The provenience details of the nine Indus Script seals are provided by Elizabeth CL During Caspers (2008). This monograph deciphers the nine inscriptions ass Meluhha wealth-accounting ledgers of artisans working in Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex and in the Persoan Gulf sites.
1. Gadd seal 16
Gaddd (1932): No. 16
Indus Script inscription of Gadd seal 16 is deciphered as: bharat'mixed alloy -- 5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin) PLUS dhatu 'mineral ore' PLUS kolimi mũhã̄ 'smithy/forge ingot' PLUS खांडा [ khāṇḍā ] 'A jag, notch, or indentation' rebus: kāṇḍa 'tools, pots and pans and metalware' PLUS battuḍu 'artificer' pattar 'goldsmith guild' PLUS gaṇḍā m. ʻ a group of four, four cowries'Rebus: kāṇḍa 'tools, pots and pans and metal-ware' PLUS sal 'workshop'. Thus, the inscription is a metalwork catalogue signifying work in a guild to produce/forge metal implements, work with mineral ores and metal alloys.
Field symbol: Short-horned bull: barad 'ox' rebus: bharat 'mixed alloys' (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin)
gaṇḍā m. ʻ aggregate of four'' (Marathi); gaṇḍā m. ʻ a group of four, four cowries' (B.H.Or.) Rebus: kāṇḍa 'tools, pots and pans and metal-ware' (Gujarati).
sal 'splinter' rebus: sal 'workshop'
dánta m. ʻ tooth ʼ RV. [dánt -- RV.]Pa. danta -- m. ʻ tooth, tusk ʼ; Pk. daṁta -- m. ʻ tooth, part of a mountain ʼ; Gy. eur. dand m. ʻ tooth ʼ, pal. dṓndă, Ash. dō˘nt, Kt. dut, Wg. dō̃t, dū̃t, Pr. letum, lätəm, 'ätəm ʻ my (?) tooth ʼ, Dm. dan, Tir. d
Sign 389 kuṭhi mũhã̄ , 'smelter ingot'. 
Sign 169 may be a variant of 
Sign 162. Sign 162 is kolmo 'rice plant' rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge'. Both signs are circumscripted by an oval or lozenge-shaped glyph, Signs 387 and 389: the hypertexts are read: Sign 387 kolimi mũhã̄ 'smithy/forge ingot'. ![]()
Variant field symbol of feeing trough on Indus Script Corporapāṭroṛo 'feeding trough' (Sindhi) on Indus Script Corpora rebus బత్తుడు battuḍu 'artificer' pattar 'goldsmith guild' https://tinyurl.com/y6vhrwsa
2. Round seal from Bahrain
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Field symbol: Short-horned bull: barad 'ox' rebus: bharat 'mixed alloys' (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin)
Fish PLUS fish-fins: khambhaṛā 'fish-fin' rebus: kammaṭa 'coiner, coinage, mint'; kambāra in 'smithy, mint.'
Three 'fours': gaṇḍā m. ʻ aggregate of four'' (Marathi); gaṇḍā m. ʻ a group of four,
four cowries' (B.H.Or.) Rebus: kāṇḍa 'tools, pots and pans and metal-ware' (Gujarati) PLUS kolom 'three' rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge'.
meḍ 'body' rebus: meḍ 'iron'. Thus, the message of inscription is: metalwork in smithy/forge with mixed alloys and mint-work.
3. Round seal from Failaka
dhanga 'mountain range' Rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'
mũhã̄ 'ingot' PLUS kolom 'three' rebus: kolimi 'smithy/forge'. Thus the inscription signifies blacksmith's smithy for working with ingots.
4. Round seal from Failaka (with six signs) signifies ingot work
Round stamp seals from the Gulf with bull iconography and Indus characters. 1) Qala’at al-Bahrain, Bahrain (by courtesy of P. Kjoerum 1994: Fig. 1725); 2) Failaka, Kuwait (by courtesy of P.Kjoerum 1983: no. 319); 3) Failaka, Kuwait (by courtesy of PKjoerum 1983: no. 279)
 Sign 267 is oval=shape variant, rhombus-shape of a bun ingot. Like Sign 373, this sign also signifies mũhã̄ 'bun ingot' PLUS kanac 'corner' rebus: kancu 'bell-metal'.kaṁsá  Sign 272 cyphertext is a composite of Sign 267 and smoke, flame signifying a portable furnace. Lozenge, corner, signifier of portable furnace smoke/fire. Lozenge or oval shapes are mũhã̄ 'bun-ingot' shapes. kammaṭa 'portable furnace to melt metals', rebus: Ta. kampaṭṭam coinage, coin. Ma. kammaṭṭam, kammiṭṭam coinage, mint. Ka. kammaṭa id.; kammaṭi a coiner (DEDR 1236). Thus, kancu ʼmũh kammaṭa bronze, bell-metal ingot mint. Sign 276 Variant  Sign 278. The hypertext is composed of Sign 267 and a hieroglyph,'splinter': sal 'splinter' rebus: sal 'workshop'. Thus Sign 276 reads, kancu ʼmũh sal 'bell-metal ingot workshop'. Sign 278 has a circumscript: four short strokes: gaṇḍā 'four' rebus: kaṇḍa 'fire-altar'. kã̄dur m. ʻ oven ʼ (Kashmiri).: kándu f. ʻ iron pot ʼ Suśr., °uka -- m. ʻ saucepan ʼ.Pk. kaṁdu -- , kaṁḍu -- m.f. ʻ cooking pot ʼ; K. kō̃da f. ʻ potter's kiln, lime or brick kiln ʼ; -- ext. with -- ḍa -- : K. kã̄dur m. ʻ oven ʼ. -- Deriv. Pk. kaṁḍua -- ʻ sweetseller ʼ (< *kānduka -- ?); H. kã̄dū m. ʻ a caste that makes sweetmeats ʼ. (CDIAL 2726)*kandukara ʻ worker with pans ʼ. [ Thus, Sign 278 reads: kancu ʼmũh kaṇḍa sal 'bell-metal ingot implements workshop'. |
5, 6. Triangular stamp seal from Al Hajjar, Bahrain
Triangular stamp seals from the Gulf. 1) Al-Hajjar (site 1?), Bahrain (by courtesy of G. Weisgeerber 1981: Fig. 54); 2) unknown provenance, Bahrain (by courtesy of P. Vine 1993: 48 bottom)
khaṇḍa 'division' rupaka or rebus: khaṇḍa 'equipment'. PLUS dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'metal casting'. Thus, cast metal equipment
meḍ 'body' rebus: meḍ 'iron'. Thus, the inscription reads meḍdul khaṇḍa'cast iron equipment'.
7, 8 Square seals from Altyn-depe, Turkmenistan
Square stamp seals from Altyn-depe, Turkmenistan (by couertesy of Masson 1981: Fig. 2
dánta m. ʻ tooth ʼ RV. [dánt -- RV.]Pa. danta -- m. ʻ tooth, tusk' Rebus: dhatu 'mineral ore' PLUS kolmo 'rice-plant' rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge'. Thus, smithy/forge working with mineral ores.
sattva 'svastika' hieroglyph సత్తుతపెల a vessel made of pewter त्रपुधातुविशेषनिर्मितम्
Glosses for zinc are: sattu (Tamil), satta, sattva (Kannada) jasth जसथ् त्रपु m. (sg. dat. jastas ज्तस), zinc, spelter; pewter; zasath ् ज़स््थ् ्or zasuth ज़सुथ ्। रप m. (sg. dat. zastas ु ज़्तस),् zinc, spelter, pewter (cf. Hindī jast). jastuvu; । रपू्भवः adj. (f. jastüvü), made of zinc or pewter.(Kashmiri).
9. Round stamp seal from Sibri
Stamp seal of a Murghabo Bactrian Archaeological Complex cylinder seal from Sibri, Central Baluchistan, Pakistan (by courtesy of Shah & Parpola 1991: 412, Sb-2E)
mũhã̄ 'ingot' PLUS kolom 'three' rebus: kolimi 'smithy/forge'. Thus the inscription signifies blacksmith's smithy for working with ingots PLUS khareḍo 'a currycomb' rebus kharada खरडें daybook . Thus, daybook or wealth-accounting ledger of a blacksmith smithy/forgeeworking with ingots.
Elisabeth C.L. During Caspers, 2008, The Murghabo-Bactrian Archaeological Complex and the Indus Script , in: E. Olijdam & RH Spoor (eds.), Intercultural relations between south and southwest Asia, Studies in commemoration of ECL During Caspers (1934-1996), BAR International Series 1826 (2008: 260-267
