Two molded terracotta tablets burgundy and ochre-coloured, with two sides of inscriptions convey identical narratives, thanks to the reconstruction presented by Wim Borsboom.
Ochre coloured tablet H-2001ab. The dark burgundy colored tablet fragment, both faces (H-95ab)
(length: 3.91 cm, width: 1.5 to 1.62 cm) Wim Borsboom suggests a reconstructed narrative on both sides of the burgundy and ochre coloured tablets. http://paradigm-update.blogspot.in/2012/03/harapp-culture-pictures.html?m=1
Side A: 1. spoked wheel; 2. one-eyed person thwarting to rearing jackals/tigers; 3. elephant
Side B: 4. seated person with twigs as hair-dress; 5. a person kicking with foot head of a buffalo and spearing the animal; 6. crocodile; 7. person seated on a tree branch; 8. tiger below the tree looking back.
Decipherment and Meluhha rebus readings of narratives on each side are presented:
Side A. mint with mineral ore furnaces; ironwork, metalwork of goldsmith
B. mint with smelter, mineral ore furnaces of blacksmith; pewter, hard iron smelter; blacksmith working with moltencast copper, working in iron.
Crocodile: karā 'crocodile' Rebus: khār 'blacksmith' (Kashmiri)
person seated on a tree branch: heraka 'spy' rebus: eraka 'moltencast copper'; dhamkara 'leafless tree' Rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'
tiger below the tree looking back: krammara ‘look back’ Rebus: kamar ‘smith, artisan’.PLUS kola 'tiger' rebus: kol 'working in iron'
Seated person in penance with twig hair-dress: kuThi 'twig' Rebus: kuThi 'smelter' karA 'arm with bangles' Rebus: khAr 'blacksmith' dhatu 'scarf' Rebus: dhatu 'mineral' PLUS kamaḍha 'penance' (Pkt.) Rebus: kampaṭṭam ‘mint’ (Ta.) Kur. kaṇḍō a stool. Malt. kanḍo stool, seat. (DEDR 1179) Rebus: kaṇḍ = a furnace, altar (Santali) Thus, mint with smelter, mineral ore furnaces of blacksmith.
person kicking with foot head of a buffalo and spearing the animal: kolsa 'to kick the foot forward' rebus: kolhe 'smelter' PLUS Pk. koṁta -- m. ʻ spear ʼ; H. kõt m. (f.?) ʻ spear, dart ʼ; -- Si. kota ʻ spear, spire, standard ʼ perh. ← Pa.(CDIAL 3289) Rebus: kunda'fine gold'; kuṇṭha munda (loha) 'hard iron (native metal)' PLUS rã̄go ʻbuffalo bullʼ Rebus: Pk. raṅga 'tin' P. rã̄g f., rã̄gā m. ʻ pewter, tin ʼ Ku. rāṅ ʻ tin, solder ʼOr. rāṅga ʻ tin ʼ, rāṅgā ʻ solder, spelter ʼ, Bi. Mth. rã̄gā, OAw. rāṁga; H. rã̄g f., rã̄gā m. ʻ tin, pewter ʼraṅgaada -- m. ʻ borax ʼ lex.Kho. (Lor.) ruṅ ʻ saline ground with white efflorescence, salt in earth ʼ *raṅgapattra ʻ tinfoil ʼ. [raṅga -- 3, páttra -- ]B. rāṅ(g)tā ʻ tinsel, copper -- foil ʼ. Thus, pewter, hard iron smelter.
One-eyed person: kāṇa काण 'one-eyed' PLUS vaṭṭa -- ʻ round ʼ, n. ʻ circle ʼ; Pk. vaṭṭa -- , vatta -- , vitta -- , vutta -- ʻ round ʼ(CDIAL 12069) rebus: Ta. kampaṭṭam coinage, coin. Ma. kammaṭṭam, kammiṭṭam coinage, mint. Ka. kammaṭa id.; kammaṭi a coiner. (DEDR 1236) கண்வட்டம் kaṇ-vaṭṭam Mint; நாணயசாலை. கண்வட்டக்கள்ளன் (ஈடு.)
Six locks of hair: bhaṭa ‘six’ rebus: bhaṭa ‘furnace'
Impeding: ‘impeding, hindering’: taṭu (Ta.) Rebus: dhatu ‘mineral’ (Santali) Ta. taṭu (-pp-, -tt) to hinder, stop, obstruct, forbid, prohibit, resist, dam, block up, partition off, curb, check, restrain, control, ward off, avert; n. hindering, checking, resisting; taṭuppu hindering, obstructing, resisting, restraint; Kur. ṭaṇḍnā to prevent, hinder, impede. Br. taḍ power to resist. (DEDR 3031) Thus, together, mint with mineral ore furnaces.
‘woman’: kola ‘woman’ (Nahali). Rebus kol ‘working in iron’ (Tamil)
Elephant: karibha, ibha 'elephant' rebus:karba, ib 'iron'
Jumping: kũdā'jumping' rebus: kunda 'fine gold', konda 'kiln, furnace'.
Jumping tigers/foxes: dula 'two' rebus: dul 'metal casting' PLUS kola 'tiger' rebus:kol 'working in iron' kolhe 'smelter', kole.l 'smithy, forge' ALTERNATIVE: lo ‘fox’ (WPah.) rebus: lōha ʻmetalʼ (Pali)
If the animal signifies a fox, the rebus readings are: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).
arā 'spoke' rebus: āra 'brass' eraka 'knave of wheel' rebus:eraka 'moltencast copper' arka 'gold';
څرخ ṯs̱arḵẖ, āre 'potter's wheel rebus arka'gold, copper'.
h95 tablet.On the reverse (90),a female deity is battling two tigers and standing above an elephant. A single Indus script depicting a spoked wheel is above the head of the deity.
Material: terra cotta
Dimensions: 3.91 length, 1.5 to 1.62 cm width
Harappa, Lot 4651-01
Harappa Museum, H95-2486
Dimensions: 3.91 length, 1.5 to 1.62 cm width
Harappa, Lot 4651-01
Harappa Museum, H95-2486