This monograph deciphers the Indus Script inscriptions discovered in Oman Peninsula as wealth-accounting,metalwork catalogues indicating maritime trade of metal artifacts by Meluhha merchants and artisans.
Thanks to Dennys Frenez for making available Indus Script Inscriptions and providing archaeological evidence for trade between Meluhha (Sarasvati Civilization) and Oman.
Oman 1 artifact: dotted circles on softstone bowl deciphered: dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻ a caste of iron -- smelters ʼ, dhāvḍī ʻ composed of or relating to iron ʼ)
Cross-section view of a strand (say, through a bead), ‘dotted circle’: धातु ‘strand, element’ rebus: ‘primary element of the earth, mineral, metal’ dhātu n. ʻ substance ʼ RV., m. ʻ element ʼ MBh., ʻ metal, mineral, ore (esp. of a red colour) ʼ Mn., ʻ ashes of the dead ʼ lex., ʻ *strand of rope ʼ (cf. tridhāˊtu -- ʻ threefold ʼ RV., ayugdhātu -- ʻ having an uneven number of strands ʼ KātyŚr.). [√dhā] Pa. dhātu -- m. ʻ element, ashes of the dead, relic ʼ; KharI. dhatu ʻ relic ʼ; Pk. dhāu -- m. ʻ metal, red chalk ʼ; N. dhāu ʻ ore (esp. of copper) ʼ; Or. ḍhāu ʻ red chalk, red ochre ʼ(whence ḍhāuā ʻ reddish ʼ; M. dhāū, dhāv m.f. ʻ a partic. soft red stone ʼ (whence dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻ a caste of iron -- smelters ʼ, dhāvḍī ʻ composed of or relating to iron ʼ); -- Si. dā ʻ relic ʼ; -- S. dhāī f. ʻ wisp of fibres added from time to time to a rope that is being twisted ʼ, L. dhāī˜ f. (CDIAL 6773)
Oman1
(After Fig.35.1 in Dennys Frenez, 2018; Umm-an. Nar type softstone bowl found at Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan (after Tosi 1991)
Oman2
(After Fig. 35.2 Dennys Frenez, 2018; Indu black slipped jars: (a) entire vessel from Harappa (courtesy Indus Civilization Exhibition, Tokyo/Nagoya); (b) fragment with Indus signs scratched from Building H, Room 18 (Priod II) Ras Al-Jinz RJ-2 (photograph by D. Frenez, courtesy Oman National Museum))
Oman3After Fig. 35.4 Dennys Frenez, 2018
Oman4(After Fig.35.7 Dennys Frenez 2018. Indus style copper axes from (a Tell Abraq; (b) Umm an-Nar, (c) Ras Al Jinz, RJ2, (d) Jebel Buhais BSH67, and (3) Al Moyassar 4 (Potts 1999: Fig. 36; Frifelt 1995: fig.276; Cleuziou and Tosi 2000;fig. 12.7; Jasim 2003: fig.6; Weisgerher 1980: fig. 5.11), and (f) Indus tanged spearhead from Khor Bani Bu Ali SWY-3 (Mery and Marquis 1998: fig.7).
Oman5
(AfterFig. 35.8. Dennyss Frenez 2018. Indus drills in ernestite from Dholavira, Gujarat (photography by RW Law, courtesy Archaeological Survey of India).
Oman6
(After Fig. 35.9 Dennys Frenez 2018. Indus long and very long biconical beads in carnelian from (a) Salut ST1 (photograph by D.Frenez, courtesy Italian Mission to Oman), and (b) Bat Tomb 155 (photography by P. Koch, courtesy Ministry of Heritage and Culture of Oman).
Oman7
After Fig. 35.10 Dennys Frenez 2018.Indus bleached crnelian beads from (a) Bat Burial Pit 0025 (after Thornton et al. 2016: fig. 1.3, courtesy German Archaeological Mission to Bal), (b) Bat Tomb 401 (courtey German Archaeological Mission to Bat), (c) Bat Tower 1156 (photograph by A. Mortimer, courtesy Bal Archaeological Project), and (d) BidBid (photograph by D. Frenez and JM Kenoyer).
Oman 8 Dottted circles on ivory comb deciphered: dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻ a caste of iron -- smelters ʼ, dhāvḍī ʻ composed of or relating to iron ʼ) PLUS kāmsako, kāmsiyo = a large sized comb (Gujarati) Rebus: kamsa,kancu=bronze (
Cross-section view of a strand (say, through a bead), ‘dotted circle’: धातु ‘strand, element’ rebus: ‘primary element of the earth, mineral, metal’ dhātu n. ʻ substance ʼ RV., m. ʻ element ʼ MBh., ʻ metal, mineral, ore (esp. of a red colour) ʼ Mn., ʻ ashes of the dead ʼ lex., ʻ *strand of rope ʼ (cf. tridhāˊtu -- ʻ threefold ʼ RV., ayugdhātu -- ʻ having an uneven number of strands ʼ KātyŚr.). [√dhā] Pa. dhātu -- m. ʻ element, ashes of the dead, relic ʼ; KharI. dhatu ʻ relic ʼ; Pk. dhāu -- m. ʻ metal, red chalk ʼ; N. dhāu ʻ ore (esp. of copper) ʼ; Or. ḍhāu ʻ red chalk, red ochre ʼ(whence ḍhāuā ʻ reddish ʼ; M. dhāū, dhāv m.f. ʻ a partic. soft red stone ʼ (whence dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻ a caste of iron -- smelters ʼ, dhāvḍī ʻ composed of or relating to iron ʼ); -- Si. dā ʻ relic ʼ; -- S. dhāī f. ʻ wisp of fibres added from time to time to a rope that is being twisted ʼ, L. dhāī˜ f. (CDIAL 6773)
Oman8
After Fig. 35.11 Dennys Frenez 2018
Oman9
After Fig. 35.10 Dennys Frenez 2018
Oman 10
The copper seal signifies a young bull. which signifies a turner, lapidary, goldsmith: कोंद kōnda 'young bull' PLUS āre potter's wheel (Gondi) yield the combined expression kundār 'turner, lapidary who works with the lathe'..He also works with fine gold: Ta. kuntaṉam interspace for setting gems in a jewel; fine gold (< Te.). Ka. kundaṇa setting a precious stone in fine gold; fine gold; kundana fine gold. Tu. kundaṇa pure gold. Te. kundanamu fine gold used in very thin foils in setting precious stones; setting precious stones with fine gold. (DEDR 1725). This artisan's professional competence is semantically reinforced by a part of the standard device normally shown in front of the young bull; this part is kunda 'lathe'.
Oman10
After Fig. 35.14. Copper stamp seal with an Indus unicorn and script signs from Ras Al=Jinz RJ2 (a),
Oman 11 Seal with hieroglyphs are: crocodile and markhor deciphered: karā 'crocodile' khār 'blacksmith' PLUS miṇḍāl 'markhor' (Tōrwālī) meḍho a ram, a sheep (Gujarati)(CDIAL 10120) Rebus: meḍ 'iron' (Mu.Ho.) med 'copper' (Slavic languages).
Oman11
After Fig.35.15 (b) Dennys Frenez copper stamp seal with Indus style male markhor goat and a gharial from Konar Sandal in Iran (from Pittman 2013)
Oman 12
Zebu deciphered as: pōḷa 'zebu, bos indicus' Rebus: pōḷa 'magnetite, ferrite ore'. If an 'ant' is signified by the hieroglyph used in the inscription it read చీమ [ cīma ] chīma. [Tel.] n. An ant. కొండచీమ . the forest ant. రెక్కలచీమ a winged ant. పారేచీమను వింటాడు he can hear an ant crawl, i.e., he is all alive.చీమదూరని అడవి a forest impervious even to an ant. చలిచీమ a black ant; పై పారేపక్షి కిందపారే చీమ (proverb) The bird above, the ant below, i.e., I had no chance with him. చీమంత of the size of an ant. చీమపులి chīma-puli. n. The ant lion, an ant-eater. rebus: cīmara -- kāra -- ʻcoppersmith' (Pali)
Oman 12, 13
After Fig. 35.14 © Dennys Frenez 2018 2018 Softstone stamp seal with a humped zebu and enigmatic objects/signs from Bisyah
Oman 14
Hieroglyphs signified are: caprid, goat, bison which are read rebus:
करडूं karaḍū 'kid' Rebus: खरड kharaḍa 'wealth-accounting ledger', Rebus: करडा [karaḍā] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c. (Marathi) kharādī ‘ turner’ (Gujarati)
mr̤eka, melh 'goat' (Telugu. Brahui) Rebus: melukkha 'milakkha, copper'.
barad, barat 'ox' Rebus: bharat 'alloy of copper, pewter, tin' (Marathi)
rango 'buffalo' rebus: rango 'pewter' (alloy of copper, zinc, tin)
Oman 14
After Fig. 35.15 Dennys Frenez 2018. Three sided prismatic stamp seal with a canid, goats and a wild Indian bison fromAl Moyassar 1 (left) (photograph by H. David Cuny, courtesy Oman National Museum), and comparable seal with Indus Script signs, goats and a wild Indian bison from Hajjar in Bahrain (right)
Source: http://tinyurl.com/yytyrqn6 Dennys Frenez, 2018, Window 35 The Indus Civiliization Trade with Oman Peninsula, in: Serge Cleuziou & Maurizio Tosi, 2018, In the shadow of the anestors, the prehistoric foundation of early Arabian Civilization in Oman, 2nd expanded edn.,edited by Dennys Frenez & Roman Garba, Ministry of Heritage and Culture,Sultanate of Oman, Khuwair,Muscat, www.mhc.gov.om
''Copper stamp seal with an Indus unicorn and script signs from Ras Al-Jinz RJ2 (a), copper stamp seal with Indus-style male markhor goat and a gharial from Konar Sandal South in Iran (from Pittman 2013) (b), softstone stamp seal with a humped zebu and enigmatic objects/signs from Bisyah (c)''
