCE.

The argument: hieroglyphs for a catalog of a smithy/forge

Provenience: Khafaje Kh. VII 256 Jemdet Nasr (ca. 3000 - 2800 BCE) Frankfort, Henri: Stratified Cylinder Seals from the Diyala Region. Oriental Institute Publications 72. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, no. 34. Mythological scene: tailless lion or bear standing erect behind tree; two goats feeding at other side of tree; another tree, with bird in branches, behind monster; three-lowered buildings with door at left side; watercourse along bottom of scene. Gray limestone. 4.1x3.5cm.[i]

The cylinder seal is a catalog of a smithy: copper, iron alloy smith, turner, hard alloy metal tools, pots and pans.

The two animals are: markhor, antelope. miṇḍāl 'markhor' (Tōrwālī) meḍho a ram, a sheep (Gujarati)(CDIAL 10120); rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Munda.Ho.) mr̤eka, melh 'goat' (Telugu. Brahui) Rebus: melukkha 'milakkha, copper'.

करडणें or करंडणें [ karaḍaṇē or ṅkaraṇḍaṇēṃ ] v c To gnaw or nibble; to wear away by biting (Marathi). Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy'.  karaḍa 'duck' Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy' karaḍa 'wave' Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy' karaḍa  'panther' Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy'. khōṇḍa 'leafless tree' (Marathi). Rebus: kõdār 'turner' (Bengali) kole.l 'temple' Rebus: kole.l 'smithy'. khōṇḍa A tree of which the head and branches are broken off, a stock or stump: also the lower portion of the trunk—that below the branches. (Marathi) Rebus 1: kõdā 'to turn in a lathe' (Bengali) Rebus 2: koḍ 'workshop' (Gujarati) Glyh of flowing water: kāṇḍa 'flowing water' Rebus: kāṇḍā 'metalware, tools, pots and pans'.Thus, the entire hieroglyphic composition of the cylinder seal is a smithy catalog: 


karaḍ 'nibbling' karaḍa  'duck' karaḍa 'wave' karaḍa  'panther' all connoting reinforcing, Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy'  and work of kõdār 'turner' in kole.l 'smithy, temple' producing: kāṇḍā 'metalware, tools, pots and pans'.

Cylinder seal with kneeling nude heroes, ca. 2220–2159 b.c.; Akkadian  Mesopotamia Red jasper H. 1 1/8 in. (2.8 cm), Diam. 5/8 in. (1.6 cm)  Metropolitan Museum of Art - USA 

Four flag-posts(reeds) with rings on top held by the kneeling persons define the four components of the iron smithy/forge.  This is an announcement of four shops, पेढी (Gujarati. Marathi). पेंढें 'rings' Rebus: पेढी 'shop'.āra 'serpent' Rebus; āra 'brass'. karaḍa 'double-drum' Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy'.

Specific materials offered for sale/exchange in the shop are: hard alloy brass metal (ayo, fish); lokhaṇḍ (overflowing pot) 'metal tools, pots and pans, metalware'; arka/erka   'copper'; kammaṭa (a portable furnace for melting precious metals) 'coiner, mint'  Thus, the four shops are: 1. brass alloys, 2. metalware, 3. copper and 4. mint (services).

erãguḍu bowing, salutation (Telugu) iṟai (-v-, -nt-) to bow before (as in salutation), worship (Tamil)(DEDR 516). Rebus: eraka, eṟaka any metal infusion (Kannada.Tulu) eruvai 'copper' (Tamil); ere dark red (Kannada)(DEDR 446).

puṭa Anything folded or doubled so as to form a cup or concavity; crucible. Alternative: ḍhālako = a large metal ingot (G.) ḍhālakī = a metal heated and poured into a mould; a solid piece of metal; an ingot (Gujarati)

Allograph: ढाल [ ḍhāla ] f (S through H) The grand flag of an army directing its march and encampments: also the standard or banner of a chieftain: also a flag flying on forts &c. ढालकाठी [ ḍhālakāṭhī ] f ढालखांब m A flagstaff; esp.the pole for a grand flag or standard. 2 fig. The leading and sustaining member of a household or other commonwealth. 5583 ḍhāla n. ʻ shield ʼ lex. 2. *ḍhāllā -- . 1. Tir. (Leech) "dàl"ʻ shield ʼ, Bshk. ḍāl, Ku. ḍhāl, gng. ḍhāw, N. A. B. ḍhāl, Or. ḍhāḷa, Mth. H. ḍhāl m.2. Sh. ḍal (pl. °le̯) f., K. ḍāl f., S. ḍhāla, L. ḍhāl (pl. °lã) f., P. ḍhāl f., G. M. ḍhāl f. WPah.kṭg. (kc.) ḍhāˋl f. (obl. -- a) ʻ shield ʼ (a word used in salutation), J. ḍhāl f. (CDIAL 5583).

They are four Glyphs: paṭākā 'flag' Rebus: pāṭaka, four quarters of the village.

kã̄ḍ reed Rebus: kāṇḍa 'tools, pots and pans, metal-ware'.

1. Pk. kamaḍha -- , °aya -- m. ʻ bamboo ʼ; Bhoj. kōro ʻ bamboo poles ʼ. 2. N. kāmro ʻ bamboo, lath, piece of wood ʼ, OAw.  kāṁvari ʻ bamboo pole with slings at each end for carrying things ʼ, H. kã̄waṛ, °ar, kāwaṛ, °ar f., G. kāvaṛf., M. kāvaḍ f.; -- deriv. Pk. kāvaḍia -- , kavvāḍia -- m. ʻ one who carries a yoke ʼ, H. kã̄waṛī, °ṛiyā m., G. kāvaṛiyɔ m. 3. S. kāvāṭhī f. ʻ carrying pole ʼ, kāvāṭhyo m. ʻ the man who carries it ʼ. 4. Or. kāmaṛā, °muṛā ʻ rafters of a thatched house ʼ; G. kāmṛũ n., °ṛī f. ʻ chip of bamboo ʼ, kāmaṛ -- koṭiyũ n. ʻ bamboo hut ʼ. 5. B. kāmṭhā ʻ bow ʼ, G. kāmṭhũ n., °ṭhī f. ʻ bow ʼ; M. kamṭhā, °ṭā m. ʻ bow of bamboo or horn ʼ; -- deriv. G. kāmṭhiyɔ m. ʻ archer ʼ. 6. A. kabāri ʻ flat piece of bamboo used in smoothing an earthen image ʼ. 7. kã̄bīṭ, °baṭ, °bṭī,  kāmīṭ, °maṭ, °mṭī,  kāmṭhī, kāmāṭhī f. ʻ split piece of bamboo &c., lath ʼ.(CDIAL 2760). kambi f. ʻ branch or shoot of bamboo ʼ lex. Pk. kaṁbi -- , °bī -- , °bā -- f. ʻ stick, twig ʼ, OG. kāṁba; M. kã̄b f. ʻ longitudinal division of a bamboo &c., bar of iron or other metal ʼ. (CDIAL 2774). कंबडी [ kambaḍī ] f A slip or split piece (of a bamboo &c.)(Marathi)

The rings atop the reed standard: पेंढें [ pēṇḍhēṃ ] पेंडकें [ pēṇḍakēṃ ] n Weaver's term. A cord-loop or metal ring (as attached to the गुलडा of the बैली and to certain other fixtures). पेंडें [ pēṇḍēṃ ] n (पेड) A necklace composed of strings of pearls. 2 A loop or ring. Rebus: पेढी (Gujaráthí word.) A shop (Marathi) Alternative: koṭiyum [koṭ, koṭī  neck] a wooden circle put round the neck of an animal (Gujarati) Rebus: ācāri koṭṭya = forge, kammārasāle (Tulu)

The four hieroglyphs define the four quarters of the village smithy/forge: alloy, metalware, turner's lathe-work, cruble (or, ingot).

ayo 'fish' Rebus: ayo 'metal, alloy'

కాండము [ kāṇḍamu ] kānḍamu. [Skt.] n. Water. నీళ్లు (Telugu) kaṇṭhá -- : (b) ʻ water -- channel ʼ: Paš. kaṭāˊ ʻ irrigation channel ʼ, Shum. xãṭṭä. (CDIAL 14349).

lokhãḍ 'overflowing pot' Rebus:  ʻtools, iron, ironwareʼ (Gujarati)

arká1 m. ʻ flash, ray, sun ʼ RV. [√arc] Pa. Pk. akka -- m. ʻ sun ʼ, Mth. āk; Si. aka ʻ lightning ʼ, inscr. vid -- äki ʻ lightning flash ʼ.(CDIAL 624) அருக்கன் arukkaṉ, n. < arka. Sun; சூரி யன். அருக்க னணிநிறமுங் கண்டேன் (திவ். இயற். 3, 1).(Tamil) agasāle 'goldsmithy' (Kannada) అగసాలి [ agasāli ] or అగసాలెవాడు agasāli. n. A goldsmith. కంసాలివాడు. (Telugu) erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka) copper (metal); crystal (Kannada) cf. eruvai = copper (Tamil) eraka, er-aka = any metal infusion (Ka.Tu.); erako molten cast (Tulu) Rebus: eraka = copper (Ka.) eruvai = copper (Ta.); ere - a dark-red colour (Ka.)(DEDR 817). eraka, era, er-a = syn. erka, copper, weapons (Ka.) erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka) copper (metal); crystal (Kannada) akka, aka (Tadbhava of arka) metal; akka metal (Te.) arka = copper (Skt.) erako molten cast (Tulu)

Alternative: kunda 'jasmine flower' Rebus: kunda ʻa turner's latheʼ. kundaṇa pure gold. 

The image could denote a crucible or a portable furnace: kammaṭa 'coiner, mint, a portable furnace for melting precious metals (Telugu) On some cylinder seals, this image is shown held aloft on a stick, comparable to the bottom register of the 'standard device' normally shown in front of a one-horned young bull. Alternatives: puṭa Anything folded or doubled so as to form a cup or concavity; crucible. Ta. kuvai, kukai crucible.  Ma. kuva id.  Ka. kōve  id. Tu. kōvè id., mould. (DEDR 1816). Alternative: Shape of ingot: దళము [daḷamu] daḷamu. [Skt.] n. A leaf. ఆకు. A petal. A part, భాగము.  dala n. ʻ leaf, petal ʼ MBh. Pa. Pk. dala -- n. ʻ leaf, petal ʼ, G. M. daḷ n.(CDIAL 6214). <DaLO>(MP)  {N} ``^branch, ^twig''.  *Kh.<DaoRa>(D) `dry leaves when fallen', ~<daura>, ~<dauRa> `twig', Sa.<DAr>, Mu.<Dar>, ~<Dara> `big branch of a tree', ~<DauRa> `a twig or small branch with fresh leaves on it', So.<kOn-da:ra:-n> `branch', H.<DalA>, B.<DalO>, O.<DaLO>, Pk.<DAlA>.  %7811.  #7741.(Munda etyma) Rebus: ḍhālako = a large metal ingot (G.) ḍhālakī = a metal heated and poured into a mould; a solid piece of metal; an ingot (Gujarati).

JUN

6

Ancient Near East bronze-age legacy: Processions depicted on Narmer palette, Indus writing denote artisan guilds 

It is certain that the design known as the animal file motif is extremely early in Sumerian and Elamitic glyptic; in fact is among the oldest known glyptic designs.

A characteristic style in narration is the use of a procession of animals to denote a professional group. The grouping may connote a smithy-shop of a guild --pasāramu. 

Mohenjo-daro seal m417 six heads from a core.śrēṇikā -- f. ʻ tent ʼ lex. and mngs. ʻ house ~ ladder ʼ in *śriṣṭa -- 2, *śrīḍhi -- . -- Words for ʻ ladder ʼ see śrití -- . -- √śri]H. sainī, senī f. ʻ ladder ʼ; Si. hiṇi, hiṇa, iṇi ʻ ladder, stairs ʼ (GS 84 < śrēṇi -- ).(CDIAL 12685). Woṭ. Šen ʻ roof ʼ, Bshk. Šan, Phal. Šān(AO xviii 251) Rebus: seṇi (f.) [Class. Sk. Śreṇi in meaning “guild”; Vedic= row] 1. A guild Vin iv.226; J i.267, 314; iv.43; Dāvs ii.124; their number was eighteen J vi.22, 427; VbhA 466. ˚ -- pamukha the head of a guild J ii.12 (text seni -- ). — 2. A division of an army J vi.583; ratha -- ˚ J vi.81, 49; seṇimokkha the chief of an army J vi.371 (cp. Senā and seniya). (Pali)

This denotes a mason (artisan) guild -- seni -- of 1. brass-workers; 2. blacksmiths; 3. iron-workers; 4. copper-workers; 5. native metal workers; 6. workers in alloys.

The core is a glyphic ‘chain’ or ‘ladder’. Glyph: kaḍī a chain; a hook; a link (G.); kaḍum a bracelet, a ring (G.) Rebus: kaḍiyo [Hem. Des. kaḍaio = Skt. sthapati a mason] a bricklayer; a mason; kaḍiyaṇa, kaḍiyeṇa a woman of the bricklayer caste; a wife of a bricklayer (G.)

The glyphics are:

1.     Glyph: ‘one-horned young bull’: kondh ‘heifer’. kũdār ‘turner, brass-worker’.

2.     Glyph: ‘bull’: ḍhangra ‘bull’. Rebus: ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’.

3.     Glyph: ‘ram’: meḍh ‘ram’. Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’

^4.         Glyph: ‘antelope’: mr̤eka ‘goat’. Rebus: milakkhu ‘copper’. Vikalpa 1: meluhha ‘mleccha’ ‘copper worker’. Vikalpa 2: meṛh ‘helper of merchant’.

^5.         Glyph: ‘zebu’: khũṭ ‘zebu’. Rebus: khũṭ ‘guild, community’ (Semantic determinant of the ‘jointed animals’ glyphic composition). kūṭa joining, connexion, assembly, crowd, fellowship (DEDR 1882)  Pa. gotta ‘clan’; Pk. gotta, gōya id. (CDIAL 4279) Semantics of Pkt. lexeme gōya is concordant with Hebrew ‘goy’ in ha-goy-im (lit. the-nation-s)^. Pa. gotta -- n. ʻ clan ʼ, Pk. gotta -- , gutta -- , amg. gōya -- n.; Gau. gū ʻ house ʼ (in Kaf. and Dard. several other words for ʻ cowpen ʼ > ʻ house ʼ: gōṣṭhá -- , Pr. gūˊṭu ʻ cow ʼ; S. g̠oṭru m. ʻ parentage ʼ, L. got f. ʻ clan ʼ, P. gotar, got f.; Ku. N. got ʻ family ʼ; A. got -- nāti ʻ relatives ʼ; B. got ʻ clan ʼ; Or. gota ʻ family, relative ʼ; Bhoj. H. got m. ʻ family, clan ʼ, G. got n.; M. got ʻ clan, relatives ʼ; -- Si. gota ʻ clan, family ʼ ← Pa. (CDIAL 4279). Alternative: adar ḍangra ‘zebu or humped bull’; rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ (Ka.); ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’ (H.)

6.     The sixth animal can only be guessed. Perhaps, a tiger (A reasonable inference, because the glyph ’tiger’ appears in a procession on some Indus script inscriptions. Glyph: ‘tiger?’: kol ‘tiger’.Rebus: kol ’worker in iron’. Vikalpa (alternative): perhaps, rhinoceros. gaṇḍa ‘rhinoceros’; rebus:khaṇḍ ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’. Thus, the entire glyphic composition of six animals on the Mohenjodaro seal m417 is semantically a representation of a śrḗṇi, ’guild’, a khũṭ , ‘community’ of smiths and masons.

This guild, community of smiths and masons evolves into Harosheth Hagoyim, ‘a smithy of nations’.

 A person is a standard bearer of a banner holding aloft the one-horned young bull which is the signature glyph of Indus writing. The banner is comparable to the banner shown on two Mohenjo-daro tablets. 

See: 

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/06/ancient-near-east-bronze-age-legacy_6.html Ancient Near East bronze-age legacy: Processions depicted on Narmer palette, Indus writing denote artisan guilds

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/06/ancient-near-east-art-indus-writing.html

Ancient near East lapidary guilds graduate into bronze-age metalware  kōḍu horn (Kannada. Tulu. Tamil) खोंड [khōṇḍa] m A young bull, a bullcalf. (Marathi) Rebus: कोंड [kōṇḍa] A circular hamlet; a division of a मौजा or village, composed generally of the huts of one caste. खोट [khōṭa] Alloyed--a metal (Marathi).

 

Frieze of a mosaic panel Circa 2500-2400 BCE Temple of Ishtar, Mari (Tell Hariri), Syria Shell  and shale André Parrot excavations, 1934-36 AO 19820

These inlaid mosaics, composed of figures carved in mother-of-pearl, against a background of small blocks of lapis lazuli or pink limestone, set in bitumen, are among the most original and attractive examples of Mesopotamian art. It was at Mari that a large number of these mosaic pieces were discovered. Here they depict a victory scene: soldiers lead defeated enemy captives, naked and in chains, before four dignitaries.

A victory scene

The pieces that make up this shell mosaic composition were found scattered on the floor of the Temple of Ishtar, and therefore the reconstruction of the original panel is based on guesswork, all the more so in that the shell pieces are missing. The shell figures were arranged on a wooden panel covered with a layer of bitumen. The whole composition was organized in several registers, and the frame of the panel was emphasized by a double red and white line of stone and shell. The spaces between the figures were filled by small tiles of gray-black shale. The panel depicts the end of a battle, with soldiers leading their stripped and bound captives before dignitaries. The soldiers wear helmets, carry spears or adzes, and are dressed in kaunakes (fleecy skirts or kilts) and scarves. The dignitaries wear kaunakes and low fur hats, and each carries a long-handled adze on the left shoulder. Their leader appears to be a shaven-headed figure: stripped to the waist and wearing kaunakes, he carries a standard showing a bull standing on a pedestal. The lower register, on the right, features traces of a chariot drawn by onagers, a type of wild ass.

The art of mosaic

Many fragments of mosaic panels were discovered in the temples of Mari. Used to decorate the soundboxes of musical instruments, "gaming tables," or simple rectangular wooden panels, the pieces of mosaic seen here were like scattered pieces of a jigsaw puzzle when they were found. Mosaic pictures were particularly prized in Mesopotamia. Fragments can be found in Kish, Tello, and Tell Asmar, in Mesopotamia, and in Ebla, Syria, where these extremely fragile works of art did not survive the destruction of the buildings in which they were housed. Only the Standard of Ur (Mesopotamia) has been preserved, an object which offers many points of comparison with the present work, since one side of this artifact is devoted to the theme of war. We know that the fragments discovered at Mari were manufactured locally, for the workshop of an engraver using mother-of-pearl was found in the palace. By the delicacy of their carving and engraving, the mother-of-pearl figures produced in this capital of a kingdom on the Middle Euphrates distinguish it from other centers of artistic production; they sometimes even surpass works of art produced in the Mesopotamian city of Ur. One of the distinctive features of Mari is the diversity of the scenes depicted: battles and scenes of offerings made to the gods, religious scenes with priests and priestesses, and sacrifices of rams.These scenes provide us with invaluable insights into the social, political, and religious life of Mari.

Bibliography

Contenau G., Manuel d'archéologie orientale depuis les origines jusqu'à Alexandre : les découvertes archéologiques de 1930 à 1939, IV, Paris : Picard, 1947, pp. 2049-2051, fig. 1138

Parrot A., Les fouilles de Mari, première campagne (hiver 1933-1934), Extr. de : Syria, 16, 1935, paris : P. Geuthner, pp. 132-137, pl. XXVIII

Parrot A., Mission archéologique de Mari : vol. I : le temple d'Ishtar, Bibliothèque archéologique et historique, LXV, Paris : Institut français d'archéologie du Proche-Orient, 1956, pp. 136-155, pls. LVI-LVII Author: Iselin Claire

Meluhha (mleccha) lexemes and rebus readings:

Stalk: காண்டம் kāṇṭam , n. < kāṇḍa. 1. Water; sacred water; நீர். துருத்திவா யதுக்கிய குங்குமக் காண் டமும் (கல்லா. 49, 16). 2. Staff, rod; கோல். (சூடா.) 3. Stem, stalk; அடித்தண்டு. (யாழ். அக.) 4. Arrow; அம்பு. (சூடா.) 5. Weapon; ஆயுதம். (சூடா.) Collection, multitude, assemblage; திரள். (அக. நி.) கண்டானுமுண்டானும் kaṇṭāṉumuṇṭ- āṉum, n. Redupl. of கண்டானும். Household utensils, great and small, useful and useless; வீட்டுத் தட்டுமுட்டுகள். கண்டானு முண்டானும் இத் தனை எதற்கு? Loc. Alternative 1:  aḍaru twig; aḍiri small and thin branch of a tree; aḍari small branches (Ka.); aḍaru twig (Tu.)(DEDR 67). Rebus:aduru ‘native, unsmelted metal’ (Kannada) aduru ‘gan.iyinda tegadu karagade iruva aduru’, that is, ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Kannada) Alternative 2: kūdī, kūṭī bunch of twigs (Skt.lex.) kūdī (also written as kūṭī in manuscripts) occurs in the Atharvaveda (AV 5.19.12) and Kauśika Sūtra (Bloomsfield’s ed.n, xliv. Cf. Bloomsfield, American Journal of Philology, 11, 355; 12,416; Roth, Festgruss an Bohtlingk, 98) denotes it as a twig. This is identified as that of Badarī, the jujube tied to the body of the dead to efface their traces. (See Vedic Index, I, p. 177). Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelting furnace‘ (Santali)

pasaramu, pasalamu ‘an animal, a beast, a brute, quadruped’ (Telugu); rebus: pasra ‘smithy’ (Santali). 

Boar. Allograph: ‘rhinoceros’: gaṇḍá4 m. ʻ rhinoceros ʼ lex., °aka -- m. lex. 2. *ga- yaṇḍa -- . [Prob. of same non -- Aryan origin as khaḍgá --1: cf. gaṇōtsāha -- m. lex. as a Sanskritized form ← Mu. PMWS 138]1. Pa. gaṇḍaka -- m., Pk. gaṁḍaya -- m., A. gãr, Or. gaṇḍā. 2. K. gö̃ḍ m., S. geṇḍo m. (lw. with g -- ), P. gaĩḍā m., °ḍī f., N. gaĩṛo, H. gaĩṛā m., G. gẽḍɔ m., °ḍī f., M. gẽḍā m.Addenda: gaṇḍa -- 4. 2. *gayaṇḍa -- : WPah.kṭg. geṇḍɔ mirg m. ʻ rhinoceros ʼ, Md. genḍā ← H. (CDIAL 4000). காண்டாமிருகம் kāṇṭā-mirukam , n. [M. kāṇṭāmṛgam.] Rhinoceros; கல்யானை. (Tamil) Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’ (Gujarati)

kol ‘tiger, jackal’ (Kon.) Rebus: kol ‘iron’ (Ta.)

lo ‘fox’ (WPah.) rebus: lōha ʻmetalʼ (Pali) 

kul ‘tiger’ (Santali); kōlu id. (Te.) kōlupuli = Bengal tiger (Te.)Pk. Kolhuya -- , kulha — m. ʻ jackal ʼ < *kōḍhu -- ; H.kolhā, °lā m. ʻ jackal ʼ, adj. ʻ crafty ʼ; G. kohlũ, °lũ n. ʻ jackal ʼ, M. kolhā, °lā m. krōṣṭŕ̊ ʻ crying ʼ BhP., m. ʻ jackal ʼ RV. = krṓṣṭu — m. Pāṇ. [√kruś] Pa. koṭṭhu -- , °uka — and kotthu -- , °uka — m. ʻ jackal ʼ, Pk. Koṭṭhu — m.; Si. Koṭa ʻ jackal ʼ, koṭiya ʻ leopard ʼ GS 42 (CDIAL 3615). कोल्हा [ kōlhā ] कोल्हें [ kōlhēṃ ] A jackal (Marathi) Rebus: kol ‘furnace, forge’ (Kuwi) kol ‘alloy of five metals, pañcaloha’ (Ta.) Allograph: kōla = woman (Nahali) 

Rebus: kol , n. < கொல்-. Working in iron; கொற்றொழில். 4. Blacksmith; கொல்லன். கொல்லன் kollaṉ , n. < கொல்². [M. kollan.] Blacksmith; கருமான். மென்றோன் மிதியுலைக் கொல்லன் (பெரும்பாண். 207). கொற்றுறை koṟṟuṟai , n. < கொல்² + துறை. Blacksmith's workshop, smithy; கொல்லன் பட் டடை. கொற்றுறைக் குற்றில (புறநா. 95). கொற்று¹ koṟṟu , n. prob. கொல்-. 1. Masonry, brickwork; கொற்றுவேலை. கொற்றுள விவரில் (திரு வாலவா. 30, 23). 2. Mason, bricklayer; கொத் தன். Colloq. 3. The measure of work turned out by a mason; ஒரு கொத்தன் செய்யும் வேலை யளவு. இந்தச் சுவர் கட்ட எத்தனை கொற்றுச் செல்லும்?

lōpāka m. ʻa kind of jackalʼ Suśr., lōpākikā -- f. lex. 1. H. lowā m. ʻfoxʼ.2.  Ash.  ẓōki, žōkī  ʻfoxʼ, Kt. ŕwēki, Bashg. wrikī, Kal.rumb. lawák: < *raupākya -- NTS ii 228; -- Dm. rɔ̈̄pak ← Ir.? lōpāśá m. ʻfox, jackalʼ RV., lōpāśikā -- f. lex. [Cf. lōpāka -- . -- *lōpi -- ] Wg. liwášä, laúša ʻfoxʼ, Paš.kch. lowóċ, ar. lṓeč ʻjackalʼ (→ Shum.  lṓeč NTS xiii 269), kuṛ. lwāinč; K. lośu, lōh, lohu, lôhu ʻporcupine, foxʼ.1. Kho.  lōw  ʻfoxʼ, Sh.gil. lótilde;i f., pales. lṓi f., lṓo m., WPah.bhal. lōī f.,  lo m.2. Pr. ẓūwī  ʻfoxʼ.(CDIAL 11140-2).Rebus: lōhá ʻred, copper -- colouredʼ ŚrS., ʻmade of copperʼ ŚBr., m.n. ʻcopperʼ VS., ʻironʼ MBh. [*rudh -- ] Pa. lōha -- m. ʻmetal, esp. copper or bronzeʼ; Pk. lōha -- m. ʻironʼ, Gy. pal. li°, lihi, obl. elhás, as. loa JGLS new ser. ii 258; Wg. (Lumsden) "loa"ʻsteelʼ; Kho. loh ʻcopperʼ; S. lohu m. ʻironʼ, L. lohā m., awāṇ. lōˋā, P. lohā m. (→ K.rām. ḍoḍ. lohā), WPah.bhad. lɔ̃u n., bhal. lòtilde; n., pāḍ. jaun. lōh, paṅ. luhā, cur. cam. lohā, Ku. luwā, N. lohu, °hā, A. lo, B. lo, no, Or. lohā, luhā, Mth. loh, Bhoj. lohā, Aw.lakh. lōh, H. loh, lohā m., G. M. loh n.; Si. loho, lō ʻ metal, ore, iron ʼ; Md. ratu -- lō ʻ copper lōhá -- : WPah.kṭg. (kc.) lóɔ ʻironʼ, J. lohā m., Garh. loho; Md. lō ʻmetalʼ. (CDIAL 11158).

 The imagery of the cylinder seal records information. A male figure is guiding dogs (?Tigers) and herding boars in a reed marsh. Both tiger and boar are Indus writing hieroglyphs, together with the imagery of a grain stalk. All these hieroglyphs are read rebus in Meluhha (mleccha),of Indian sprachbund in the context of metalware catalogs of bronze age. kola 'tiger'; rebus: kol 'iron'; kāṇḍa 'rhino'; rebus: kāṇḍa 'metalware tools, pots and pans'. Ka. (Hav.) aḍaru twig; (Bark.) aḍïrï small and thin branch of a tree; (Gowda) aḍəri small branches. Tu. aḍaru twig.(DEDR 67) Rebus: aduru gan.iyinda tegadu karagade iruva aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Ka. Siddhānti Subrahmaṇya’ Śastri’s new interpretation of the AmarakoŚa, Bangalore, Vicaradarpana Press, 1872, p.330) Alternative rebus: If the imagery of stalk connoted a palm-frond, the rebus readings could have been: 

Ku. N. tāmo (pl. ʻ young bamboo shoots ʼ), A. tām, B. tã̄bā, tāmā, Or. tambā, Bi tã̄bā, Mth. tām, tāmā, Bhoj. tāmā, H. tām in cmpds., tã̄bā, tāmā m. (CDIAL 5779) Rebus: tāmrá ʻ dark red, copper -- coloured ʼ VS., n. ʻ copper ʼ Kauś., tāmraka -- n. Yājñ. [Cf. tamrá -- . -- √tam?] Pa. tamba -- ʻ red ʼ, n. ʻ copper ʼ, Pk. taṁba -- adj. and n.; Dm. trāmba -- ʻ red ʼ (in trāmba -- lac̣uk ʻ raspberry ʼ NTS xii 192); Bshk. lām ʻ copper, piece of bad pine -- wood (< ʻ *red wood ʼ?); Phal. tāmba ʻ copper ʼ (→ Sh.koh. tāmbā), K. trām m. (→ Sh.gil. gur. trām m.), S. ṭrāmo m., L. trāmā, (Ju.) tarāmã̄ m., P. tāmbā m., WPah. bhad. ṭḷām n., kiũth. cāmbā, sod. cambo, jaun. tã̄bō (CDIAL 5779) tabāshīr तबाशीर् । त्वक््क्षीरी f. the sugar of the bamboo, bamboo-manna (a siliceous deposit on the joints of the bamboo) (Kashmiri)

Fig. 24 Line drawing showing the seal impression on this tablet. Illustration by Abdallah Kahil.
Proto-Cuneiform tablet with seal impressions. Jemdet Nasr period, ca. 3100-2900 BCE. Mesopotamia. Clay H. 5.5 cm; W.7 cm. 

Source:  Kim Benzel, Sarah B. Graff, Yelena Rakic and Edith W. Watts, 2010, Art of the Ancient Near East, a resource for educators, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art 
http://www.metmuseum.org/~/media/Files/Learn/For%20Educators/Publications%20for%20Educators/Art%20of%20the%20Ancient%20Near%20East.pdf

Daimabad bronzes as artisan guild repertoire hieroglyphs

A seal was found in Daimabad (1400 BCE) with the unique glyph of a rimmed, short-necked jar.  This is the most frequently deployed hieroglyph in the entire set of Indus writing corpora of about 7000 inscriptions. Read rebus in relation to copper metalwork and engraving. Was an identifier of karṇaka, a scribe. kaṇḍa  kanka ‘Rim of jar’ (Santali); rebus: kaṇḍa = a furnace, altar (Santali); kan- ‘copper’ (Ta.) Hence, kaṇḍa  kanka ‘copper furnace’. Rim of jar = kanka, karṇaka Rebus: karṇaka ‘account scribe’.

Two remarkable sets of bronze artifacts were found at Daimabad:

Daimabad bronze chariot. c. 1500 BCE. 22X52X17.5 cm. related to a metalwork guild. 

A repertoire of four hieroglyphs (cart, buffalo, rhinoceros and elephant) are read rebus as related to the guild of artisans engaged in metal casting and in

1. stone-work, 2. alloy metal tools, pots and pans and 3. merchants of iron ore.

Buffalo on four-legged platform attached to four solid wheels 31X25 cm.; elephanton four-legged platform with axles 25 cm.; rhinoceros on axles of four solid wheels 25X19 cm. (MK Dhavalikar, 'Daimabad bronzes' in: Harappan civilization, ed. by GL Possehl, New Delhi, 1982, pp. 361-6; SA Sali, Daimabad 1976-1979, New Delhi, 1986).

Harappa. This copper chariot was found by M.S. Vats, the Director of the ASI, at Harappa. ca. 3000 BCE

1. stone-work, 2. alloy metal tools, pots and

 pans and 3. merchants of iron ore.

Buffalo. Mohenjo-daro.

“Although their physique, their language and their customs generally point to a Kolarian origin, they constitute a separate caste, which the Mundas consider as inferior to themselves, and the Baraes accept their position with good grace, the more so as no contempt is shown to them. …In every Munda village of some size there is at least one family of Baraes…The ordinary village smith is versed in the arts of iron-smelting, welding and tempering, and in his smithy, which is generally under one of the fine old large trees that form the stereotyped feature of the Mundari village, are forged from start to finish, all the weapons and the instruments and implements the Mundas require. There are of course individuals who succeed better than others in the making of arrows and various kinds of hunting-axes and these attract customers from other villages… they dig the kut.i (smelting furnace), they prepare and lay the bamboo tubes through which the air is driven from the bellows to the bottom of the furnace, they re-arrange the furnace after the lump of molten metal has been removed from it, and then the smith starts transforming it into ploughshares, hoes, yoking hooks and rings, arrow-heads, hunting axes of various shapes and sizes, wood axes, knives, his own implements, ladles, neat little pincers to extract thorns from hands and feet, needles for sewing mats and even razors. Formerly, he was also forging swords…susun-kanda(dancing-sword)…If it appears too bold to attribute the invention of iron smelting and working to some of the aboriginal inhabitants of this, in many respects so richly blessed part of India (Chota Nagpur), it is certain that no land in the world is better qualified to push man to this invention. The excavations made recently (in 1915) by Mr. Sarat Chandra Roy, the author of the Mundas and their Country have shown conclusively, that it was inhabited by man in the stone age, the copper age and the early iron age. Baraes are also found in the villages of Jashpur, Barwai, Biru, Nowagarh, Kolebira and Bano from which the Mundas have been either driven out by the Hindus or crowded out by the Uraons. There they have adopted the Sadani dialect but retained their own social and religious customs. In the districts named above they are called lohar or loha_ra, but in Gangpur they go under the name of Kamar. These Kamars are animists like the Lohars, but they use tanned hides for their single bellows, which they work by bulling, like the blacksmiths in Europe. The Lohars say that is is on account of this that they do not intermarry or eat with them any more. Baraes, Kamars and Lohars must not be confounded with the Aryan blacksmiths also called Lohars. These latter differ not only in race from the first but also in their methods of working. The Aryan blacksmith does not smelt iron, and uses only the single-nozzled hand bellows. He is met with only in such Chota Nagpur villages, where colonies of Hindu or Mohammedan landlords, merchants, money-lenders and native policement require his services, especially to get their bullocks and horses shod…The account the Baraes, Lohars and Kamars generally give of themselves is as follows: they say that they descend from Asura and Asurain, i.e., Asur and his wife, and that they were originally of one and the same caste with the Mundas. In this the Mundas agree with them… If the iron smelters and workers of the legend really belonged to the Munda race then their trade and art must in the beginning have given them a prominent position, such as is held in some ancient races by smiths…Like the Mundas they formerly burnt their dead, the bones of those dying out of their original village were carried back to it in a small earthen vessel into which some pice were placed, and this was then dashed to pieces against a rock in a river…Like the Mundas they practise ancestor worship in practically the same forms. Like them they worship Sin:bon:ga, whom the Lohars call Bhagwan… They also worship Baranda Buru whom the Sadani-speaking lohars call Bar Pahari…bar.ae-ili = the rice beer which has been brewed by the whole village, one pot per house, in honour of the Barae, and is drunk with him, at the end of the year; bar.ae-kud.lam = a country-made hoe, bar.ae-mer.ed = country-smelted iron; in contrast to cala_ni mer.ed, imported iron; bar.ae-muruk = the energy of a blacksmith.” (Mundari.lex., Encyclopaedia Mundarica, Vol. II, pp. 410-419).

Comparative Study of Iranian and Indian Dancing Figures Painted on

                Pottery as an Indicator of Agricultural Ritual

                                 Dr. Ozra Rounaghy                                      

                         Art and Architecture Faculty

                             Archaeology Department

                 Bu Ali Sina University, Hamadan, IRAN

                      Ozrarounaghy2002@yahoo.com

Introduction

       The Neolithic/Chalcolithic period represented a settled, food-producing way of life with limited use of copper. There was a very slow and gradual change from food collection to food production that took several millenia. Methods of food collecting such as hunting, fishing, and gathering of plants/fruits were gradually replaced by animal husbandry and agriculture. Although agriculture seems to have come late to India, it was one of the first regions in the world to give birth to civilization.

        Agriculture-based Neolithic settlements have been known for decades from sites like Rana Ghundai and Kili Ghul Mohammed in the hilly terrain of Baluchistan. Their beginning was dated to the fourth millenium B.C. However, excavations at Mehrgarh by the French Archaeological Mission to Pakistan under the direction of Jean-Francois Jarrige since 1974, have pushed back the antiquity of settled village life in the subcontinent to the seventh millenium B.C. The have also provided excellent evidence of technology, economy, material culture and social organization of the pioneering farmers of South Asia. During the last two millenia (5,000-3,000 B.C.) northwestern India witnessed not only a transition from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic stage but also a great expansion of agrarian settlements. After the initiation of food production, there was an increasing number of domesticated plants and animals (Shinde 2001).

Area and Era of Study

        Central India – a semi-arid region – was one of the most important regions to witness the development of early farming communities from the sixth millenium B.C. Central India is bounded by Rajasthan on the west, Uttar Pradesh on the northeast, Gujarat on the south and southwest, Maharashtra on the southeast, and Orissa on the east.

       Central India consists of two major geographical units, namely, the Malwa plateau and the Chambal valley. It includes the northeastern part of Rajasthan (Mewar region), which, in fact, is an extension of the Malwa plateau (Shinde ibid.). Central India, which is east of the Indus and south of the Ganges basins, has a dry, monsoonal climate in most regions. Early farmers raised millets and grams, rather than rice, in combination with Southwest Asian cereals. Many areas have required irrigation for successful farming, and in some of the drier regions cattle pastoralism developed. Also, there was a long-term survival of hunter-gatherers in symbiotic exchange/contact with farmers.

         The full significance of the Chalcolithic culture of central India

was first realized during excavations at Navdatoli, Khargon District, Madhya Pradesh by Prof. H. D. Sankalia. A total of 108 Chalcolithic settlements have been reported from Malwa and 106 from Mewar region of Rajasthan. The major part of this region is covered with black cotton soil, which was exploited by Chalcolithic agricultural communities.

          The Chalcolithic succeeded the Neolithic period. The general pattern of life did not change during the Chalcolithic although there were some significant developments. These developments include: 1) a marked increase in the number of settlements; 2) introduction of copper-bronze; 3) the manufacture of painted pottery; 4) diversification of tools, weapons and ornaments; and 5) improvements in architecture.

           Three different Chalcolithic cultures – Kayatha, Ahar and Malwa – have been discovered in central India. Of these cultures, Malwa has been studied in relatively great detail due to the excavations at Navdatoli. Over 600 different motifs were executed on Malwa ceramic wares, and they include primarily geometric designs such as triangles and linear patterns. In addition there are some naturalistic motifs such as animals, birds, dancing human figures and plants. The finer variety of Malwa ware found at Eran is called Eran Fabric. Painted designs include linear and geometric patterns and a few naturalistic motifs (stylized bull, deer, running dog). The important types associated with the Malwa culture are: The Indian lota with its slightly flaring mouth and round, bulbous body; the concave-sided, carinated bowl; the globular vessel with beaded rim; and the spouted jar with wide mouth, flaring rim and tubular spout.

           The painted pottery of the Malwa culture, called Malwa Ware, is very rich in forms and painted motifs. It is treated with a buff or orange slip and decorated with designs in black pigment. This ware is made of very coarse clay and is slightly ill-fired. Characteristic forms are globular pots with high neck and round base; the Indian lota with slightly flaring sides and squat, bulbous bottom; and concave, carinated bowls. In addition, there are bowls on stands, footed cups, channel-spouted cups, and a variety of lids. The repertoire of painted designs is rich and varied. Designs are mostly linear and geometric, but plants, animals, and human figures do occur – being mostly confined to the upper half of the outer surface.      

            Among the many Malwa sites, Navdatoli, located on the left bank of the Narmada River, is the largest known in the region and occupies an area of about 10 hectares. Other sites are small, ranging from one to four hectares in extent.

Analysis of the Motifs on the Pottery

             Studying prehistoric man’s creations helps us discover what was his interest in making beliefs known. Drawings of the sun, animals related to the sun (such as the eagle, lion, cow, deer, mountain goat, and birds), and other symbols can be seen on pottery. A methodical analysis and thematic classification of pottery motifs and designs for this Chalcolithic culture give the following:

1. Human figures

   A. Dancing figures

   B. Generalized figures

2. Animal figures

3. Geometric and Miscellany

The majority of pots, seals, etc. were decorated with dancing figures,  making this motif one of the most important that we may consider in the evolution of human society.

Dancing Human Figures

           Dancing is the oldest and one of the most persistent themes in Near Eastern prehistoric art. This theme spreads with agriculture into surrounding regions of the Levant, Mesopotamia, Iran, Anatolia, the Balkans, Greece, the Danube River basin, and Egypt. Dancing is found among every form of human social and economic organization – urban, rural, pastoral, hunter-gatherer, etc., etc. communities.

            Human figures painted upon the pottery of Chalcolithic cultures

were highly decorative, impressionistic, stylized, but powerfully symbolic. Dancing figures constitute the most attractive and aesthetically pleasing motif on Chalcolithic pottery. More than any other motif, they express pure joy and good feeling, and must have injected an “essence” into ancient social and religious beliefs.

           Navdatoli potters represented three basic dance forms and the interaction of figures with space, namely, 1) the circle dance, 2) the line dance – figures all in a row with their arms interlocked, and 3) dancing couples.

           Here we commence with some dancing figures found at Nagda. In this Red Ware pottery piece (see Figure 1) the potter has captured in a beautiful manner the cheer and festiveness of two dancing human figures. Solid triangles joined at the apexes form the bodies of the dancers. Straight lines denote the legs; while, a short, thick line and a filled circle depict the neck and head. Flowing festoons tied around the waists of the dancers show that every part of their body is engaged in the  rhythm and tempo of the dance. In other painted pottery from Nagda depicting dancers (seeFigure 2), one may see different body ornaments or supplementary objects.

            In Figure 3 we have a simple drawing upon a sherd of Cream-slipped Ware from Navdatoli showing dancing human figures in good spirits. The head is shown as an empty circle, the legs are in different positions, and arms are raised high. The dancers are moving in harmony.

Another version of the whole body in activity, expressing joy of the moment, is shown upon a sherd from Navdatoli (Figure 4). Legs and arms depict motion and thick lines represent the pelvis distinctly.

            Our arguments are persuasive only for some of the scenes where groups of human figures are arranged in lines or rows. Some of the best examples occur on painted ceramics of the Iranian and Indian Neolithic and Chalcolithic. In Figure 5 all the human figures are somewhat similar except for those where the painted lines are thinner. The figures stand with interlocked arms in a straight row – possibly demonstrating a traditional dance or a ritual dance connected with agriculture. Although the depiction is crude and the heads/faces are indicated only by solid dots, there is nonetheless a faint attempt at showing facial features, like the projection of a nose or the hairstyle. The position of the dancers is such that they form a half-circle.

              In Figure 6 we also can see dancing figures interacting with each other. The basic compositions are freestanding figures holding hands and shoulder to shoulder, but these two particular figures are shown standing apart. Both of them hold a tuft-like object in their right hands. Interestingly, the figure on the left, which has survived almost completely, wears a short skirt or like garment. In all probability the figure is female and is a clear example of gender identification.  

    

              Dance is created out of culturally understood symbols within social and religious contexts, and it conveys information as ritual, ceremony and entertainment. Figures 7 and 8 depict dancing of communities – not just one or two individuals. For dance to communicate, its audience must understand the cultural conventions dealing with human movement in time and space.

              In Figure 9 the position of the bodies, the arms and legs in particular, indicates the dance gesture, which is obviously a highly dynamic movement and a very skillful dance step. Empty circles depict

the heads, and thin lines going obliquely upwards from the shoulders suggest arms. The figure on the left seems to be a female facing left.She is being lifted into the air by her partner.

              Figure 10 is from Navdatoli Phase II. We observe that it is a standard raised on either a table or platform – the top of which is either an anthropomorphic head or a globular pot. On the right side of this pole

(as seen by the viewer) there are two projections that might be long, flowing pieces of cloth; while, on the left side there are two shorter projections.

              If we compare Figure 11 (from Cheshmeh Ali) and Figure 12

(from Daimabad), we will note that way the legs have been depicted are similar and unique. Male and female dancing bodies are shown in an obvious festive mood, and these depictions are more realistic compared to the Navdatolian dancing figures. The entire body is rhythmically engaged. A spike is shown on a male’s head; whereas, a similar projection is behind the head of a female. In Figure 11 the dancing figures are linked hand-to-hand in a line –  just like the Navdatolian figures. If we accept the possibility of ancient interaction between Iranian and Indian peoples, then we can understand these similar portrayals of shape and perhaps meaning.

            Contrast the manner in which the legs are depicted in Figures 11 and 12 with the legs in Figure 13 (a row of stylized people engaged in a group dance) and Figure 14 (a degenerate depiction of a row of birds). The latter painted sherds are from Tepe Hissar. The similarity of the human and animal depictions from Tepe Hissar suggest a close relationship and development of animal domestication – a condition also suggested by Figure 15. Here is shown a ceramic vessel with two horizontal panels. The upper register is painted with a human figure and stylized deer, peacocks, etc. to either side that are paying obeisance to the central human figure. The entire vessel is so richly decorated that we are led to believe it may have been intended for use during a ritual.

             Another motif that supports a continuity of cultural traditions straight from Harappa with various phases of the western Indian Chalcolithic is one that shows an anthropomorphic figure on the left and a strange animal figure to the right (Figure 16). The figure may be identifiable as a male panther.

Other Dancing Figures

            Dancing is not limited to human beings. As a means of communication, it has been observed among insects (the bee dance), birds, and various mammals. Ancient human dancers probably mimicked the movements of birds and animals in an attempt to acquire or depict their unconscious grace and freedom of form and motion.

A. Dancing Peacocks

            The peacock is an elegant and regal bird and rightfully is the subject of the potter who paints it on his vessels. This bird was used symbolically by Indian potters and artists at different times in the past. In India the peacock was believed to have a thousand “eyes” among its feathers. Peacocks are considered to be birds of protection and guarding, and is thought to be protection of the psychic self (Bosch 1994). Large numbers of peacocks have been depicted at Navdatoli representing numerous styles, viz., the impressionistic mode, abstract, geometrical, filled-in highly bold work, thin line decoration, etc. The majority of peacocks from Navdatoli, however, are in line work.

              The bird has a distinct identity of its own. The peacock brings harmony and joy to mind. It is majestic and proud with much expression particularly when the male bird walks around and dances to the female during courting. It reminds us of the celebration of life. For example. Figure 17 depicts the joyous expression of this favorite bird of the Kayathians. Its feathers are in straight lines with dots on part of the body. It appears to be the archetypal peacock dancing in the rain (Wakankar 1967).

              Figure 18 shows an elegant, prideful dancing peacock from Navdatoli that has been painted on Cream-slipped Ware of Phase I. The peacock appears to be looking backwards, its head turned around gracefully. Dots are shown along the outline of the bird. Another graceful peacock, also painted upon Cream-slipped Ware from Nadatoli, Phase I, is given in Figure 19. The crossed dumb-bell design behind the bird might be a symbol of the sun.

              Among the grouped peacocks (Figures 20-24) may be seen a number of symbols for natural things, such as the sun, flying birds, and a possible honeycomb (to the right of Figure 20) that may depict prosperity and sunshine. A highly stylized peacock faces a rising sun. The peacock in Figure 21 is carrying something in its beak. This depiction is solid and a bold abstraction on Malwa Ware of Navdatoli Phase III. Note the flying bird in the background of Figure 22, the symbol may express happiness. The stylized peacock shown on a pot of Malwa Ware, Phase II at Navdatoli (Figure 23) is in a linear mode with exaggeratedly extended neck and body with feathers and legs indicated by a checkering. The plume on the head ends in dots. The bird

stands near a honeycomb pattern that is a symbol for sunshine and prosperity.

B. Other Birds

              Figure 25 shows in a very aesthetic manner slender, stylized cranes all in a line on a sherd of Burnished Red-slipped Metallic Ware from Phase II, Navdatoli. The lines under the cranes suggest that they are standing at waterside.

              A row of quacking birds (ducks?, geese?) Is shown on a potsherd of Jorwe Ware (Figure 26). The upturned heads and open mouths convey happiness and good cheer.

C. Dancing Antelopes

              According to J. E. Cirlot in his Dictionary of Symbols, the goat symbolizes male fertility, and mountain peaks represent the active male sexual aspect of nature or malkuth. Each ancient tribe considered the mountain goat to be the symbol of one of the natural, beneficial elements. For example, in Lorestan it symbolized the sun. Sometimes also it symbolized rain as in ancient times the moon was linked to rain; while, the sun was associated with heat and dryness. There was also a connection between the mountain goat’s twisted horns and the crescent-shaped moon, and it was believed that mountain goat horns could bring about rainfall. In ancient Shush and Elam the mountain goat was a symbol of prosperity and a god of vegetation. The transformation of gods into animals makes drawings of them sacred, and they became a subject for ancient artists and potters.

             The antelope was a favorite subject of the Chalacolithic artist as it possibly symbolized fertility. Chalcolithic artists also may have been attracted to antelopes because of their aesthetic form with graceful limbs and sleek, flowing horns. Antelopes were painted on pottery at Navdatoli, Songaon, Dangawada, Nevasa, and Nagda.

              Figure 27 depicts a circle of antelopes in motion in a most artistic manner. The figures are drawn with fine lines very aesthetically.The depiction is rhythmic and cheerful with beautiful horns and four (or more) straight legs (Banerjee 1986).

              Another way of depicting antelopes is shown in Figure 28 where solid triangles touching at an apex have been used for their bodies on pottery from Inamgaon. Two pairs of antelopes have been painted against a relatively well-decorated background. They are walking in a circle and impart a festive, cheerful feeling.

              There are similar representations of antelopes on the Chalcolithic pottery of Iran (site of Sialk) dated much older than the depictions on ceramics of the central Indian Chalcolithic. It is quite likely that this concept traveled from the Persian Gulf via the Harappan region to central India. (See grouped Figures 29-31, 32-34, 35-37) These regions share a semi-arid environment where rainfall is erratic. It is not unlikely that both dancing human beings and animals are connected with rain-making festivals. People may have prayed for rain and hence used these symbols on their pottery in order to find favor with the gods who controlled rain. Some use of these symbols may also be connected with harvesting of crops, celebrations of the changing seasons,  rites of fertility, and general prosperity or good fortune. Traditional practices of these sorts still occur today across parts of India and Iran.

             

                                     References Cited

Banerjee, N. R.

       1986 Nagda Excavation Report. Delhi.

Bosch, F. D. K.

       1994 The Golden Germ: An Introduction to Indian Symbolism.

Shinde, V. S.

       2001 Chalcolithic phase in Western India (including Central India

                and the Deccan Region. K. Paddayya (ed.) Recent Trends in

                Indian Archaeology. ICHR publication. New Delhi.

Wakankar, V. S.

       1967 Kayatha Excavation Report. Vikram University Journal.

                 Ujjain.

Captions and Figures

Figure 1. Dancing human figure, Nagda.

Figure 2. Dancing human figures, Nagda.

Figure 3. Dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 4. Dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 5. Dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 6. Dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 7. Circle of dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 8. Line of dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 9. Dancing human couple, Navdatoli II.

Figure 10. Standard on a platform (or dancing human figure?), Navdatoli II.

Figure 11. Human dancing figures, Cheshmeh Ali.

Figure 12. Male figure, Daimabad Phase V.

Figure 13. Dancing figures, Tepe Hissar.

Figure 14. Dancing bird figures, Tepe Hissar.

Figure 15. Dancing human and animal figures, Daimabad Phase I.

Figure 16. Dancing human and animal figures.

Figure 17. Dancing peacock, Kayatha Period III.

Figure 18. Dancing peacock, Cream-slipped Ware, Navdatoli Phase I.

Figure 19. Peacock, Navdatoli Phase I.

Figures 20 to 24. Group of peacocks and associated symbols.

Figure 25. A row of slender cranes, Navdatoli Phase II.

Figure 26. A row of quacking birds, Inamgaon.

Figure 27. Dancing antelopes, Nagda Period I.

Figure 28. Late Jorwe Ware, Inamgaon Period III.

Figures 29 to 31. Dancing antelopes group, Harappan Wares in Sind.

Figures 32 to 34. Harappan Ware in South Baluchistan.

Figures 35 to 37. Chalcolithic pottery from Iran-Bampur and Sialk.

Captions for Figures 1-37:

Figure 1. Dancing human figure, Nagda.

Figure 2. Dancing human figures, Nagda.

Figure 3. Dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 4. Dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 5. Dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 6. Dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 7. Circle of dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 8. Line of dancing human figures, Navdatoli.

Figure 9. Dancing human couple, Navdatoli II.

Figure 10. Standard on a platform (or dancing human figure?),

                 Navdatoli II.

Figure 11. Human dancing figures, Cheshmeh Ali.

Figure 12. Male figure, Daimabad Phase V.

Figure 13. Dancing figures, Tepe Hissar.

Figure 14. Dancing bird figures, Tepe Hissar.

Figure 15. Dancing human and animal figures, Daimabad Phase I.

Figure 16. Dancing human and animal figures.

Figure 17. Dancing peacock, Kayatha Period III.

Figure 18. Dancing peacock, Cream-slipped Ware, Navdatoli Phase I.

Figure 19, Peacock, Navdatoli Phase I.

Figure 20-24. Group of peacocks and associated symbols.

Figure 25. A row of slender cranes, Navdatoli Phase II.

Figure 26. A row of quacking birds, Inamgaon.

Figure 27. Dancing antelopes, Nagda Period I.

Figure 28. Late Jorwe Ware, Inamgaon Period III.

Figures 29-31. Dancing antelopes group, Harappan Wares in Sind.

Figures 32-34. Harappan Ware in South Baluchistan.

Figures 35-37. Chalcolithic pottery from Iran-Bampur and Sialk.

http://asaa-persimmonpress.com/number-26-iranian-indian-dancing-figures-painted-pottery.html

Animals in procession: Two gazelles (antelopes?), stalks, two tigers

Two eagles, sprout between

 

 Base for a ritual offering, carved with animals Elamite period, mid-3rd millennium BC Tell of the Acropolis, Susa, Iran Bituminous rock H. 19 cm; Diam. 11 cm Jacques de Morgan excavations, 1908 Lions and gazelles passant; eagles protecting their young Sb 2725

This base for a ritual offering is made of bitumen. This material was plentiful throughout the Middle East, but only in Susa was it used in sculpture. The object is carved with big cats, gazelles, and eagles. The theme of the eagle spreading its wings to protect its young was found only in Iran and also features on painted ceramics of the same period. 

Bitumen: a plentiful material used in an unusual manner

This object in the form of a truncated cone is a base for a ritual offering. It is carved from bituminous rock, found throughout the region but used in sculpture only in Susa. It was used to make vases similar to this object (Louvre, Sb2726), and later, in the early years of the 2nd millennium BC, vases carved with bas-relief decorations and an animal's head in high relief (Louvre, Sb2740). The shape of this object - a truncated cone - is similar to other pieces made of chlorite and dating from the same period. The mortise at the top of the cone and the unfinished lip suggest that the object originally had a second part that fitted on top of the cone. However, the precise purpose of the object remains a mystery.

The animal carvings

The cone is carved with two registers separated by a narrow strip. The upper register is decorated with two gazelles calmly grazing on vegetation, represented by stalks between each animal. Alongside the two gazelles are two big cats, almost certainly lions, with their backs to each other. Their stylized manes are shown as vertical strips, reminiscent of those of the woolen Mesopotamian garments known as kaunakes. Their tails are raised horizontally over their backs, similar to depictions of lions on cylinders from Uruk or Susa. Their heads are depicted in geometrical form. All four animals are shown in profile. The artistic desire to create a scene and a landscape imbued with life is also evident in two cylinders from Uruk and Khafaje. 

The lower register shows two highly stylized eagles, upright, as if resting on their tail feathers. Their wings and talons are spread to protect the chicks beneath them. These eagles differ somewhat from the usual representation of eagles as the attribute of the Sumerian god Ningirsu, where the birds are depicted with a lion's head, holding two lion cubs, which are shown face on.

Mythological creatures or carvings of local wildlife?

Eagles were a major theme in Susian and Mesopotamian art. This depiction of an eagle resting on its tail feathers is also found in ceramics, glyptics, and perforated plaques dating from the 3rd millennium BC. However, unlike Mesopotamian eagles, Susian eagles never resembled composite animals. Likewise, Mesopotamian eagles had a mythological dimension, which was absent from Susian portrayals of the bird. In Susa, eagles were simply considered ordinary birds of prey.

Bibliography

Amiet Pierre, Élam, Auvers-sur-Oise, Archée, 1966, p. 166, fig. 119.

Les quatre grandes civilisations mondiales. La Mésopotamie entre le Tigre 

et l'Euphrate, cat. exp., Setagaya, musée d'Art, 5 août-3 décembre 2000, Fukuoka, musée d'Art asiatique, 16 décembre 2000-4 mars 2001, Tokyo, NHK, 2000, pp. 214-215. Author: Herbin Nancie http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/base-ritual-offering-carved-animals

Late Uruk and Jemdet Nasr seal; ca. 3200-3000 (?) BC; marble; cat.3;  loop bore; an antelope with two tigerss, one with head turned. kola 'tiger' Rebus: kol 'working in iron'. tagara 'antelope' Rebus: tagara 'tin'. krammara 'head turned back' Rebus: kamar 'smith, artisan'.

Cylinder seal and impression: cattle herd at the cowshed. White limestone, Mesopotamia, Uruk Period (4100 BC–3000 BC). Louvre Museum.

Bronze dish found by Layard at Nimrud: circular objects are decorated by consecutive chains of animals following each other round in a circle. A similar theme occurs on the famous silver vase of Entemena. In the innermost circle, a troop of gazelles (similar to the ones depicted on cylinder seals) march along in file; the middle register has a variety of animals, all marching in the same direction as the gazelles. A one-horned bull, a winged griffin, an ibex and a gazelle, are followed by two bulls who are being attacked by lions, and a griffin, a one-horned bull, and a gazelle, who are all respectively being attacked by leopards. In the outermost zone there is a stately procession of realistically conceived one-horned bulls marching in the opposite direction to the animals parading in the two inner circles. The dish has a handle. (Percy S.P.Handcock, 1912, Mesopotamian Archaeology, London, Macmillan and Co., p. 256).

Cylinder seal and impression: cattle herd in a wheat field. Limestone, Mesopotamia, Uruk Period (4100 BC–3000 BC). kuṇḍa n. ʻclumpʼ (Sanskrit) A phonetic determinant of the young bull kõdā  खोंड [ khōṇḍa ] m 'A young bull, a bullcalf'. (Marathi) read rebus: kũderā m. ʻone who works a lathe'. Alternative: The cob is kolmo ‘seeding, rice-plant’(Munda) rebus: kolami ‘smithy’;  (Telugu) 

 

Mudhif and three reed banners. A cow and a stable of reeds with sculpted columns in the background. Fragment of another vase of alabaster (era of Djemet-Nasr) from Uruk, Mesopotamia. Limestone 16 X 22.5 cm. AO 8842, Louvre, Departement des Antiquites Orientales, Paris, France. Six circles decorated on the reed post are semantic determinants of Glyph: bhaṭa ‘six’. Rebus: bhaṭa ‘furnace’.  काँड् । काण्डः m. the stalk or stem of a reed, grass, or the like, straw. In the compound with dan 5 (p. 221a, l. 13) the word is spelt kāḍ. The rebus reading of the pair of reeds in Sumer standard is: khānḍa ‘tools,  pots  and  pans and metal-ware’.

Quadrupeds exiting the mund (or mudhif) are pasaramu, pasalamu ‘an animal, a beast, a brute, quadruped’ (Telugu) పసరము [ pasaramu ] or పసలము pasaramu. [Tel.] n. A beast, an animal. గోమహిషహాతి.

Rebus: pasra = a smithy, place where a black-smith works, to work as a blacksmith; kamar pasra = a smithy; pasrao lagao akata se ban:? Has the blacksmith begun to work? pasraedae = the blacksmith is at his work (Santali.lex.) pasra meṛed, pasāra meṛed = syn. of koṭe meṛed = forged iron, in contrast to dul meṛed, cast iron (Mundari.lex.) పసారము [ pasāramu ] or పసారు pasārdmu. [Tel.] n. A shop. అంగడి. Allograph: pacar = a wedge driven ino a wooden pin, wedge etc. to tighten it (Santali.lex.) Allograph: pajhar 'eagle'.

A Toda temple in Muthunadu Mund near Ooty, India. For example, on a cylinder seal from Uruk, a professional group of workers in a smithy are shown as a procession of young bull calves and other quadrupeds emerging out of the smithy. 

 Kur. xolā tail. Malt. qoli id.(DEDR 2135) The 'tail' atop the reed-structure banner glyph is a phonetic determinant for kole.l 'temple, smithy'. Alternative: pajhaṛ = to sprout from a root (Santali); Rebus: pasra‘smithy, forge’ (Santali)

m0702 Text 2206 Glyph 39, a glyph which compares with the Sumerian mudhif or Toda munda structure.  

[Kannada. kōḍu] Tusk; யானை பன்றிகளின் தந்தம். மத்த யானையின் கோடும் (தேவா. 39, 1). Rebus: खोट [khōṭa] A lump or solid bit (as of phlegm, gore, curds, inspissated milk); any concretion or clot. (Marathi) Rebus: L. khoṭf. ʻ alloy, impurity ʼ, °ṭā ʻ alloyed ʼ, awāṇ. khoṭā ʻ forged ʼ; P. khoṭ m. ʻ base, alloy ʼ  M.khoṭā ʻ alloyed ʼ, (CDIAL 3931) 

kole.l = smithy (Ko.) Rebus: Kuwi (F.) kolhali to forge. Koḍ. kollë blacksmith. (DEDR 2133).

Reading 1: kole.l = smithy, temple in Kota village (Ko.) Rebus 1: Ta. kol working in iron, blacksmith; kollaṉ blacksmith. Ma. kollan blacksmith, artificer.  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). Rebus 2: Ko. kole·l smithy, temple in Kota village.To. kwala·l Kota smithy (DEDR 2133).

Reading 2: goṭ = the place where cattle are collected at mid-day (Santali); goṭh (Brj.)(CDIAL 4336). Goṣṭha (Skt.); cattle-shed (Or.) koḍ = a cow-pen; a cattlepen; a byre (G.) कोठी cattle-shed (Marathi) कोंडी[ kōṇḍī ] A pen or fold for cattle. गोठी [ gōṭhī ] f C (Dim. Of गोठा) A pen or fold for calves. (Marathi) Cattle Byres c.3200-3000 B.C. Late Uruk-Jemdet Nasr period. Magnesite. Cylinder seal. In the lower field of this seal appear three reed cattle byres. Each byre is surmounted by three reed pillars topped by rings, a motif that has been suggested as symbolizing a male god, perhaps Dumuzi. Within the huts calves or vessels appear alternately; from the sides come calves that drink out of a vessel between them. Above each pair of animals another small calf appears. A herd of enormous cattle moves in the upper field. Cattle and cattle byres in Southern Mesopotamia, c. 3500 BCE. Drawing of an impression from a Uruk period cylinder seal. (After Moorey, PRS, 1999, Ancient materials and industries: the archaeological evidence, Eisenbrauns.)

 Text 1330 (appears with zebu glyph). Shown as exiting the kole.l 'smithy' arekol 'blaksmiths' and kũderā 'lathe-workers'.

The young bulls emerging from the smithy. kõdā  खोंड [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf. (Marathi) Rebus 1: kọ̆nḍu or  konḍu ।  कुण्डम् m. a hole dug in the ground for receiving consecrated fire (Kashmiri)Rebus 2: A. kundār, B. kũdār, °ri, Or. kundāru; H. kũderā m. ʻ one who works a lathe, one who scrapes ʼ, °rī f., kũdernā ʻ to scrape, plane, round on a lathe ʼ.(CDIAL 3297).

खांडा [ khāṇḍā ] m  A jag, notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool or weapon). Rebus: khāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans, and metal-ware’. kole.l = smithy (Ko.) Rebus: Kuwi (F.) kolhali to forge. Koḍ. kollë blacksmith. (DEDR 2133). 

ayo 'fish' Rebus: ayas 'metal'.

kuṭila ‘bent’; rebus: kuṭila, katthīl = bronze (8 parts copper and 2 parts tin) [cf. āra-kūṭa, ‘brass’ (Skt.) (CDIAL 3230) kuṭi— in cmpd. ‘curve’ (Skt.)(CDIAL 3231). 

kanka 'rim of jar' Rebus: karṇika 'accountant'. kul -- karṇī m. ʻvillage accountantʼ (Marathi); karṇikan id. (Tamil) கணக்கு kaṇakku, n. cf. gaṇaka. [M. kaṇakku] 1. Number, account, reckoning, calculation, computation (Tamil) 

Rebus: ‘to engrave, write; lapidary’: <kana-lekhe>(P)  {??} ``??''.  |.  Cf. <kana->.  %16123.  #16013. <lekhe->(P),,<leke->(KM)  {VTC} ``to ^write''.  Cf. <kana-lekhe>.  *Kh.<likhae>, H.<lIkhAna>, O.<lekhIba>, B.<lekha>; Kh.<likha>(P), Mu.<lika>.  %20701.  #20541. (Munda etyma) Kashmiri:khanun खनुन् । खननम् conj. 1 (1 p.p. khonu for 1, see s.v.; f. khüñü  to dig (K.Pr. 155, 247; L. 459; Śiv. 59, 746, 994, 143, 1197, 1214, 1373, 1754; Rām. 343, 958, 1147, 1724; H. xii, 6); to engrave (Śiv. 414, 671, 176; Rām. 1583). khonu-motu खनुमतु; । खातः perf. part. (f. khüñümüʦü)  dug (e.g. a field, or a well); engraved. mŏhara-khonu म्वहर-खनु; or (Gr.M.) mŏhar-kan । मुद्राखननकारुः m. a seal-engraver, a lapidary (El. mohar-kand). -wöjü । *अङ्गुलिमुद्रा f. a signet-ring.

DEDR 1170 Ta. kaṇṭam iron style for writing on palmyra leaves. Te. gaṇṭamu id.

DEDR 1179 Kur. kaṇḍō a stool. Malt. kanḍo stool, seat. గడమంచె gaḍa-manche. n. A wooden frame like a bench to keep things on. గంపలు మొదలగువాటిని ఉంచు మంచె.

 

There three reed decorations atop the mudhif (or, Toda mund). kã̄ḍ 1 काँड् । काण्डः m. the stalk or stem of a reed, grass, or the like, straw. In the compound with dan 5 (p. 221a, l. 13) the word is spelt kāḍ. Rebus: khāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans, and metal-ware’. 

Sumerian mudhif facade, with uncut reed fonds and sheep entering, carved into a gypsum trough from Uruk, c. 3200 BCE. This trough was found at Uruk, the largest city so far known in southern Mesopotamia in the late prehistoric period (3300-3000 BC). The carving on the side shows a procession of sheep (a goat and a ram)

  

CARVED GYPSUM TROUGH FROM URUK. Two lambs exit a reed structure. A bundle of reeds (Inanna’s symbol) can be seen projecting from the hut and at the edges of the scene.

 The British Museum. WA 120000, neg. 252077 Part of the right-hand scene is cast from the original fragment now in the Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin

A cylinder seal with zebu and lion, Sibri {Jarrige)

Akkadian cylinder seal, showing kneeling heroes.

S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasati Research Center
January 11, 2014

PS: http://www.scribd.com/doc/198824278/Meluhha-examples-of-processions-of-hieroglyphs-as-artisan-repertoire-lists Meluhha examples of processions of hieroglyphs as artisan repertoire lists

See:

Beck, Pirhiya, Notes on the style and iconography of the chalcolithic hoard from Nahal Mishmar (Chapter 3) in:Albert Leonard, Jr., & Bruce Beyer Williams, ed., 1989, Essays in ancient civilization presented to Helene J. Kantor,  Studies in ancient oriental civilization No. 47, Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, pp. 39-54 http://oi.uchicago.edu/pdf/saoc47.pdf

Ziffeer, Irit, 2007, A note on the Nahal Mishmar crown, in: Jack Cheng, Marian H. Feldman, eds., Ancient near eastern art in context: studies in honor of Irene J. Winter by her students, BRILL., pp. 47-67 Irit Ziffeer presents motifs comparable to the architectural model of Naham Mishmar crown:

This is complemented by explaining the pair of birds perched on the edge of the crown, as Meluhha hieroglyphs:

dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'cast metal'
Glyph: karaḍa ‘aquatic bird, duck’

Rebus: करडा [karaḍā] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c. (Marathi) kharādī ‘ turner’ (Gujarati) karaḍo –kār : an artisan-turner who works on a lathe – on hard alloys (Gujarati)