Many multiple (duplicated) hypertexts on Harappa tablets are metalwork product descriptions, catalogues, NOT names

Mirror: http://tinyurl.com/h5pl2j4

Data mining of Indus Script Corpora (about 7000 objects with inscriptions) yields a remarkable feature of Harappa tablets (i.e. sealings as multiples and tablets both on tiny steate tablets and other multi-sided tablets). The feature is occurrence of multiple hypertexts (strings of hieroglyph-multiplexes). This feature of duplication confirms the decipherment of product descriptions of the Bronze Age and confirn that the inscriptions are NOT names of artisans. The set of Harappa tablets with inscriptions is embedded at
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2016/05/235- Rebus reading of harappa-indus-script-tablets.html The blogpost deciphers 235 Harappa tablets which include the most frequently occurring hypertext on h1827A

Out of 985 inscribed objects published in Mahadevan Concordance (1997, p.7), 288 are ‘sealings' (i.e. tablets creating multiples or duplicates)’ and 272 are ‘miniature stone, terracotta or faience tablets’. Thus, 288+272 = 560 objects (i.e. 57%) of Mahadevan corpora are multiples to record works in process. The information conveyed by these tablets (both sealings and miniatures) are entered into seals for shipment of supercargo as demonstrated in http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2016/05/harappa-tiny-steatite-tablets-with.html

Rebus reading of h1827A: khareḍo = a currycomb (G.) Rebus: kharādī ' turner' (G.) karNika, kanka 'rim of jar' rebus: kaṇḍa kanka 'smelting furnace account (scribe), karNI, supercargo' baraDo 'spine' Rebus: भरत 'alloy of pewter, copper, tin'.(Frequency of occurrence 41) Note: Frenquency is in reference to Mahadevan corpus. The occurrences will be more if HARP discoveries are reckoned. The string of three hieroglyphs signifies भरत 'alloy of pewter, copper, tin'.ready as supercargo (for seafaring merchants) and for turners in smithy. Side h1827B: kanac 'corner' rebus: kanac 'bronze' koDi 'flag' rebus: koD 'workshop' dATu 'cross' rebus; dhatu 'mineral' dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'cast metal' baTa 'rimless pot' rebus: bhaTa 'furnace'. Thus, bronze workshop mineral casting out of furnace.

See also: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2011/12/indus-valley-mystery-and-use-of-tablets.html Examples of 31 multiple hypertexts on h252A

This hypertext string of 3 hieroglyphs has some variants in messaging by replacing the third hieroglyph (Sign 176 in this case). Such variant strings are 8 copper tablets with raised script which replaces Sign 176 with a dotted oval (like an ingot) or h2200A where Sign 176 is replaced by fish+fin hieroglyph with a linear stroke added

fish fins khambhaṛā 'fin' rebus: kammaTa 'mint' PLUS baraDo 'spine' rebus: bharata 'alloy of pewter, copper, tin' PLUS karNaka 'rim of jar' rebus: karNI 'supercargo' PLUS koDa 'one' rebus: koD 'workshop'

Dotted ovarl hieroglyph: goTa 'round' rebus: khoTa 'ingot' PLUS baraDo 'spine' rebus: bharata 'alloy of pewter, copper, tin' PLUS karNI 'supercargo' PLUS third hieroglyph (illegible, could be karNaka 'rim of jar' rebus: karNI 'supercargo' ).

Many tiny steatite inscised tablets also, as prism tablets add on one side three dotted circles, tridhAtu 'three strands' rebus: tri-dhAtu 'three minerals' to confirm that the product descriptions relate to baraDo 'an alloy of three minerals, copper, pewter and perhaps zinc'. On h979, for example, the rebus readings are: Side C: tridhAtu 'three dotted circles' rebus: tridhAtu 'three minerals' PLUS Side A khareḍo = a currycomb (G.) Rebus: kharādī ' turner' (G.) karNika, kanka 'rim of jar' rebus: kaṇḍa kanka 'smelting furnace account (scribe), karNI, supercargo' baraDo 'spine' Rebus: भरत 'alloy of pewter, copper, tin'.(Frequency of occurrence 41) kolmo 'three' rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge' PLUS baTa 'rimless pot' rebus: bhaTa 'furnace'.

Note: Frenquency of hypertext string Signs 176, 342 and 48 (centre-piece oval in venn diagram) is in reference to Mahadevan corpus. The occurrences will be more if HARP discoveries are reckoned. The string of three hieroglyphs signifies भरत 'alloy of pewter, copper, tin'.ready as supercargo (for seafaring merchants) and for turners in smithy.

khareḍo = a currycomb (G.) Rebus: kharādī ' turner' (G.) karNika, kanka 'rim of jar' rebus: kaṇḍa kanka 'smelting furnace account (scribe), karNI, supercargo' baraDo 'spine' Rebus: भरत 'alloy of pewter, copper, tin'.(Frequency of occurrence 41) Note: Frenquency is in reference to Mahadevan corpus. The occurrences will be more if HARP discoveries are reckoned. The string of three hieroglyphs signifies भरत 'alloy of pewter, copper, tin'.ready as supercargo (for seafaring merchants) and for turners in smithy.

Many examples of such smultiple inscriptions on Harappa tablets have been noted by Meadow and Kenoyer (Meadow, Richard H. and Jonathan Kenoyer, 1997, The ‘tinysteatite seals’ (incised steatitetablets) of Harappa: Some observations ontheir context and dating in: Taddei, Maurizio and Giuseppe de Marco, 2000, South Asian Archaeology, 1997, Rome, Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente.After Fig. 3, p.12 Harappa 1995-1997: Mounds E and ET; molded terracotta tablets)

h252A

h254B

Examples of 22 duplicates steatite triangular tablets h-2218 to h-2239

h1155 A&B two-sided tablet (which is one of the 31 duplicates). Tablets in bas relief. The first sign looks like an arch around a pillar with ring-stones. Obverse: One-horned bull.

The inscription on these 31 duplicates can be read rebus in three parts:

1. Composite glyph of arch-around-a-pillar with ring-stones: storehouse

2. unsmelted native metal

3. furace (with)a quantity of iron, excellent iron (metal) from stone ore

h739B & A (Standard device; obverse: tree)

A variant glyph comparable to the 'pillar with ring-stones' which is part of the composite glyph with an arch over the glyph is provided by one side of a Harappa tablet: h739B Obverse: H739A: glyph: kuṭi 'tree'; rebus: kuṭhi 'smelter furnace' (Santali)

If this comparison of glyphs is valid, the 'pillar with ring-stones' may, in fact, represent a churning motion of a lathe-drill: Allograph: A sack slung on the front shoulder of the young bull is khōṇḍā , khōṇḍī , kothḷɔ Rebus: B. kõdā ‘to turn in a lathe’; Or. kū̆nda ‘lathe’, kũdibā, kū̃d ‘to turn’ (→ Drav. Kur. kū̃d ‘lathe’) (CDIAL 3295) Rebus: koṭṭil ‘workshop’ (Ma.)(DEDR 2058). koṭe ‘forged metal’ (Santali) koḍ 'artisan's workshop' (Kuwi) Vikalpa: saṅgaḍa, portable brazier and lathe; rebus: sanga 'guild (of turners)'.

Thus, the arched drill glyph may connote a turner's workshop. This is a vikalpa reading, if the 'arch' is not to be read as roof of a 'storehouse'. The arch over the drill-lathe glyph may connote semantics of a guild: pattar. (Tamil); battuḍu 'guild of goldsmiths'. This may be consistent with the semant. patthar 'stones' (Hindi) pattar ‘trough’; rebus: . patthara -- m. ʻ stone; pattar ‘merchants, guild (smiths)’ (The word may, thus, denote a lapidary).(CDIAL 8857).

Glyph and rebus decoding: Patthara [cp. late Sk. prastara. The ord. meaning of Sk. pr. is "stramentum"] 1. stone, rock S i.32. -- 2. stoneware Miln 2. (Pali) Pa. Pk. patthara -- m. ʻ stone ʼ, S. patharu m., L. (Ju.) pathar m., khet. patthar, P. patthar m. (→ forms of Bi. Mth. Bhoj. H. G. below with atth or ath), WPah.jaun. pātthar; Ku. pāthar m. ʻ slates, stones ʼ, gng. pāth*lr ʻ flat stone ʼ; A. B. pāthar ʻ stone ʼ, Or. pathara; Bi. pāthar, patthar, patthal ʻ hailstone ʼ; Mth. pāthar, pathal ʻ stone ʼ, Bhoj. pathal, Aw.lakh. pāthar, H. pāthar, patthar, pathar, patthal m., G. patthar, pathrɔ m.; M. pāthar f. ʻ flat stone ʼ; Ko. phāttaru ʻ stone ʼ; Si. patura ʻ chip, fragment ʼ; -- S. pathirī f. ʻ stone in the bladder ʼ; P. pathrī f. ʻ small stone ʼ; Ku. patharī ʻ stone cup ʼ; B. pāthri ʻ stone in the bladder, tartar on teeth ʼ; Or. pathurī ʻ stoneware ʼ; H. patthrī f. ʻ grit ʼ, G. pathrī f. *prastarapaṭṭa -- , *prastaramr̥ttikā -- , *prastarāsa -- .Addenda: prastará -- : WPah.kṭg. pátthər m. ʻ stone, rock ʼ; pəthreuṇõ ʻ to stone ʼ; J. pāthar m. ʻ stone ʼ; OMarw. pātharī ʻ precious stone ʼ. (CDIAL 8857)

Rebus: paṭṭarai ‘workshop’ (Ta.) pattharika [fr. patthara] a merchant Vin ii.135 (kaŋsa˚).(Pali) cf. Pattharati [pa+tharati] to spread, spread out, extend J i.62; iv.212; vi.279; DhA i.26; iii.61 (so read at J vi.549 in cpd ˚pāda with spreading feet, v. l. patthaṭa˚). -- pp. patthaṭa (q. v.). பத்தர்&sup5; pattar, n. perh. vartaka. Merchants; வியாபாரிகள். (W.) battuḍu. n. The caste title of all the five castes of artificers as vaḍla b*, carpenter.

Thus, the seal inscription shows the pattern of tally accomplished by bringing into the storehouse 1. unsmelted native metal; and 2. (output from) furnace of worker in wood and iron. The assumptio made is that the the two categories brought into the storehouse would have been tallied using tablets with inscriptions denoting: 1. unsmelted metal; and 2. (output from) stone iron (metal) ore furnace.

Glyph (arch-around a pillar with ring-stones may denote a storehouse): 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)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) Rebus: koḍ = place where artisan’s work (Kur.) कोठी [ kōṭhī] f (कोष्ट S) A granary, garner, storehouse, warehouse, treasury, factory, bank. (Marathi) [An attempt has been made to provide rebus readings of some 'architectural' glyphs and the use of 'dot or circle' as a hieroglyph atop a bull on Urseal 18; the note is appended in Annex 2.]

Glyph: kolmo ‘seedling, paddy plant’; rebus: kolami ‘forge, smithy’ (Te.)Vikalpa: pajhaṛ = to sprout from a root (Santali); Rebus: pasra ‘smithy, forge’ (Santali)[It is possible that two variants of the glyph: one with three pronged representation of seedling; and the other with five-pronged representation of seedling might have been intended to decode the fine distinction between the two lexemes: kolmo, pajhaṛ perhaps denoting two types of forge].

Glyph: aṭar ‘a splinter’ (Ma.)aṭaruka ‘to burst, crack, sli off,fly open; aṭarcca ’ splitting, a crack’; aṭarttuka ‘to split, tear off, open (an oyster) (Ma.); aḍaruni ‘to crack’ (Tu.) (DEDR 66) Rebus: aduru ‘native, unsmelted metal’ (Kannada)aduru = gan.iyinda tegadu karagade iruva aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Ka. Siddha_nti Subrahman.ya’ S’astri’s new interpretation of the Amarakos’a, Bangalore, Vicaradarpana Press, 1872, p. 330)Viklpa: sal ‘splinter’; rebus: sal ‘workshop’ (Santali)

Thus the two glyphs of the text of the tablet inscription showing arch-around a pillar with ring-stones + paddy plant + splinter glyph may connote, rebus: kolami koḍ aduru, 'forge unsmelted metal workshop'.

Glyph: Fish + scales aya ãs (amśu) ‘metllic stalks of stone ore' (Seehttp://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2011/11/decoding-longest-inscription-of-indus.html) Vikalpa: badhoṛ ‘a species of fish with many bones’ (Santali) Rebus: badhoria ‘expert in working in wood’(Santali)

Glyph: kaṇḍa ‘arrow’ (Skt.) rebus: kaṇḍa 'fire-altar, furnace'.

The two glyphs together an furnace of a worker in wood and iron: aya ãs (amśu) ‘metallic stalks of stone ore'aya ãs kanḍa ‘furnace (with)a quantity of iron, excellent iron (metal) from stone ore’ Vikalpa: badhor kanḍa 'furnace (of) worker in wood and iron'. ayaskanḍa is a lexeme attested in: Paan.gan.

Circular platforms (below) in the southwestern part of Mound F excavated by M.S. Vats in the 1920s and 1930s, as conserved by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan.

The circular platforms parallel to the street of houses seem to be workspots or workshops of a guild of artisans. Such a workshop is called paTTaDa 'smith's workplace'.

Image result for priest king gold disc harappa

Fired steatite beads appear to have been extremely important to the Indus people because they were incorporated into exquisite ornaments, such as this "eye bead" made of gold with steatite inlay found in 1995 at Harappa [Harappa Phase].

It is possible that the ceramic stoneware bangles (22 discovered in the civilization at Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Balakot) were also used as fillets similar to the 'eye beads' noted by Kenoyer and Meadow. These rings are NOT bangles because of their small size, they were perhaps used as badges tied with bandages on shoulders and foreheads as paTa, 'band' signifying function of importance in the guild. It is likely that such ceramic stoneware bangles or badges or rings were called paTTaDi 'neck ornament', a torc worn by Kernunnos or hung on the twig horns of the person seated in penance (Kernunnos aka karaNIka 'helmsman' and kuThi 'smelter') on Pillar of Boatmen. कारणी or कारणीक (p. 159) [ kāraṇī or kāraṇīka ] a (कारण S) That causes, conducts, carries on, manages. Applied to the prime minister of a state, the supercargo of a ship &c kūdī 'bunch of twigs' (Sanskrit) Rebus: kuṭhi 'smelter furnace'

Ceramic stoneware badge of the type worn on the forehead badge and the shoulder badge of 'Priest-king' of Mohenjodaro. Rebus: Ta. paṭṭaṭai, paṭṭaṟai anvil, smithy, forge. Ka. paṭṭaḍe, paṭṭaḍi anvil, workshop. Te. paṭṭika, paṭṭeḍa anvil; paṭṭaḍa workshop. (DEDR 3865) Cf. 86 Ta. aṭai. Rebus: paṭṭaḍa workshop (Telugu) I suggest that the circular workplatforms were paṭṭaḍa 'workshops'.

See also:

http://docslide.us/documents/antelope-hieroglyphs-1.html (embedded) See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/03/indus-script-tablets-are-workshop.html It is suggested that tablets are workshop product tokens to aggregate supercargo for shipment (with a seal impression documenting product specifications).

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/05/contributions-of-bharatam-janam-to.html On Indian alchemy of historical periods

The script stands fully unraveled in an archaeological context of 19 circular platforms found in Harappa some with Indus script tablets -- close to a furnace/kiln. Thanks to the work of Randall Law, Kenoyer, Meadow, HARP recent Harappa excavations and Susa pot reported by Maurizio Tosi (with a 'fish' glyph painted on the pot which yielded metal artifacts from Meluhha?)-- all who have raised thoughtful questions and provided the archaeological finds which complete the picture of the ancient work of ancient bronze age artisans of Indus-Sarasvati civilization. Ku. pathrauṭī f. ʻ pavement of slates and stones ʼ.(CDIAL 8858) Ta. paṭṭaṭai, paṭṭaṟai anvil, smithy, forge. Ka. paṭṭaḍe, paṭṭaḍi anvil, workshop. Te. paṭṭika, paṭṭeḍa anvil; paṭṭaḍa workshop.(DEDR 3865). pathürü f. ʻ level piece of ground, plateau, small village ʼ; S. patharu m. ʻ rug, mat ʼ; Or. athuripathuri ʻ bag and baggage ʼ; M. pāthar f. ʻ flat stone ʼ; OMarw. pātharī ʻ precious stone ʼ.(CDIAL 8857) Allograph Indus script glyph: pātra 'trough' in front of wild/domesticated/composite animals. pattar 'trough' (DEDR 4079) 4080 Ta. cavity, hollow, deep hole; pattar (DEDR 4080) Rebus: பத்தர்² pattar , n. < T. battuḍu. A caste title of goldsmiths. It was a smiths' guild at work on circular platforms of Harappa using tablets as category 'tallies' for the final shipment of package with a seal impression.

‘Each platform is 11 feet in diameter and consists of a single course of four continuous concentric rings of brick-on-edge masonry with a hollow at the centre equal to the length of three bricks. The mortar used in them is mud but the pointing is of gypsum. (Pl. XIII, c) (Picture 26.4) Their purpose is not clear. While digging the hollow of P8 there was found a small quantity of burnt wheat and husked barley and about two pounds of animal bones. Some bits of bones were also found in two or three others. As, however, the bones etc., lay about a foot below the central hollow, that is to say distinctly below the brickwork of these platforms, and similar fragments of bones were also found sticking at the same level among the edges of the platforms, it appears certain that they were merely a part of the debris and by no means the contents of the hollow.’ (Vats, MS, 1940, Excavation at Harappa, Delhi, ASI, p. 182).

Text 5207 etc. (From 2-sided tablets h859-870, samples of the 31 duplicated mentioned herein.)...Copies of incised tablets and duplicates of molded tablets have been found in large numbers in two noteworthy instances at Harappa: (1) script copies incised into 22 rectangular steatite tablets, triangular in section, from secondary deposits of Period 3B on the outside of the perimeter wall in Trench 11 on East side of Mound E (Meadow & Kenoyer 2000, fig. 4; this volume: H-2218 through H-2239) and (2) 31 duplicates bearing iconography and script, made of regular molded terracotta, biconvex in section, from the northern portion of Trench II in Area G (Vats 1940: 195; CISI 1: H-252 through H-265 and H-276 & H-277; CISI 2: H-859 through H-870; this volume: H-1155). Other copies and duplicates have been found scattered across the site where, like the multiples above, they are always found in trash, fill, or street deposits. Why tablets were made, how they were used, and why they were discarded remain intriguing unanswered questions. Their intrinsic interest lies not only in the script that they often bear, but even more so in the iconography, which provides an important glimpse, however fragmentary, into details of Harappan ideology, particularly for the time frame from ca.2400 to ca. 2000 BC (Harappa Period 3B through much of Period 3C). For a more detailed discussion see Meadow & Kenoyer 2000." (J. Mark Kenoyer & Richard H. Meadow, 2010, Inscribed objects from Harappa excavations 1986-2007 in: Asko Parpola, B.M. Pande and Petteri Koskikallio (eds.), Corpus of Indus seals and inscriptions, Volume 3: New material, untraced objects and collections outside India and Pakistan, Part 1: Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, Helsinki, Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia, pp. xlix-l) http://www.harappa.com/indus/Kenoyer-Meadow-2010-HARP.pdf

In the referenced Kenoyer & Meadow 2000, it is noted: "The tablets (or tokens) are common at Harappa, and multiple copies were often produced. In 1997, HARP excavators found 22 three-sided steatite tablets, all with the same inscriptions, from the middle Harappan Phase (about 2300 BC). Sixteen were discovered in a single group, as if they had been in a perishable container that was thrown over the city wall with other trash. In a street deposit of similar age just inside the wall, a seal was found with two of the same characters as seen on one side of the tablets. Why were these intact seals or tablets discarded? They were individually manufctured by craftsmen from models or molds at the demand of an individual or group. They were used for a time, then discarded. Unlike coins, they apparently had value only in relation to the individual or group permitted to employ them. They have never been found in graves -- either the grave of a seal-owning individual has not been excavated, or the seals were not integral to n individual's identity. Perhaps a change in an individual's status made a specific seal or tablet invalid. Or perhaps the use of a seal or tablet was validated only when competent authority used it, otherwise, it was worthless. " (Richard H. Meadow and Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, 2000, The Indus valley mystery, one of the world's first great civilizations is still a puzzle, in: Scientific American Discovering Archaeology, March/April 2000, p. 41)

Richard H. Meadow and Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, 2000, The Indus Valley Mystery in: Scientific American, Discovery Archaeology, March/April 2000, pp. 38-43

Source: http://www.anthropology.wisc.edu/pdfs/Kenoyer%20Articles/The%20Indus%20Valley%20Mystery.pdf

Note: HARP excavators surmised the possible production of indigo. An alternative explanation is possible and deserves further investigation in the context of metalwork on the circular working platforms.

HARP excavations of one of the circular brick floors in mound F at Harappa revealed a deep depression containing greenish layers of clay. The greenish layers may have been caused by the presence of zinc particles which have a bluish green color. Zinc dust is flammable when exposed to heat and burns with a bluish-green flame. In an identification of the corrosion minerals identified on the Great Buddha, Kamakura, Japan it is noted that "some of the compounds found on the Buddha were mixed copper-zinc salts...and schulenbergite, a mixed copper-zinc basic sulfate, that is rhombohedral with a pearly, light green-blue color." (David A. Scott, Getty Conservation Institute, 2002, Copper and Bronze in Art: corrosion, colorants, conservation, Getty Publications, p. 162)

"Ancient Indian literature has even recorded a breakthrough in zinc extraction in those days. Such process included high temperature distillation that was developed and then applied in future zinc extraction and purification from their metal ore sources. Zinc ores were broken with the use of iron hammers or pestles. Then, such broken ores were again crushed by larger pestles. Then, the ore would have to be thoroughly roasted in order to reduce the levels of sulphur. After which, a high proportion of calcined dolomite was mixed with the crushed and roasted ores. An interesting ingredient in this process is the addition of common salt. This is for the reason that salt would help in the distillation process, thereby, producing soda vapor that assists in amassing calcium and magnesium oxides. This allows zinc vapor to freely flow and increasing zinc yield. This zinc yield was poured on clay containers for heating."

Bright-blue velvety rosasite mass lining a cavity, from 79 mine, Winkelman, Arizona, USA. Photograph taken at the Natural History Museum, London. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosasite Rosasite is a carbonate mineral with minor potential for use as a zinc and copper ore. Chemically, it is a copper zinc carbonatehydroxide with a copper to zinc ratio of 3:2, occurring in the secondary oxidation zone of copper-zinc deposits.

Rosasite forms in the oxidation zones of zinc-copper deposits. It typically is found as crusts and botryoidal masses or nodules. Crystals are fibrous and found in tufted aggregates. The color is an attractive bluish green. Rosasite is associated with red limonite and other such colorful minerals as aurichalcite, smithsonite and hemimorphite. Nodules of rosasite certainly add color to what are termed "landscape" specimens. http://www.galleries.com/Rosasite

Example of Rosasite. Minor ore of zinc and copper and as a mineral specimen. Colour: Blue to green.Rosasite forms in the oxidation zones of zinc-copper deposits. It typically is found as crusts and botryoidal masses or nodules. Crystals are fibrous and found in tufted aggregates. The color is an attractive bluish green. Rosasite crystals are harder than aurichalcite; 4 versus 1 - 2 respectively. Rosasite is associated with red limonite and other such colorful minerals as aurichalcite, smithsonite and hemimorphite. Nodules of rosasite certainly add color to what are termed "landscape" specimens. http://www.mineralgallery.co.za/rosasite.htm

It will be necessary to test the greenish layers of clay found in the circular platform for the presence of such alloying mineral clays. Is it possible that the working platforms were also used by the smiths to work on their anvils to forge metal artifacts, using portable furnaces?

Indus valley mystery (Kenoyer & Meadow, 2000)

Ernest Mackay, Chapter XXI. Seals and seal impressions, copper tablets, with tabulation (pp.370-405).

As of 1927, 558 objects with inscriptions were found.

Discussing 80 copper tablets found, Mackay notes (p. 398): “The rectangular pieces are of various sizes, ranging from 1.2 by 0.5 in. to 1.5 by 1.0 in. The square pieces, which are rare, average 0.92 by 0.92 in. in size. These tablets vary greatly in thickness, from 0.07 in. to 0.12 in. One especially substantial tablet (HR 4799) measures 0.85 in. square by 0.23 in. thick…On most of the tablets there is the figure of an animal on one side, and on the other three or more signs forming an inscription. The figures and signs were in every case carefully cut with a burin…Below is a list of the animals on the legible tablets with the numbers found, up to the present, of each: elephant (6), antelope (5), hare (5), rhinoceros (4), buffalo(?)(4), short-horned bull (4), human figure (3), goat (2), brahmani bull (2), tiger (2), two-headed animal (2), composite animal (1), monkey (?)(1)…The above list shows that most of the animals that appear on the seals are also represented on the copper tablets…composite animal…It has the hind-quarters of a rhinoceros and the fore-quarters of a leopard or tiger. It has the unicorn’s horn, and a manger stands before it. (Pl. CXVIII,2). A very curious animal on two sides of the tablets appears to have the body of an antelope with a head at either end. The fact that more than one example has been found of this animal proves that it is not a vagary of the engraver (Pl. CXVII,3). The tablet bearing the figure of a man dressed in what seems to be a costume of leaves is exceptionally interesting (Pl. CXVII, 16). He is apparently a hunter armed with a bow and arrow…The antelope appears on five of the tablets, represented in a typical attitude with his head turned to look behind him (Pl. CXVII, 1 and 2; Pl. CXVIII,1). This attitude is very common in Elamitic art, especially on the pottery and seals. The position is also well known on both the archaic seals and pottery of Mesopotamia. For the present, the elephant appears to take first place amongst the animals on these copper tablets. An excellent example is seen in Pl. CXVII,11, of which the original was found at a depth of 1 foot below the surface in House XXVI, VS Area…The exceptionally powerful-looking animal with long curling horns (Pl. CXVII, 8 and 12, and Pl. CXVIII, 4 and 6), and with a manger placed in front of it, does not appear on any of the seals. The long tail of the animal with a tuft at the end is carried well in the air, as if the creature were about to charge…The rope pattern on the obverse of Tablet No. 5 in Pl. CXVIII is unique at Mohenjo-daro…The fact that all of the tablets bearing the representation of a hare have the same inscription on the obverse (Pl. CXVII, 5 and 6), and that the animals with long curling horns and long tail also bear the same inscription – different, however, from the inscription on the tablet refers in some way to the animal on the tablet. Of three tablets, each with an elephant engraved upon it, all bear the same inscription (Pl. CXII, 11), and lastly those with the figures of antelopes looking backwards over their shoulders all have the same characters on the reverse (Pl. CXVII, 1 and 2; Pl. CXVIII,1). Some, if not all the animals on the copper tablets were possibly dedicated to certain gods. As on some of the seals, we find a manger placed before certain of them, as, for instance, the unicorn, the rhinoceros, antelope, and Brahmani bull. This suggests that these animals were kept in captivity, and, if so, it is likely to have been for religious purposes; a rhinoceros is obviously quite useless for any domestic purpose. A manger is placed before the composite animal on the tablet illustrated in Pl. CXVIII,2, despite the fact that such an animal could never have existed.” (pp. 400-401).

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32303649/Indus-Writing-on-Metal

h2219A First side of three-sided tablet

h2219B Second side of three-sided tablet

h2219C Third side of three-sided tablet

The two glyphs which appear on the h2219A example also appear on a seal. "In a street deposit of similar age just inside the wall, a seal was found with two of the same characters as seen on one side of the tablets."

Seal published by Omananda Saraswati. In Pl. 275: Omananda Saraswati 1975. Ancient Seals of Haryana (in Hindi). Rohtak.

This pictorial motif gets normalized in Indus writing system as a hieroglyph sign: baraḍo = spine; backbone (Tulu) Rebus: baran, bharat‘mixed alloys’ (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin) (Punjabi) Tir. mar -- kaṇḍḗ ʻ back (of the body) ʼ; S. kaṇḍo m. ʻ back ʼ, L. kaṇḍ f., kaṇḍā m. ʻ backbone ʼ, awāṇ. kaṇḍ, °ḍī ʻ back ʼH. kã̄ṭā m. ʻ spine ʼ, G. kã̄ṭɔ m., M. kã̄ṭā m.; Pk. kaṁḍa -- m. ʻ backbone ʼ.(CDIAL 2670) Rebus: kaṇḍ ‘fire-altar’ (Santali) The hieroglyph ligature to convey the semantics of ‘bone’ and rebus reading is: ‘four short numeral strokes ligature’ |||| Numeral 4: gaṇḍa'four' Rebus: kaṇḍa'furnace, fire-altar' (Santali)

Copper tablet (H2000-4498/9889-01) with raised script found in Trench 43

Source: http://www.harappa.com/indus4/351.html

The obvious purpose of such a seal with raised script is to create multiple seal impressions, not unlike the printing demonstrated by the finds of copper tablets by Rick Willis. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/03/a-tribute-to-rick-willis-who.html

Kalibangan 039 Text 8011

gaṇḍá 'rhinocerosʼ Rebus: kāṇḍā ‘metalware, tools, pots and pans’

ranku 'liquid measure'; ranku 'antelope' Rebus: ranku 'tin' (Santali)

kolmo 'sprout' Rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge' koṭi 'flag' Rebus: koḍ 'workshop' (Detailed Meluhha etyma annexed)

Text 8011 is on a Kalibangan pink terracotta object with a boss on the reverse. Text is on two lines. The field symbol of a rhinoceros looking left and the inscription are in relief indicating that the seal was made from a mould. This is referred to as a 'raised seal'. Fig. 27 in PI. II (p. 803). (Mahadevan, 1977, p.25)

K039 is a seal with raised script. This method of writing script is comparable to the raised script found on a copper molded tablet at Harappa: Copper tablet (H2000-4498/9889-01) with raised script found in Trench 43.

The inscription on the cast copper tablet is read as: dul 'cast metal', khoT 'alloy ingot', bharata, 'alloy of coper, pewter, tin'.Hieroglyphs:dula 'pair' Rebus: dul 'cast metal'; goT 'seed' Rebus: khoT 'alloy ingot'. खोट (p. 212) [ khōṭa ] f A mass of metal (unwrought or of old metal melted down); an ingot or wedge. (Marathi) baraDo 'spine' Rebus: भरत (p. 603) [ bharata ] n A factitious metal compounded of copper, pewter, tin &c. (Marathi) karava 'pot' Rebus: kharva 'wealth'; karba 'iron'; karNaka 'rim of jar' Rebus: karNI 'supercargo'; karnIka 'scribe'.

“For example, the characteristic square steatite seals with animal motifs and short inscriptions begins in late Period 2 as noted above, is found in 3A and continues into Period 3C, but the carving style for both the animal motifs, and the inscriptions shows stylistic changes. The greatest variation and widespread use of such seals appears to be during Period 3B. Small rectangular inscribed tablets made from steatite begin to appear at the beginning of Period 3B and by the end of 3B there is a wide variety of tiny tablets in many different shapes and materials. They were made of fired steatite or of molded terracotta or faience. Some of the steatite tablets were decorated with red pigment and the faience tablets were covered with a thick blue-green glaze. These various forms of inscribed tablets continued on into Period 3C where we also find evidence for copper tablets all bearing the same raised inscription.” http://www.harappa.com/indus4/print.html Kenoyer and Meadow date the Period 3 between c.600 BCE – 1900 BCE.(Period 3A c.2600BCE -2450BCE; Period 3B c.2450BCE – c. 2200BCEl Period 3C c. 2200BCE -1900BCE) This particular inscription on the tablet is one of the most frequently occurring texts in Indus Script corpora, in particular the hieroglyphs of ‘back-hone + rim-of-jar’

goTa 'round' Rebus: khoT 'ingot' DhALako 'large metal ingot' (Gujarati) kana, kanac = corner (Santali); Rebus: kañcu = bronze (Telugu). dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'cast metal' Thus Copper tablet (H2000-4498/9889-01) is deciphered: dul kañcu DhALako bronze cast ingot PLUS bharat 'alloy of copper, zinc, tin'.

bharaḍo ‘spine’ backbone (Tulu); Rebus: bharan ‘to spread or bring out from a kiln’ (P.) baran, bharat (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin)(P.B.) baraḍo = spine; backbone; the back; baraḍo thābaḍavo = lit. to strike on the backbone or back; hence, to encourage; baraḍo bhāre thato = lit. to have a painful backbone, i.e. to do something which will call for a severe beating (G.lex.) Sign 47 may signify kaśēru rebus: metal worker. Sign 48 may signify भरत bharata n A factitious metal compounded of copper, pewter, tin &c

A third glyph on these tablets is an oval sign -- like a metal ingot -- and is ligatured with an infixed sloping stroke: ḍhāḷiyum = adj. sloping, inclining (G.) The ligatured glyph is read rebus as: ḍhālako = a large metal ingot (G.) ḍhālakī = a metal heated and poured into a mould; a solid piece of metal; an ingot (G.) The inscription on these tablets is in bas-relief: