Some Important Aspects of Technology and Craft Production in the Indus Civilization with Specific Reference to Gujarat

Kuldeep Bhan

It is really nice in a paper to be able to speak both of what is happening now, at the cutting-edge of bead and shell-making Indus craftsmanship and continuing discoveries, and be able to relate each tradition back to its earliest appearance in the subcontinent and elsewhere.

https://www.harappa.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Kuldeep%20K.%20Bhan%201.pdf

Excavations at Shikarpur 2007-2008: A Costal Port and Craft Production Center of the Indus Civilization in Kutch, India

Kuldeep Bhan

Results from the exciting and continuing excavations on the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.

Steatite button seal, Shikarpur.

Download Excavations at Shikarpur 2007 

https://www.harappa.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Excavations-at-Shikarpur-2007.pdf

Carnelian Bead Production in Khambat, India: An Ethnoarchaeological Study

Jonathan Mark Kenoyer

An overview of the important technological and organization aspects of the carnelian bead industry that will be useful in developing interpretive models regarding the role of agate bead production in early urban societies.

Above: This carnelian bead has been artificially colored with white lines and circles using a special ancient bleaching technique.
This article presents an overview of the important technological and organization aspects of the carnelian bead industry that will be useful in developing interpretive models regarding the role of agate bead production in early urban societies.. The production and trade of various types of agate or Carnelian beads has an important role in local and regional economics of the prehistoric and historic periods in South Asia. At present the city of Khambhat (Cambay) is one of the largest stone bead working centres of the world, and it has been an important centre for over 3000 years of documented history. With the aid of archaeological research, the stone bead industry in Pakistan and western India can be traced back even earlier to the cities and villages of the Harappan phase of the Indus tradition, dated to around 2500 BC.

 Kenoyer1994_Carnelian Bead Production in Khambhat India An E.pdf

Kenoyer1994_Carnelian%20Bead%20Production%20in%20Khambhat%20India%20An%20E.pdf

Contemporary Stone Beadmaking in Khambhat, India: Patterns of Craft Specialization and Organization of Production as Reflected in the Archaeological Record

Jonathan Mark Kenoyer

Khambhat in Gujarat province provides a unique opportunity to study the organization of a specialized craft and understand how different aspects of social, economic and political organization relating to such crafts might be reflected in the archaeological record because of the long continuity of bead-making in this region,

At present, the city of Khambhat in western India is one of the largest stone beadworking centers of the world, and it has been an important center for over two thousand years of documented history (Arkell 1936;Trivedi 1964). Using archaeologicalevidence, the stone bead industry in this region of India can be traced back even earlier to the cities and villages of the Harappan Phase of the Indus Tradition, dated to around 2500 BC. Because of the long continuity of stone beadmaking in this region, Khambhat provides a unique opportunity to study the organization of a specialized craft and understand how different aspects of social, economic and political organization relating to such crafts might be reflected in the archaeological record. In archaeological studies of urbanism and so-called 'complex societies', craft specialization has come to be used as a major indicator of socio-economic complexity, stratification and centralized control. However, the many different definitions of specialized crafts and the contrasting interpretations of their role in prehistoric societies have led scholars to emphasize the need for more reliable interpretive models that correlate the socio-economic aspects of specialized crafts with the patterning of artifacts in the archaeological record.

 Kenoyer Vidale Bhan 1991 Craftspecialization Khambhat.pdf

Contemporary Stone Beadmaking in Khambhat, India: Patterns of Craft Specialization and Organization of Production as Reflected in the Archaeological Record Author(s): Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, Massimo Vidale, Kuldeep Kumar Bhan Reviewed work(s): Source: World Archaeology, Vol. 23, No. 1, Craft Production and Specialization (Jun., 1991), pp. 44-63 Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/124728 

Ethnoarchaeological Excavations of the Bead Making Workshops of Khambat

Massimo Vidale

Archaeologists interested in ancient craft production, both those aided by ancient historical sources and those bound to the interpretation of material residues, are currently involved in major critical efforts to improve the quality of their interpretation of the archaeological record.

An important step in this direction ís ethnoarchaeology. This approach enables us to observe, within living cultural systems, the cycles of formation and destruction of material evidence that are ultimately responsible for the creation of the archaeological record. At the same time, ethnoarchaeology permits to observe how the action of structured social relationships affects the nature of these cycles. Ethnoarchaeology, in this perspective, allows archaeologists to study dynamic and complex relationships of cause-effect among different orders of factors, and, as a result, to build with the data more meaningful tools of interpretation. South Asia, where traditional societies are organized in complex formalized hierarchies, with many different levels of interaction with contemporary state structures, is an ideal ñeld of ethnoarchaeological observation, relevant to the study of the so-called ‘complex societies’ of protohistory, dating to the bronze and iron age of the eurasian continent.

 Ethnoarchaeological Excavations of Workshops Kenoyer

Kenoyer1991_Ethnoarchaeological%20Excavations%20of%20the%20Bead%20Maki.pdf

Chaîne Opératoire in the Study of Stratified Societies

Massimo Vidale

This paper discusses some theoretical questions and present some observations on the role of ethnoarchaeological studies of craft production in contemporary stratified social contexts, in the study of protohistoric societies.

This paper discusses some theoretical questions and present some observations on the role of ethnoarchaeological studies of craft production in contemporary stratified social contexts, in the study of protohistoric societies. Ethnoarchaeological approaches to craft production include both the observation of site formation processes and archaeological patterning, as well as the the study of technology. We discuss the descriptive tools used by archaeologists and ethnologists to represent the continuum of stratigraphy and that of technology, as well as some theoretical implications of the comparison between these two approaches. We then examine the concept of "chaîne opératoire" or operational sequence, and propose that a non-linear approach to the study of production flow might be particularly useful for understanding highly segmented, hierarchical contexts of production.

 Chaîne Opératoire in the Study of Stratified Societies

Nageswara: a Mature Harappan Shell Working Site on the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat

Kuldeep Bhan

Recent explorations in the peripheral regions east of the Indus valley have established the spread of Harappan culture to settlements in Kutch, Saurashtra, Rajasthan and Harayana, but there has been much speculation on the reasons behind this cultural expansion.

In order to manufacture shell bangles from T. pyrum, the shell was first hollowed out by perforating the apex and breaking the internal septa using a long copper pick or chisel. The shell was then sawn at a diagonal to remove rough circlets, which were ground and polished to produce beautiful bangles
Recent explorations in the peripheral regions east of the Indus valley have established the spread of Harappan culture to settlements in Kutch, Saurashtra, Rajasthan and Harayana, but there has been much speculation on the reasons behind this cultural expansion. The discovery of Nageswara on the southern shore of the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat, has provided important new information regarding the Harappan expansion in this region. The site is located on the edge of a fresh water reservoir called Bhimgaja Talao, (22 20' North Lat., 69 6' East Long.) which is associated with an ancient Saivite temple of Nageswara, Mahadeva. This temple is about 17 km northeast along the Dwarka-Gopi, Talao bus route. Since the excavators were interested in removing only the soft organic soil for construction of a dam, leaving large accumulations of potsherds, shel frag­ments, grinding stones and stone foundations in situ. This unique situation has made it possible to observe important architectural features and distribution of shell manufacturing waste in their original contexts.

 Nageswara A Shell Working Site Kenoyer

Kenoyer1984_Nageshwar%2C%20A%20Mature%20Harappan%20Shell%20Working%20Site%20.pdf

Excavations at Shikarpur, Gujarat 2008-2009

Kuldeep Bhan

Continuing work by the archaeologists at MSU University in Baroda including new seals and classical Harappan pottery finds. 

Excavations at Shikarpur Gujarat 2008 - 2009

https://www.harappa.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Shikarpur-2008-2009.pdf

Sidis in the Agate Bead Industry of Western India

Jonathan Mark Kenoyer

In this paper, historical records about the Sidis and their own oral traditions will be critically examined to gain new perspectives on their complex history, begin­ning with their origins in Africa and with a special focus on their role in the agate bead industry.

During drilling, the tips of agate drills become hot and often spall off. Fine screens allow the collection of the spalled drill tips, the finding of which confirms that drilling as well as shaping of beads was done in this area of the site during the Ravi phase.
Who are the Sidis and where did they come from?
These two questions can only be answered conclusively through care­ ful archaeological and DNA studies, but it is possible to make some sense out of the situation based on written documents and oral tradi­tions. Some early anthropological studies of different racial groups in South Asia have shown that there are some Negrito groups among indigenous populations of hunter-gatherers living in parts of the West­ ern Ghats (Kadar and Irular of the Kerala Hills), and in the Raj Mahal Hills of Bihar and Bengal.

 Sidis in the Agate Bead Industry of Western India Kenoyer 

"At present Sidi communities aree spread throughout the regions of Gujarat, Sindh and Makran, but only those lilving in the Gori Pit and Khambhat areas are involved in the agate trade."(p.69)

Unique Unicorn Seal as part of some sort of container found at Gola Dhoro.

Ancient Indus seals and sealings found at Gola Dhoro, Begasra.

mēḍhī 'pillar, part of a stupa' (Pali. Marathi) Rebus:meḍ 'iron, metalwork, metal castings' 

 PLUS  These two hieroglyphs read from r. to l.: koḍa 'one' rebus: koḍ 'workshop' PLUS khareḍo 'a currycomb' rebus kharada खरडें daybook PLUS karṇaka कर्णक 'spread legs' rebus kanahār 'helmsman'. Thus, the message is: khareḍo koḍ karṇaka rebus: khareḍo 'daybook' (of) koḍ 'workshop' (of) kanahār 'helmsman'. Together, the inscription message is: daybook of workshop of helmsman. Three such seal impressions on three tokens of Kanmer constitute the consolidated cargo to be compiled on a seal message.

khareḍo 'a currycomb' (G.) Rebus: kharādī ' turner' (Gujarati) Rebus: kharada 
खरडें daybook 

 Sign 38 is a hypertext composed of kharada 

खरडें daybook PLUS  kanahār 'helmsman'. Thus, helmsman's daybook.

Variants of Sign 176

Sign 176 khareḍo 'a currycomb (Gujarati) Rebus: karaḍā खरडें 'daybook, wealth-accounting ledger'. Rebus: kharādī ' turner' (Gujarati). 

कर्णक m. du. the two legs spread out AV. xx , 133 'spread legs'; (semantic determinant) Rebus: kanahār'helmsman', karNI 'scribe, account''supercargo'. कर्णक 'spread legs' rebus: 'helmsman', karNi 'supercargo'; meṛed 'iron' rebus: meḍh 'merchant' ayo 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal'; 2. कर्णक 'spread legs' rebus: 'helmsman', karṇi 'supercargo'  Indicative that the merchant is seafaring metalsmith. karṇadhāra m. ʻ helmsman ʼ Suśr. [kárṇa -- , dhāra -- 1]Pa. kaṇṇadhāra -- m. ʻ helmsman ʼ; Pk. kaṇṇahāra -- m. ʻ helmsman, sailor ʼ; H. kanahār m. ʻ helmsman, fisherman ʼ.(CDIAL 2836) Decipherment: कर्णक 'helmsman' PLUS mē̃d, mēd 'body' rebus: mē̃d, mēd 'iron', med 'copper' (Slavic). Thus the body hieroglyph signifies mē̃d कर्णक karṇi 'an iron helmsman seafaring, supercargo merchant.'khoṇḍ, kõda 'young bull-calf' खोंड [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf. (Marathi) ‘Pannier’  glyph: खोंडी [ khōṇḍī ] f An outspread shovelform sack (as formed temporarily out of a कांबळा, to hold or fend off grain, chaff &c.) Rebus: kõdā ‘to turn in a lathe’ (Bengali) kũdār ‘turner, brass-worker’. कोंद kōnda ‘engraver, lapidary setting or infixing gems’ (Marathi) 

ko_d.iya, ko_d.e = young bull; ko_d.elu = plump young bull; ko_d.e = a. male as in: ko_d.e du_d.a = bull calf; young, youthful (Te.lex.)

kot.iyum = a wooden circle put round the neck of an animal; kot. = neck (G.lex.) [cf. the orthography of rings on the neck of one-horned young bull].खोंड (p. 216) [ khōṇḍa ]A variety of जोंधळा.खोंडरूं (p. 216) [ khōṇḍarūṃ ] n A contemptuous form of खोंडा in the sense of कांबळा-cowl.खोंडा (p. 216) [ khōṇḍā ] m A कांबळा of which one end is formed into a cowl or hood. 2 fig. A hollow amidst hills; a deep or a dark and retiring spot; a dell. 3 (also खोंडी & खोंडें) A variety of जोंधळा.खोंडी (p. 216) [ khōṇḍī ] f An outspread shovelform sack (as formed temporarily out of a कांबळा, to hold or fend off grain, chaff &c.) 

Kanmer epigraphs with Meluhha hieroglyphs used in trade

This is a tribute to the meticulous care with which JS Kharakwal and the team of archaeologists and epigraphists have documented the Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization site of Kanmer in Gujarat (Rann of Kutch). Even though the epigraphs are few, the archaeological work has provenienced the finds of seals/seal impressions/tablets with Meluhha hieroglyphs providing a unique opportunity  to provide rebus readings of the hieroglyphs in the archaeological context of minerals and stones worked at the site to create trade-able artifacts such as beads, etched beads, perforated beads.

Location map of Kanmer (After Fig. 1 in: 

Kanmer. A large number of bead-making goods — 150 stone beads and roughouts, 160 drill bits, 433 faience beads and 20,000 steaite beads — were found here, indicating the site's importance as an industrial unit. Agatequarries were also located at a distance of 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanmer

http://www.scribd.com/doc/212393968/Kanmer-seals-sealing-and-other-script-material-Chapter-8

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/08/bronze-age-kanmer-bagasra.html

https://www.academia.edu/4891402/Harappan_Script_Material_from_Kanmer
Kanmer: seals, sealing and other script material (Chapter 8) Hansmukh Seth & JS Kharakwal, R. Menaria and H. Bunker (2014)

Three hieroglyphs painted in black pigment on a red slipped surface of a dish on stand (No. 09-2047) loa ‘ficus religiosa’
 Rebus: lo 'copper'. ranku 'antelope' Rebus: ranku 'tin'. Alternative: kamaṛkom,kamaḍha ‘ficus’ (Santali) Rebus:  kammaṭa ‘mint, coiner’.

Five examples of hieroglyph in black pigment on the inner and outer surface of a pot of Red ware and redware with buffs slipped type oron dishes, mostly in pre-firing stage. arā 'spokes' Rebus: āra 'brass' eraka 'knave of wheel' Rebus: eraka 'moltencast copper'.

(No. 09-2048; Tr. Z28, Layer 10; No. 09-2049; Tr. Z28, Layer 10; No. 09-2050; Tr. Z28, Qua SE, Layer 10; No. 09-2050, Tr. Z28, Qua SE, Layer 10); No. 09-2053; Tr. Z28, Layer 11).

(After Figure 9 in: Kharakwal et al, p. 364)"Furnace. A bulb shaped furnace with a central cylindrical hollow column (dia. 31 cm, depth 35 cm)(Fig.9) was exposed in trench Z17...The clay walls of the furnace were barely 4 cm thick and the area between the column and outer clay wall was found completely filled with ash. The burnt red colour of the cylindrical column, the outer clay wall and the earth around the furnace indicate that the temperature raised in the furnace may have been more than 700 degrees C...Several tubular faience beads and bangles were recovered from the furnace area and near the square platform. We do not know if it could be a faience bead making furnace?..."The beads of semi precious stone have been identified as carnelian, agate, lapis lazuli/sodalite, chalcedony, serpentine and bloodstone. The site yielded raw material of agate besides, chipped, roughouts, grinded, unpolished bead blanks...Except for lapis lazuli/sodalite, sources of raw material for all these bead types could have been the Little Rnn and its adjacent areas...A few examples of shell, bone and metal ones have been found from the KMR II and KMR III levels...The discovery of seals, seal impressions suggested that they were involved in trade." ( in: Kharakwal, JS, YS Rawat, T. Osada, LC Patel, Hanmukh Seth, Rajesh Meena, S. Meena, KP Singh, & A. Hussain, 2010, Kanmer: a multicultural site in Kachchh, Gujarat, India, p.371, 373)"

http://www.scribd.com/doc/212400235/Kharakwal-JS-YS-Rawat-T-Osada-LC-Patel-Hanmukh-Seth-Rajesh-Meena-S-Meena-KP-Singh-A-Hussain-Kanmer-a-multicultural-site-in-Kachchh-Gu (Embedded)

Etched carnelian bead from Kanmer (After Figure 11 in Kharakwal et al)

Khirsara1a tablet

Decipherment:Hypertext of Sign 336 has hieroglyph components: muka 'ladle' (Tamil)(DEDR 4887) Rebus: mū̃h'ingot' (Santali).PLUSSign 328  baṭa 'rimless pot' rebus: baṭa 'iron' bhaṭa 'furnace'. The hypertext reads: mū̃h bhaṭa 'ingot furnace'

khara 'equus hemionus' rebus:khār 'blacksmith [Alternative: ranku ‘antelope’; rebus: ranku ‘tin’ (Santali)]

Sign 177 (Mahadevan ASI 1977 COncordance Signlist)

śrēṣṭrī 'ladder' Rebus: seṭh ʻ head of a guild, Members of the guild (working with a furnace). [Alternative: panǰā́r ‘ladder, stairs’ (Bshk.)(CDIAL 7760) Rebus: pasra ‘smithy’ (Santali)]

Thus, guild-master of the guild of blacksmiths. 

badhi ‘to ligature, to bandage, to splice, to join by successive rolls of a ligature’ (Santali) batā bamboo slips (Kur.); bate = thin slips of bamboo (Malt.)(DEDR 3917). Rebus: baḍhi = worker in wood and metal (Santali) baṛae = blacksmith (Ash.)

kolmo ‘three’ (Mu.); rebus: kolimi ‘smithy’ (Te.)

khaṇḍ ‘division’; rebus: kaṇḍ ‘furnace’ (Santali) khaḍā ‘circumscribe’ (M.); Rebs: khaḍā ‘nodule (ore), stone’ (M.)

bharna = the name given to the woof by weavers; otor bharna = warp and weft (Santali.lex.) bharna = the woof, cross-thread in weaving (Santali); bharni_ (H.) (Santali.Boding.lex.) Rebus: bhoron = a mixture of brass and bell metal (Santali.lex.) bharan = to spread or bring out from a kiln (P.lex.) bha_ran. = to bring out from a kiln (G.)  ba_ran.iyo = one whose profession it is to sift ashes or dust in a goldsmith’s workshop (G.lex.) bharant (lit. bearing) is used in the plural in Pan~cavim.s’a Bra_hman.a (18.10.8). Sa_yan.a interprets this as ‘the warrior caste’ (bharata_m – bharan.am kurvata_m ks.atriya_n.a_m). *Weber notes this as a reference to the Bharata-s. (Indische Studien, 10.28.n.2)

kuṭi = a slice, a bit, a small piece (Santali.lex.Bodding) Rebus: kuṭhi ‘iron smelter furnace’ (Santali)

Hieroglyph ḍhaṁkaṇa 'lid' rebus dhakka 'excellent, bright, blazing metal article' 

meḍhi 'plait' meḍ 'iron'; daürā 'rope' Rebus dhāvḍā 'smelter'

kṣōḍa m. ʻ post to which an elephant is fastened ʼ lex. [Poss. conn. with *khuṭṭa -- 1 with kh -- sanskritized as kṣ -- ]Pk. khōḍa -- m. ʻ boundary post ʼ, ˚ḍī -- f. ʻ big piece of wood, wooden bolt ʼ, taṁtukkhōḍī -- f. ʻ peg in a loom ʼ; N. khoriyo ʻ land on which trees have been cut and burnt and crops sown ʼ (< ʻ *having stumps ʼ?); H. khoṛ m. ʻ piece of wood ʼ, ˚ṛā m. ʻ stocks, handcuffs ʼ, khoṛkā m. ʻ stump of a tree ʼ; G. khoṛ n. ʻ large block of wood ʼ; M. khoḍ n. ʻ trunk or stump of a tree ʼ, ˚ḍā m. ʻ stocks for criminals ʼ.(CDIAL 3748) *khuṭṭa1 ʻ peg, post ʼ. 2. *khuṇṭa -- 1. [Same as *khuṭṭa -- 2? -- See also kṣōḍa -- .]1. Ku. khuṭī ʻ peg ʼ; N. khuṭnu ʻ to stitch ʼ (der. *khuṭ ʻ pin ʼ as khilnu from khil s.v. khīˊla -- ); Mth. khuṭā ʻ peg, post ʼ; H. khūṭā m. ʻ peg, stump ʼ; Marw. khuṭī f. ʻ peg ʼ; M. khuṭā m. ʻ post ʼ.2. Pk. khuṁṭa -- , khoṁṭaya -- m. ʻ peg, post ʼ; Dm. kuṇḍa ʻ peg for fastening yoke to plough -- pole ʼ; L. khū̃ḍī f. ʻ drum -- stick ʼ; P. khuṇḍ, ˚ḍā m. ʻ peg, stump ʼ; WPah. rudh. khuṇḍ ʻ tethering peg or post ʼ; A. khũṭā ʻ post ʼ, ˚ṭi ʻ peg ʼ; B. khũṭā, ˚ṭi ʻ wooden post, stake, pin, wedge ʼ; Or. khuṇṭa, ˚ṭā ʻ pillar, post ʼ; Bi. (with -- ḍa -- ) khũṭrā, ˚rī ʻ posts about one foot high rising from body of cart ʼ; H. khū̃ṭā m. ʻ stump, log ʼ, ˚ṭī f. ʻ small peg ʼ (→ P. khū̃ṭā m., ˚ṭī f. ʻ stake, peg ʼ); G. khū̃ṭ f. ʻ landmark ʼ, khũṭɔ m., ˚ṭī f. ʻ peg ʼ, ˚ṭũ n. ʻ stump ʼ, ˚ṭiyũ n. ʻ upright support in frame of wagon ʼ, khū̃ṭṛũ n. ʻ half -- burnt piece of fuel ʼ; M. khũṭ m. ʻ stump of tree, pile in river, grume on teat ʼ (semant. cf. kīla -- 1 s.v. *khila -- 2), khũṭā m. ʻ stake ʼ, ˚ṭī f. ʻ wooden pin ʼ, khũṭaḷṇẽ ʻ to dibble ʼ.Addenda: *khuṭṭa -- 1. 2. *khuṇṭa -- 1: WPah.kṭg. khv́ndɔ ʻ pole for fencing or piling grass round ʼ (Him.I 35 nd poss. wrong for ṇḍ); J. khuṇḍā m. ʻ peg to fasten cattle to ʼ.(CDIAL 3893)

Ta. kuṭṭai, kuṭṭai-maram stocks; kaikkuṭṭai handcuffs. To. kuṭy, koy-kuṭy id.(DEDRF 1674) Ma. kuṭṭa a knotty log. Ko. guṭḷ stake to which animal is tied, any large wooden peg. To. kuṭy a stump. Ka. (Coorg) kuṭṭustem of a tree which remains after cutting it. Koḍ. kuṭṭe log. Tu. kuṭṭi stake, peg, stump. Go. (Mu.) kuṭṭa, guṭṭa, (G. Ma.) guṭṭa, (Ko.) guṭa stump of tree; (S.) kuṭṭa id., stubble; (FH.) kuta jowari stubble (Voc. 731). Pe. kuṭa stump of tree. Kui gūṭa, (K.) guṭa id. Kuwi (Su.) guṭṭu (pl. guṭka) id., stubble of paddy; (Isr.) kuḍuli log. / The items here, those in DBIA 104 (add: Go. [SR.] guṭṭam, [M.] guṭṭa, [L.] guṭā peg [Voc. 1112]), and those in Turner, CDIAL, no. 3893 *khuṭṭa-, *khuṇṭa- and no. 3748 kṣōḍa-, exhibit considerable convergence and present many problems of immediate relationship. (DEDR 1676)  Ka. (Hav.) kutta straight up. Tu. (B-K.) kutta vertical, steep, straight.(DEDR 1716) குத்தா kuttā, n. A herring. See குத்துவா.குத்தாங்கல் kuttāṅ-kal, n. < குத்து- + ஆம் +. Stone or brick laid upright on edge; செங்குத்தாக வைக்குங் கல் அல்லது செங்கல்.குத்துக்கல் kuttu-k-kal, n. < id. +. 1. Stone standing on edge; செங்குத்தான கல். 2. Bricks placed on edge, as in arching, terracing; செங்குத்தாகவைத்துக்கட்டுஞ் செங்கல். 3. Stone marking the depth of water in a tank; ஏரிநீரின் ஆழத்தைக்காட்டும் அளவுகல்.குத்துவா kuttuvā, n. A herring, golden, glossed with purple, Pellona brachysoma; கடல்மீன்வகை. குத்துவாமீன் kuttuvā-mīṉ, n. < குத்துவா +. See குத்துவா.

Functions of Kanmer tokens to control documentation of metalwork processes in furnace, alloying, smithy-forge 

Khirsara1a tablet

Decipherment:Hypertext of Sign 336 has hieroglyph components: muka 'ladle' (Tamil)(DEDR 4887) Rebus: mū̃h'ingot' (Santali).PLUSSign 328  baṭa 'rimless pot' rebus: baṭa 'iron' bhaṭa 'furnace'. The hypertext reads: mū̃h bhaṭa 'ingot furnace'

khara 'equus hemionus' rebus:khār 'blacksmith [Alternative: ranku ‘antelope’; rebus: ranku ‘tin’ (Santali)]

śrēṣṭrī 'ladder' Rebus: seṭh ʻ head of a guild, Members of the guild (working with a furnace). [Alternative: panǰā́r ‘ladder, stairs’ (Bshk.)(CDIAL 7760) Rebus: pasra ‘smithy’ (Santali)]

Thus, guild-master of the guild of blacksmiths. 

badhi ‘to ligature, to bandage, to splice, to join by successive rolls of a ligature’ (Santali) batā bamboo slips (Kur.); bate = thin slips of bamboo (Malt.)(DEDR 3917). Rebus: baḍhi = worker in wood and metal (Santali) baṛae = blacksmith (Ash.)

kolmo ‘three’ (Mu.); rebus: kolimi ‘smithy’ (Te.)

khaṇḍ ‘division’; rebus: kaṇḍ ‘furnace’ (Santali) khaḍā ‘circumscribe’ (M.); Rebs: khaḍā ‘nodule (ore), stone’ (M.)

bharna = the name given to the woof by weavers; otor bharna = warp and weft (Santali.lex.) bharna = the woof, cross-thread in weaving (Santali); bharni_ (H.) (Santali.Boding.lex.) Rebus: bhoron = a mixture of brass and bell metal (Santali.lex.) bharan = to spread or bring out from a kiln (P.lex.) bha_ran. = to bring out from a kiln (G.)  ba_ran.iyo = one whose profession it is to sift ashes or dust in a goldsmith’s workshop (G.lex.) bharant (lit. bearing) is used in the plural in Pan~cavim.s’a Bra_hman.a (18.10.8). Sa_yan.a interprets this as ‘the warrior caste’ (bharata_m – bharan.am kurvata_m ks.atriya_n.a_m). *Weber notes this as a reference to the Bharata-s. (Indische Studien, 10.28.n.2)

kuṭi = a slice, a bit, a small piece (Santali.lex.Bodding) Rebus: kuṭhi ‘iron smelter furnace’ (Santali)

Hieroglyph ḍhaṁkaṇa 'lid' rebus dhakka 'excellent, bright, blazing metal article' 

meḍhi 'plait' meḍ 'iron'; daürā 'rope' Rebus dhāvḍā 'smelter'

See A11 and B5 in figure.

Field symbol: short-tailed caprid kid: ranku ‘antelope’ rebus: khara 'equus hemionus' rebus:khār 'blacksmith' or ranku ‘tin’ + xolā 'fish tail' rebus: kolhe 'smelter', 

kol 'working in iron' 

Text A11: Glyph ‘mountain’: మెట్ట [ meṭṭa ] or మిట్ట meṭṭa. [Tel.] n. Rising ground, high lying land, uplands. A hill, a rock. ఉన్నతభూమి, మెరక, పర్వతము, దిబ్బ. மேடு mēṭu , n. [T. meṭṭa, M. K. mēḍu.] 1. Height; உயரம். (பிங்.) 2. Eminence, little hill, hillock, ridge, rising ground; சிறுதிடர். (பிங்.) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Munda.Ho.) med 'copper' (Slavic)

khaṇḍa 'division'. rebus: kaṇḍa 'implements'

kanka, karṇika 'rim of jar' rebus: karṇī 'supercargo, scribe, helmsman'

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) rebus: kaṇḍa .'fire-altar','equpment' 

Field symbol: feeding trough + rhinoceros:pattar 'trough' rebus: pattar 'goldsmiths' guild' PLUS :  kāṇṭā'rhinoceros. Rebus: kāṇḍa 'tools, pots and pans and metal-ware' (Gujarati)

Text B5: మెట్ట [ meṭṭa ] or మిట్ట meṭṭa. [Tel.] n. Rising ground, high lying land, uplands. A hill, a rock. ఉన్నతభూమి, మెరక, పర్వతము, దిబ్బ. மேடு mēṭu , n. [T. meṭṭa, M. K. mēḍu.] 1. Height; உயரம். (பிங்.) 2. Eminence, little hill, hillock, ridge, rising ground; சிறுதிடர். 

(பிங்.) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Munda.Ho.) med 'copper' (Slavic)

khaṇḍa 'division'. rebus: kaṇḍa 'implements'

kanka, karṇika 'rim of jar' rebus: karṇī 

'supercargo, scribe, helmsman'

  m0517

The person with upraised arm and bovine legs and tail is a blacksmith: eraka 'upraised arm' rebus: 'moltencast' + dhangar 'bull' rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'. Some details at  http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2018/04/orthographic-hypertext-devices-eg-tiger.html

Equus hemionus khur or Baluchi wild-ass. called ghudkhur (Gujarati) or ghor-khur a semantic expression combing ghōṭa 'horse' PLUS khara 'ass'. An example of such an expression in a dialect is: Persian, 'wild ass, onager' is called also gōr-

χar.  "Middle and New Persian χar has cognates in Younger Avestan χara-, Khotanese Saka khara,

Sogdian (Buddhist) γr-, (Manichean, Christian) χr-, and practically all Neo-Iranian languages.."

(cf. Parpola, Asko, and Juha Janhunen, 2011, opcit., p.79)

Ossetic χarag, χarag, Munji χara-, Tajik, Baluchi, Pashto, Yaghnobi χar, Parachi khȫr, Sanglichi χor, χōr, Yigdha χoro, Ishkashmi, Yazghulami χůr, Wakhi χur, Kurdish ker, (Gurānī) har, Sariqoli čer, šer, Bartangi šor, Roshani šur, Rushani, Khufi šōr, (fem.) šār (cf. Horn 1893: 104 no. 473; Steblin-Kamenskij 1999: 409). Gypsy (Palestinian) ḳar m. ḳari f., (Armenian) χari, (Greek) kher, (Rumanian) χeru, Kati kur, Prasun korū, Ashkun kɘrɘṭek, Shumashti χareṭa, Khowar khairanu  'donkey's foal'), Bashkarik kur, Dameli khar m., khari f., Tirahi khar, Pashai (Laurowani) khar m., khar f., Kalasha (Urtsun) khār, Phalura khār m., khari, Kashmiri khar m.,khuru f., Sindhi kharu m., Lahnda kharkā m., kharkī f., Panjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi khar m. Old Marathi khari f. (Turner 1966 and 1985: no. 3818; McGregor 1993: 230a; a detailed analysis of the Nuristani and Dardic data in Fussman 1972 I: 60-62).

khara1 m. ʻ donkey ʼ KātyŚr., ˚rī -- f. Pāṇ.NiDoc. Pk. khara -- m., Gy. pal. ḳăr m., kắri f., arm. xari, eur. gr. kher, kfer, rum. xerú, Kt. kur, Pr. korūˊ, Dm. khar m., ˚ri f., Tir. kh*lr, Paš. lauṛ. khar m., khär f., Kal. urt. khār, Phal. khār m., khári f., K. khar m., khürü f., pog. kash. ḍoḍ. khar, S. kharu m., P. G. M. khar m., OM. khari f.; -- ext. Ash. kərəṭék, Shum. xareṭá; <-> L. kharkā m., ˚kī f. -- Kho. khairánu ʻ donkey's foal ʼ (+?).*kharapāla -- ; -- *kharabhaka -- .Addenda: khara -- 1: Bshk. Kt. kur ʻ donkey ʼ (CDIAL 3818) Ta. kar̤utai ass. Ma. kar̤uta id.

 Ko. kaṛt id.; kaḷd a term of abuse. To. katy ass. Ka. kar̤te,katte. Koḍ. katte. Tu. katte. Te. gāḍida.

 Kol. ga·ḍdi. Nk. gāṛdi.Pa. gade, (S.) garad. Go. (G. Ko.) gāṛdi (Voc. 1073). Kuwi (Su.) gāṛde. / Cf. Skt. gardabha-; Turner, CDIAL, no. 4054.(DEDR 1364) gardabhá m. ʻ ass ʼ RV., ˚bhīˊ -- f. AV., ˚bhaka -- m. ʻ any- one resembling an ass ʼ Kāś. [√gard]Pa. gaddabha -- , gadrabha -- m., ˚bhī -- f., Pk. gaddaha -- , ˚aya -- , gaḍḍaha -- m., gaddabhī -- f., Gy. as. ghádar JGLS new ser. ii 255 (< gadrabha -- ?), Wg. gadāˊ, Niṅg. gadə́, Woṭ. gadāˊ m., ˚daī f., Gaw. gadāˊ m., ˚deṛi f., Kho. gordóg (< gardabhaka -- ; → Kal. gardɔkh as the Kalashas have no donkeys, G. Morgenstierne FestskrBroch 150), Bshk. g*ldāˊ m., ˚dḗī f., Tor. godhṓ m., gedhḗi f., Mai. ghadā, Sv. gadaṛṓ, S. gaḍahu m., L. gaḍḍãh m., ˚ḍẽh f., (Ju.) gaḍ̠ -- hã̄ m., ˚hī f. ʻ ass, blockhead ʼ; P. gadhā m., ˚dhī f., WPah. pāḍ. cur. cam. Ku. gadhā, N. gadoho m., ˚dahi f., A. gādh m., ˚dhī f., B. gādhā m., ˚dhīf., Or. gadha m., ˚dhuṇī f. ʻ ass ʼ, gadhā ʻ blockhead ʼ; Bi. Mth. Bhoj. H. gadahā m., ˚hī f., OG. ghaddaü m., G. gaddhɔ m., ˚dhī f., M. gāḍhav m., ˚ḍhvī f. (lw. gadhḍā m.), Ko. gāḍhū, Si. gäḍum̆buvā (gadubuvā ← Pa.).Addenda: gardabhá -- : S.kcch. gaḍoṛī f. ʻ she -- ass ʼ; WPah.kṭg. (kc.) gáddhɔ m. ʻ donkey ʼ, Garh. gardhā, gadṛu, A. gādha (CDIAL 4054) ghōṭa m. ʻ horse ʼ ĀpŚr., ˚ṭī -- f. Aśvad., ˚ṭaka -- m. Pañ- cat., ˚ṭikā -- f. lex. [Non -- Aryan, prob. Drav., origin EWA i 361 with lit.]Pa. ghōṭaka -- m. ʻ poor horse ʼ; Pk. ghōḍa -- , ˚ḍaya -- m., ˚ḍī -- f. ʻ horse ʼ, Gy. as (Baluči) gura, pers. gôrá, pal. gṓri f., arm. khori ʻ horse ʼ, eur. khuro m., ˚rī f. ʻ foal ʼ, boh. pol. khuro ʻ stallion ʼ; Ash. gọ̄́ṛu m. ʻ horse ʼ, gọ̈̄räˊ f., Wg. gọ̄́ṛa, Pr. irí, Dm. gọŕɔ m., guŕi f., Paš. gōṛāˊ, Niṅg. guṛə́, Shum. gṓṛo, Woṭ. gōṛm., gēṛ f., Gaw. guṛɔ́ m., guṛīˊ f., Kal. urt. ghɔ́̄ŕ*l, Bshk. gór m., gēr f., Tor. ghō m., ghəē f. (aspirate maintained to distinguish from gō ʻ bull ʼ J. Bloch BSL xxx 82), Mai. ghå m., ghwī f., Chil. Gau. gho, Sv. ghuṛo m., g'uṛia f., Phal. ghūṛu m., ˚ṛi f., Sh. *gōu (→ Ḍ. gōwá), K. guru m., ˚rü f., (Islamābād) guḍü, rām. pog. ghōṛŭ, kash. ghuṛŭ, ḍoḍ. ghōṛō, S. ghoṛo m., ˚ṛī f., L. P. ghoṛā m., ˚ṛī f., in cmpds. ghoṛ -- , WPah. ghoṛo m., ˚ṛī f., ˚ṛu n. ʻ foal ʼ, Ku. ghoṛo, A. ghõrā, in cmpds. ghõr -- , B. ghõṛā m., ghũṛi f. (whence Chittagong ghunni ODBL 695), Or. ghoṛā, ˚ṛī, Bi. ghor, ˚rā, OAw. ghora, H. ghoṛ, ghoṛā m., ṛī f. (→ N. Bhoj. ghoṛā, N. ˚ṛi, Bhoj. ˚ṛī), Marw. ghoṛo m., G. ghoṛɔ m., ˚ṛī f., ˚ṛũ n. ʻ poor horse ʼ, M. ghoḍā m., ˚ḍī f., Ko. ghoḍo.

*ghōṭakarūpa -- , *ghōṭāgāra -- .Addenda: ghōṭa -- : S.kcch. ghoṛo m. ʻ horse ʼ, WPah.kṭg. (kc.) ghòṛɔ, m. ʻ horse ʼ, kṭg. ghòṛu m. ʻ small horse, colt ʼ, Garh. ghoṛū m. ʻ horse ʼ, Brj. ghoṛo, ghoro m., ghoṛī, ghorī f.(CDIAL 4516)

https://www.123rf.com/photo_54664264_indian-wild-ass-or-baluchi-wild-ass-equus-hemionus-khur-also-called-the-ghudkhur-in-the-local-gujara.html

Persepolis.Bottom row shows an Indian bringing in the trophy or gift to the king of a khara 'wild ass'. rebus: khār 'blacksmith'. The person carrying water bags is kuṭi 'water carrier' rebus: kuṭhi 'smelter.

Kharaputta-Jātaka (no. 386) speaks of 'sons of an ass' (kharaputta- in stanza 80) from Sindh as

yoked to the chariot of a king in ancient India.(Jātaka no. 386 p. 278 rājā c'eva ratheyuttasindhavā...

eko ratheyuttasindhavo...). The word of equus hemionus used to pull a royal chariot is thus khara 'wild ass'. The expression khara-gardabha-, is attested in  Matsya-Purāṇa and 20th book of the Paippalāda-Saṃhitā of Atharvaveda (20,39,2). gōr signifies equus hemionus in Baloch and Urdu.    غیره g̠ẖʿyaraʿh, s.f. (3rd) The wild ass or onager. Pl. يْ ey. (Pashto)  

khara is attested in Niya documents of Sinkiang, Nuristani languages of Afghanistan,

and the Dardic Neo-Indo-Aryan languages of North Pakistan and Kashmir and Akkadian (at Mari in Syria) has a cognate ḫārum, ajarum 'donkey stallion' (cf. Mayrhofer 1992 I: 447)..

 I suggest that these are phonetic variants of khara which is the ancient Meluhha form of 3rd m. BCE to signify equus hemionus.

Map showing the historical and current distribution of the Asiatic wild ass (after Feh et al. 2002: 63, Figure 5.1)

The equid kunga written BAR.AN in pre-Sargonic texts is a cross between an onager and a donkey.  Kungas drew ceremonial and war chariots or wheeled vehicles.
https://www.persee.fr/doc/mom_1955-4982_2008_act_49_1_2721 (Jill A Weber, 2008, Elite equids: redefining equid burials of the mid- to late 3rd millennium BCE from Umm el-Marra, Syria, in: MOM Éditions  Année 2008  49  pp. 499-519).

Kenneth C Way, 2010, Assessing Sacred Asss: Bronze Age Donkey burials in the Near East  “This study provides the most comprehensive archaeological survey of deliberate donkey burials in the ancient Near East. It comprises the updated results from a chapter of my doctoral dissertation — The Ceremonial and Symbolic Significance of Donkeys in the Biblical World (Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, 2006). First, donkey burials from sites in Egypt, Israel-Palestine, Syria, and Iraq are summarized in a brief historical overview that spans the entire 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. Second, the donkey burials are interpreted under the rubric of five ceremonial contexts — those associated with human graves, those unrelated to human graves, those situated beneath walls, those situated in a fill covering a temple complex, and finally, those situated in a special tomb beside a temple. This study demonstrates that the donkey held a special status in the ceremonial practices of the ancient Near East.”

https://www.academia.edu/29514509/Assessing_Sacred_Asses_Bronze_Age_Donkey_Burials_in_the_Near_East_2010_ 

  "...there was a special relationship between humans and equids in this region (from Egypt to Mesopotmia)." This comment of Francesco Alhaique et al 2015, relates to the discussion on the burial of 3rd m.BCE, of what appears to be an Equus Hemionus (Onager).

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284028299_A_Sumerian_equid_burial_from_Abu_Tbeirah_Southern_Iraq  

https://www.academia.edu/18499730/A_Sumerian_equid_burial_from_Abu_Tbeirah_Southern_Iraq_POSTER

Alhaique, Francesca & Romano, Licia & Gabbianelli, Federica & Valentini, Alessio & D'Agostino, Franco. (2015). A Sumerian equid burial from Abu Tbeirah (Southern Iraq).Conference: 8° Convegno Nazionale AIAZ -- Associazione Italiana Archeo Zoologia.

Parpola, Asko, and Juha Janhunen, 2011. On the Asiatic wild asses and their vernacular names. Pp. 59-124 in: Toshiki Osada and Hitoshi Endo (eds.), Linguistics, archaeology and the human past: Occasional paper 12. Kyoto: Indus Project, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature. 

Sign 177 (Mahadevan ASI 1977 COncordance Signlist)

śrēṣṭrī 'ladder' Rebus: seṭh ʻ head of a guild, Members of the guild (working with a furnace). [Alternative: panǰā́r ‘ladder, stairs’ (Bshk.)(CDIAL 7760) Rebus: pasra ‘smithy’ (Santali)]

Thus, guild-master of the guild of blacksmiths. 

badhi ‘to ligature, to bandage, to splice, to join by successive rolls of a ligature’ (Santali) batā bamboo slips (Kur.); bate = thin slips of bamboo (Malt.)(DEDR 3917). Rebus: baḍhi = worker in wood and metal (Santali) baṛae = blacksmith (Ash.)

kolmo ‘three’ (Mu.); rebus: kolimi ‘smithy’ (Te.)

khaṇḍ ‘division’; rebus: kaṇḍ ‘furnace’ (Santali) khaḍā ‘circumscribe’ (M.); Rebs: khaḍā ‘nodule (ore), stone’ (M.)

bharna = the name given to the woof by weavers; otor bharna = warp and weft (Santali.lex.) bharna = the woof, cross-thread in weaving (Santali); bharni_ (H.) (Santali.Boding.lex.) Rebus: bhoron = a mixture of brass and bell metal (Santali.lex.) bharan = to spread or bring out from a kiln (P.lex.) bha_ran. = to bring out from a kiln (G.)  ba_ran.iyo = one whose profession it is to sift ashes or dust in a goldsmith’s workshop (G.lex.) bharant (lit. bearing) is used in the plural in Pan~cavim.s’a Bra_hman.a (18.10.8). Sa_yan.a interprets this as ‘the warrior caste’ (bharata_m – bharan.am kurvata_m ks.atriya_n.a_m). *Weber notes this as a reference to the Bharata-s. (Indische Studien, 10.28.n.2)

kuṭi = a slice, a bit, a small piece (Santali.lex.Bodding) Rebus: kuṭhi ‘iron smelter furnace’ (Santali)

Hieroglyph ḍhaṁkaṇa 'lid' rebus dhakka 'excellent, bright, blazing metal article' 

meḍhi 'plait' meḍ 'iron'; daürā 'rope' Rebus dhāvḍā 'smelter'

kṣōḍa m. ʻ post to which an elephant is fastened ʼ lex. [Poss. conn. with *khuṭṭa -- 1 with kh -- sanskritized as kṣ -- ]Pk. khōḍa -- m. ʻ boundary post ʼ, ˚ḍī -- f. ʻ big piece of wood, wooden bolt ʼ, taṁtukkhōḍī -- f. ʻ peg in a loom ʼ; N. khoriyo ʻ land on which trees have been cut and burnt and crops sown ʼ (< ʻ *having stumps ʼ?); H. khoṛ m. ʻ piece of wood ʼ, ˚ṛā m. ʻ stocks, handcuffs ʼ, khoṛkā m. ʻ stump of a tree ʼ; G. khoṛ n. ʻ large block of wood ʼ; M. khoḍ n. ʻ trunk or stump of a tree ʼ, ˚ḍā m. ʻ stocks for criminals ʼ.(CDIAL 3748) *khuṭṭa1 ʻ peg, post ʼ. 2. *khuṇṭa -- 1. [Same as *khuṭṭa -- 2? -- See also kṣōḍa -- .]1. Ku. khuṭī ʻ peg ʼ; N. khuṭnu ʻ to stitch ʼ (der. *khuṭ ʻ pin ʼ as khilnu from khil s.v. khīˊla -- ); Mth. khuṭā ʻ peg, post ʼ; H. khūṭā m. ʻ peg, stump ʼ; Marw. khuṭī f. ʻ peg ʼ; M. khuṭā m. ʻ post ʼ.2. Pk. khuṁṭa -- , khoṁṭaya -- m. ʻ peg, post ʼ; Dm. kuṇḍa ʻ peg for fastening yoke to plough -- pole ʼ; L. khū̃ḍī f. ʻ drum -- stick ʼ; P. khuṇḍ, ˚ḍā m. ʻ peg, stump ʼ; WPah. rudh. khuṇḍ ʻ tethering peg or post ʼ; A. khũṭā ʻ post ʼ, ˚ṭi ʻ peg ʼ; B. khũṭā, ˚ṭi ʻ wooden post, stake, pin, wedge ʼ; Or. khuṇṭa, ˚ṭā ʻ pillar, post ʼ; Bi. (with -- ḍa -- ) khũṭrā, ˚rī ʻ posts about one foot high rising from body of cart ʼ; H. khū̃ṭā m. ʻ stump, log ʼ, ˚ṭī f. ʻ small peg ʼ (→ P. khū̃ṭā m., ˚ṭī f. ʻ stake, peg ʼ); G. khū̃ṭ f. ʻ landmark ʼ, khũṭɔ m., ˚ṭī f. ʻ peg ʼ, ˚ṭũ n. ʻ stump ʼ, ˚ṭiyũ n. ʻ upright support in frame of wagon ʼ, khū̃ṭṛũ n. ʻ half -- burnt piece of fuel ʼ; M. khũṭ m. ʻ stump of tree, pile in river, grume on teat ʼ (semant. cf. kīla -- 1 s.v. *khila -- 2), khũṭā m. ʻ stake ʼ, ˚ṭī f. ʻ wooden pin ʼ, khũṭaḷṇẽ ʻ to dibble ʼ.Addenda: *khuṭṭa -- 1. 2. *khuṇṭa -- 1: WPah.kṭg. khv́ndɔ ʻ pole for fencing or piling grass round ʼ (Him.I 35 nd poss. wrong for ṇḍ); J. khuṇḍā m. ʻ peg to fasten cattle to ʼ.(CDIAL 3893)

Rebus: Blaze: Manḍ. gudgā- to blaze; gudva flame. Kuwi (Ṭ.) gudva, (F.) gūdūvwa, (S.) guduwa id.(DEDR 1715) Blaze is a very large or fiercely burning fire..

Kanmer elephant seal, Gola Dhoro (Bagasra)  5 seals and 1 sealing

Sources: http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/_/rsrc/1257423475464/kanmer/DSCN0193.png?height=420&width=399

Decipherment of Gola Dhoro seals: 

GD1: 

kondh ‘young bull’. kũdār ‘turner, brass-worker’. sangaDa 'lathe, brazier' rebus: sangAta 'collection' (of metalwork) koTiya 'rings on neck' rebus: kotiya 'baghlah dhow, cargo boat'. 

aya, ayo 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal' PLUS adaren 'lid' rebus: aduru 'unsmelted metal' PLUS gaNDA 'four' rebus: khaNDa 'implements'. Thus metal implements of unsmelted metal.

bhaTa 'warrior' rebus: bhaTa 'furnace'

dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'metal casting' PLUS kamaTha 'bow and arrow' rebus: kammaTa 'mint, coiner, coinage'. Thus metal castings from furnace of mint.

kanac 'corner' rebus; kancu 'bronze'. Thus, the seal signifies metalwork of: unsmelted metal, bronze, implements and furnace work/metal castings in a mint.

GD2: 

kondh ‘young bull’. kũdār ‘turner, brass-worker’. sangaDa 'lathe, brazier' rebus: sangAta 'collection' (of metalwork) koTiya 'rings on neck' rebus: kotiya 'baghlah dhow, cargo boat'. 

koDa 'one' rebus: koD 'workshop' PLUS dula 'two' rebus: dul 'metal casting' Thus, metal casting workshop.

'khambhaṛā 'fish fin'rebus: kammaTa 'mint, coiner, coinage' PLUS ayo, aya 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal' Thus, metal mint, coiner, coinage.

badhi ‘to ligature, to bandage, to splice, to join by successive rolls of a ligature’ (Santali) batā bamboo slips (Kur.); bate = thin slips of bamboo (Malt.)(DEDR 3917). Rebus: baḍhi = worker in wood and metal (Santali) baṛae = blacksmith (Ash.)

dhāḷ 'a slope'; 'inclination' rebus: dhALako 'ingot' PLUS kANDa 'notch' rebus: khaNDa 'implements'
koDi 'flag' rebus: koD 'workshop' Thus, workshop for ingots, implements.

dula 'two' rebus: dul 'metal castings' kole.l 'temple' rebus: kole.l 'smithy, forge'. 
Thus metal castings smithy/forge.

GD3: 

kondh ‘young bull’. kũdār ‘turner, brass-worker’. sangaDa 'lathe, brazier' rebus: sangAta 'collection' (of metalwork) koTiya 'rings on neck' rebus: kotiya 'baghlah dhow, cargo boat'. 
kolmo 'rice plant' rebus; kolimi 'smithy, forge' PLUS kolom 'three' rebus: 
kolimi 'smithy, forge' (Phonetic determinant)

GD4
kondh ‘young bull’. kũdār ‘turner, brass-worker’. sangaDa 'lathe, brazier' rebus: sangAta 'collection' (of metalwork) koTiya 'rings on neck' rebus: kotiya 'baghlah dhow, cargo boat'. 

ayo, aya 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal' PLUS kut.ila = bent, crooked (Skt.) kut.ila (Skt. Rasaratna samuccaya, 5.205)
kut.ila, katthi_l = bronze (8 parts copper and 2 parts tin) [cf. a_ra-ku_t.a, ‘brass’ (Skt.)] dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'metal casting'. Thus, metacasting work in bronze.

GD5

kondh ‘young bull’. kũdār ‘turner, brass-worker’. sangaDa 'lathe, brazier' rebus: sangAta 'collection' (of metalwork) koTiya 'rings on neck' rebus: kotiya 'baghlah dhow, cargo boat'. 

kanac 'corner' rebus: kancu 'bronze'

dula 'two' rebus: dul 'metal casting'. Thus metal casting in bronze.

ayo, aya 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal'

gaNDa 'four' Rebus: khaNDa 'metal implements' aya 'fish' Rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal' aDaren 'lid' Rebus: aduru 'native metal'

GD6

kondh ‘young bull’. kũdār ‘turner, brass-worker’. sangaDa 'lathe, brazier' rebus: sangAta 'collection' (of metalwork) koTiya 'rings on neck' rebus: kotiya 'baghlah dhow, cargo boat'. 

kolom 'three' rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge'

eraka 'nave of wheel' rebus: eraka 'moltencast, copper'; Ara 'spokes' rebus: arA 'brass'. Thus brass forge, smithy.

'khambhaṛā 'fish fin'rebus: kammaTa 'mint, coiner, coinage' PLUS ayo, aya 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal' Thus, metal mint, coiner, coinage.

adaran 'harrow' rebus: aduru 'unsmelted metal'

bhaTa 'warrior' rebus: bhaTa 'furnace' 

kanka, karNaka, ' rim of jar Rebus: kanda kanka 'fire-trench account, karṇi supercargo' karNika 'helmsman, merchantman' .

meD 'body' rebus: med 'iron' PLUS karNaka 'spread legs' rebus: karNI 'Supercargo' karNika 'engraver, account'.

See: http://www.harappa.com/goladhoro/Shikarpur-2008-2009.pdf Excavations at Shikarpur, Gujarat 2008 - 2009

At Shikarpur were found, in addition to an inscribed square terracotta tablet, two terracotta sealings with possible textile (?) marks or impressions of threat and knot, on the obverse. Thumb-nail impressions, like crescent marks are found all around one seealing which also shows a one-horned young bull joined with the heads of a bull and an antelope looking backwards (See d in Figure). A second sealing has impressions from three different inscribed seals.

The legible glyphs on seal (a) in the Figure are:

A warrior glyph.

Three linear strokes, followed by a horn glyph

Read rebus:  

bhaṭa 'warrior'. Rebus: bhaṭa ‘furnace’

kolom ’three. Rebus: kolami ’smithy, forge’.

kõṭ ‘horn’ Rebus: khoṭa ʻingot forged, alloyʼ Vikalpa: koḍ 'horn' Rebus: koḍ 'workshop'.

The thumb-nail U shaped impressions on the Shikarpur sealings may denote:

U Glyph: baṭhu m. ‘large pot in which grain is parched.

Rebus: baṭi, bhaṭi ‘furnace’ (H.) Rebus: baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (G.) baṭa = kiln (Santali). 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); bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (G.) baṭa = kiln (Santali); bhaṭṭha -- m.n. ʻ gridiron (Pkt.)  baṭhu large cooking fire’ baṭhī f. ‘distilling furnace’; L. bhaṭṭh m. ‘grain—parcher's oven’, bhaṭṭhī f. ‘kiln, distillery’, awāṇ. bhaṭh; P. bhaṭṭh m., ṭhī f. ‘furnace’, bhaṭṭhā m. ‘kiln’; S. bhaṭṭhī keṇī ‘distil (spirits)’.  (CDIAL 9656)

Shikarpur 2009. Terracotta inscribed square tablet and terracott sealings with inscribed seal impressions.

Shikarpur 2009: Copper implements.

Khirsara. During 1976-77 exploration, an Archaeological Survey of India official discovered a big cubical weight, chunks of pottery, sprinklers and spouts of red polished ware from the site. In December 2009, a team from the Vadodara division of the Archaeological Survey of India started excavation at this site after the discovery of a 300 m² fortification wall. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khirasara

A bar seal with writing in Harappan script. Only one other bar seal figures in the total of 11 seals found so far in Khirsara. The entire metalware catalog of the inscription on the tablet reads:

meḍ 'iron'+ tagaram'tin'+ dul aduru 'cast native metal'.+ ayah, ayas 'metal' + aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace+ dhātu 'mineral'+ kolimi kanka 'smithy/forge account (scribe)'. 

Thus, the smithy forge account is for iron, tin, cast native metal, unsmelted native metal, metal (alloy), mineral.

A bar seal with writing in Harappan script. Only one other bar seal figures in the total of 11 seals found so far in Khirsara.

Rebus readings of Indus writing (from r.): मेंढरी [ mēṇḍharī ] f A piece in architecture. मेंधला [mēndhalā] m In architecture. A common term for the two upper arms of a double चौकठ (door-frame) connecting the two. Called also मेंढरी & घोडा. It answers to छिली the name of the two lower arms or connections. (Marathi) meḍhi ‘pillar’. Rebus: meḍ 'iron'.

tagaraka 'tabernae montana' Rebus: tagaram'tin' (Malayalam)

sangaḍa ‘bangles’ (Pali). Rebus: sangaḍa ‘lathe, furnace’. saghaḍī = furnace (G.) Rebus: jaṅgaḍ ‘entrustment articles’ sangaḍa ‘association, guild’. dula 'pair' Rebus: dul ‘casting’.

Ku. koṭho ʻlarge square houseʼ Rebus: Md. kořāru ʻstorehouseʼ

maĩd ʻrude harrow or clod breakerʼ (Marathi) rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron'

Alternative: aḍar ‘harrow’ Rebus: aduru = gaṇiyinda tegadu karagade iruva aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Kannada) dula 'pair' Rebus: dul ‘casting’. Thus the composite glyph reds dul aduru 'cast native metal'.

ayo ‘fish’ (Mu.) Rebus: aya = iron (G.); ayah, ayas = metal (Skt.)

ḍato = claws of crab (Santali); dhātu = mineral (Skt.), dhatu id. (Santali) 

kanka 'rim-of-jar' Rebus: furnace account (scribe); khanaka 'miner' (Skt.). kolom 'three' Rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge' (Telugu) The ligature of three strokes with rim-of-jar hieroglyph thus reads: kolimi kanka 'smithy/forge account (scribe)'.

Some Important Aspects of Technology and Craft Production in the Indus Civilization with Specific Reference to Gujarat

Kuldeep Bhan

It is really nice in a paper to be able to speak to both what is happening now, at the cutting-edge of bead, shell and faience making Indus craftsmanship and discoveries, and be able to relate traditions back to their earliest appearance. This is exactly what Kuldeep Bhan's lucid article achieves. In the cases of bead and shell-making, each can be traced back to the 7th millennium (6000-5000 BCE) activity along the coasts of the Gulf (Oman), Makran (Balochistan and SIndh) and Kutch (Gujarat), where the crafts were integrated into a larger trade, manufacture and raw material eco-system. To the reader today, it is quite surprising at how sophisticated and specialized that system actually was. Bhan, a leading Indus archaeologist and excavator of Gujarat sites whose focus here is on Indus exemplars, manages to show how these very traditions were built upon thousands of years of innovation and optimization that we are just beginning to appreciate.
The 20 page paper draws of many strands of the author's work, done both before and together with him, of analysis and excavations by Massimo Vidale and Jonathan Mark Kenoyer. He parses the intricate specialization in raw material gathering, stockpiling, preparation and production that seems to have been done in separate locations during ancient Indus times, implying a vigorous transportation network. For example, with respect to Gola Dhoro (Bagasra, Gujarat), he writes that "the presence of a few good quality shells of Turbinella pyrum and a broken stone dish perhaps also suggest that this area belonged to merchants dealing primarily with the supply of stone raw material to the bead makers of the settlement as well as other Harappan bead making workshops. We already have started mapping the resource areas of these stones, it appears the stone material especially (red-green-white) jasper was brought to the site approximately 70km south of the site in Saurashatra" (p. 53). Another small fortified site in Gujara, Shikarpur, reveals evidence of drills made of exceptionally strong "Ernestite" stone unique to Indus craftsmen possibly on a larger scale than anywhere else, even the urban centers. At the same time, Chanhu-daro seems to be the only place where the most exquisite long carnelian beads also found in ancient Mesopotamia were made.
Bhan says "Shell working is the industry we have the clearest picture of urban segregation and about the sequential stages of manufacture of various types of objects during Harappan times. The study of shell, which is one of the most durable materials in the archaeological context, has helped us to reconstruct the trade networks within the Indus Valley and adjoining regions" (p. 59). Again, regional specializations and tailoring of manufacture seem to have been prevalent as well as extensive supply networks; there is also discussion of particular manufacturing techniques and practices, some of which still prevail, particularly in Gujarat. Nageshwar in the Gulf of Kutch seems offer a rich set of finds, and everywhere one is impressed by how Indus craftsmen used every part of raw shell material for different kinds of goods.
The author concludes "The study of various crafts is a growing field investigation in the archaeology of South Asia. Though some archaeologists still prefer to refer to them as ‘miscellaneous small finds’, most of the scholars agree that they provide a unique perspective on ancient trade, networks, technological and economic organization, wealth and social hierarchy, ritual symbols, as well as chronological changes. With the adaptation of rigorous excavation and recovery methods along with ethnoarchaeological studies a lot of useful information has been forthcoming from many recently excavated sites, though we still need to learn much more about the ancient crafts to see distinct patterns of continuity and change that provides a more comprehensive understanding of the role played by these crafts in human history" (p. 65).
Image: Gola Dhoro (Bagasra). Beads, bead blanks and tapered cylindrical drills (photograph by K. K. Bhan).

 Some Important Aspects of Technology and Craft Production

Unicorn Amulet Seal

By StephanieV. December 15th, 2014

Only a few specimens of this unicorn amulet-type seal have been found. One was during Marshall's excavations at Mohenjo-daro in the 1920s (top), another at Dholavira a few years ago (bottom). It appears to have been worn around the neck, and have had room for something to be put inside.

Although Marshall himself did not favor the amulet theory, he wrote of one of these seals: "The amulet theory finds some support, however, in the shape of ... [a] seal [which] measures 0.77 in. square and 0.3 in. thick, excluding its boss. The interior has been carefully hollowed out to form a compartment measuring 0.65 in. square by 0.1 in. deep. This little chamber was formerly closed by a sliding cover that fitted into grooves closed fitted into grooves cut into two sides of the seal. Practically all the face of the seal is missing, but enough remains to show that the animal represented on it was the unicorn and that there was the usual line of inscription above it ... Owing to its necessarily small size, the compartment would be of little use except to hold a sacred object. This may have been an inscribed copper tablet, similar to the many found at Mohenjo-daro, or an inscription written on some material such as bark or leather, which could conveniently be folded up small. This type of seal would, like the Egyptian scarab, serve the dual purpose of amulet and seal." (Marshall, Mohenjo-daro, p. 382-3).

Unique Unicorn Seal as part of some sort of container found at Gola Dhoro.

Ancient Indus seal found at Gola Dhoro, frontal view.

Rebus readings of Meluhha Indus writing on the exquisite socketed seal of Bagasra (Gola Dhoro) 

This seal (GD1) was discovered in the gateway of the city wall at Gola Dhoro (Bagasra). 

The socket might have held a lid to enclose a tablet containing some other message(s) to complete the metalware catalog created by the inscriptions on three sides of the uniquely fashioned seal. Alternatively,the socket might have held further details of the bill of lading or brief contract document, explaining the brilliant,blazing alloy metal cargo consignment, with an assurance that the invoice is on approval basis: sangad 'combination of parts of lathe PLUS portable furnace -- kunda 'lather' PLUS kammata 'portable furnace' rebus: kunda 'fine gold' PLUS kammaTa 'mint', i.e. rebus: jangad 'invoice on approval basis'. Was the tablet held in the socketed seal of Gola Dhoro written in cuneiform script? We can only speculate.

Pictorial motif of a one-horned young bull in front of standard device is common to all the five seals of Gola Dhoro (Bagasra) and a sealing of Gola Dhoro:  kod.iyum 'young bull' (Gujarati); Rebus: kot.e 'forge'; kod. 'workshop'. sangad.a 'lathe, furnace'. Rebus: jangad 'entrustment note' (Gujarati) 

^ glyph as a pictorial (lid) Lexemes: aḍaren, ḍaren lid, cover (Santali) Rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ (Ka.) Alternative:  ays 'iron' PLUS dhakka 'lid of pot' rebus: dhakka 'bright' Thus, ayo dhakka 'brilliant, bright alloy metal'

The word for a 'set of four' is: gaṇḍa (Santali); bar gaṇḍa poesa = two annas; pon gaṇḍa aphor menaka, there are 16 bunches of rice seedlings; gaṇḍa guṇḍa to be broken into pieces or fragments; fragments; gaṇḍa guṭi to dive, to make up an account; the system of 'gaṇḍa guṭi' is to put down a pebble, or any other small object, as the name of each person entitled to share is mentioned. Then a share is placed alongside of each pebble, or whatever else laid down. (Santali.lex.) Thus, the complex glyph is read: aduru ayo kaṇḍ 'native metal furnace'. Alternatively, ayo dhakka kaṇḍ  'bright,blazing alloy metal equipment'

bhaṭa ‘warrior’; bhaṭa ‘six’ (G.) Rebus: baṭa = kiln (Santali); baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) kamaṛkom = fig leaf (Santali.lex.) kamarmaṛā (Has.), kamaṛkom (Nag.); the petiole or stalk of a leaf (Mundari.lex.) Glyph: gan.d.a ‘male person, hero’

kāmaṭhum = a bow; kāmaḍī, kāmaḍum = a chip of bamboo (G.) Rebus: kampaṭṭam coinage, coin (Ta.); kammaṭṭam, kammiṭṭam coinage, mint (Ma.); kammatia coiner (Ka.)(DEDR 1236) kammaṭa = coinage, mint (Ka.M.) kampaṭṭa-k-kūṭam mint; kampaṭṭa-k-kāran- coiner; kampaṭṭa- muḷai die, coining stamp (Ta.lex.)

Explaining the pair of bows:

Glyph: dol ‘likeness, picture, form’ [e.g., two tigers, two bulls, sign-pair.]

Kashmiri. dula दुल । युग्मम् m. a pair, a couple, esp. of two similar things (Rām. 966).

ḍol ‘the shaft of an arrow, an arrow’ (Santali)

Rebus: dul meṛeḍ  cast iron (Mundari. Santali) dul ‘to cast metal in a mould’ (Santali)
pasra meṛed, pasāra meṛed = syn. of koṭe meṛed = forged iron, in contrast to dul meṛed, cast iron (Mundari.lex.) 

Forge -- Metal Turner Workshop

sal “stake, spike, splinter, thorn, difficulty” (H.);

Rebus: sal ‘workshop’ (Santali); s’a_la id. (Skt.)

Turner

kundau, kundhi corner (Santali) kuṇḍa corner (S.): khoṇḍ square (Santali)  *khuṇṭa2 ʻ corner ʼ. 2. *kuṇṭa -- 2. [Cf. *khōñca -- ] 1. Phal. khun ʻ corner ʼ; H. khū̃ṭ m. ʻ corner, direction ʼ (→ P. khũṭ f. ʻ corner, side ʼ); G. khū̃ṭṛī f. ʻ angle ʼ. <-> X kōṇa -- : G. khuṇ f., khū˘ṇɔ m. ʻ corner ʼ. 2. S. kuṇḍa f. ʻ corner ʼ; P. kū̃ṭ f. ʻ corner, side ʼ (← H.).(CDIAL 3898).

Rebus: kunda1 m. ʻ a turner's lathe ʼ lex. [Cf. *cunda -- 1] N. kũdnu ʻ to shape smoothly, smoothe, carve, hew ʼ, kũduwā ʻ smoothly shaped ʼ; A. kund ʻ lathe ʼ, kundiba ʻ to turn and smooth in a lathe ʼ, kundowā ʻ smoothed and rounded ʼ; B. kũd ʻ lathe ʼ, kũdā, kõdā ʻ to turn in a lathe ʼ; Or. kū˘nda ʻ lathe ʼ, kũdibā, kū̃d° ʻ to turn ʼ (→ Drav. Kur. kū̃d ʻ lathe ʼ); Bi.kund ʻ brassfounder's lathe ʼ; H. kunnā ʻ to shape on a lathe ʼ, kuniyā m. ʻ turner ʼ, kunwā m. (CDIAL 3295). kundakara m. ʻ turner ʼ W. [Cf. *cundakāra -- : kunda -- 1, kará -- 1] 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).  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).

Ka. kunda a pillar of bricks, etc. Tu. kunda pillar, post. Te. kunda id. Malt. kunda block, log. ? Cf. Ta. kantu pillar, post.(DEDR 1723). கற்கந்து kaṟ-kantu , n. < கல் +. Stone pillar; கற்றூண். கற்கந்தும் எய்ப்போத்தும் . . . அனை யார் (இறை. 2, உரை, 27).

kolom 'sprout' Rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge'. kolmo 'three' Rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge'. An alternative reading could be: tagaraka 'tabernae montana' Rebus: tagaram 'tin'. Thus, the inscription may read: tagaram kolami 'tin smithy/forge'.

Gola Dhoro (Bagasra) GD5 seal. Rebus readings of inscription:

^ glyph as a pictorial (lid) Lexemes: aḍaren, ḍaren lid, cover (Santali) Rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ (Ka.) Alternative:  ays 'iron' PLUS dhakka 'lid of pot' rebus: dhakka 'bright' Thus, ayo dhakka 'brilliant, bright alloy metal'

The word for a 'set of four' is: gan.d.a (Santali); bar gan.d.a poesa = two annas; pon gan.d.a aphor menaka, there are 16 bunches of rice seedlings; gan.d.a gun.d.a to be broken into pieces or fragments; fragments; gan.d.a gut.i to dive, to make up an account; the system of 'gan.d.a gut.i' is to put down a pebble, or any other small object, as the name of each person entitled to share is mentioned. Then a share is placed alongside of each pebble, or whatever else laid down. (Santali.lex.) Thus, the complex glyph is read: aduru ayo kaṇḍ 'native metal furnace'.

ayo, hako 'fish'; a~s = scales of fish (Santali); rebus: aya = iron (G.); ayah, ayas = metal (Skt.)

Kashmiri. dula दुल । युग्मम् m. a pair, a couple, esp. of two similar things (Rām. 966). Rebus: dul meṛeḍ  cast iron (Mundari. Santali) dul ‘to cast metal in a mould’ (Santali) 

kundau, kundhi corner (Santali) kun.d.a corner (S.); ku~_t. corner, side (P.)(CDIAL 3898).

khon.d. square (Santali)Rebus: kund lathe (A.); kundiba to turn and smooth in a lathe (A.); ku~d lathe (B.); ku~da_, ko~da_ to turn in a lathe (B.); ku~_nda lathe (Or.); ku~diba_, ku~_diba_ to turn (Or. > ku~_d lathe (Kur.); kund brassfounder's lathe (Bi.); kunna_ to shape on a lathe (H.); kuniya_ turner (H.); kunwa_ turner (H.)(CDIAL 3295).

1. Pk. kaṁkaya -- m. ʻ comb ʼ, kaṁkaya -- , °kaï -- m. ʻ name of a tree ʼ; Gy. eur. kangli f.; Wg. kuṇi -- přũ ʻ man's comb ʼ (for kuṇi -- cf. kuṇälík beside kuṅälík s.v. kr̥muka -- ; -- přũ see prapavaṇa -- ); Bshk. kēṅg ʻ comb ʼ, Gaw. khēṅgīˊ, Sv. khḗṅgiā, Phal. khyḗṅgia,  kēṅgī f., kāṅga ʻ combing ʼ in ṣiṣ k° dūm ʻ I comb my hair ʼ; Tor. kyäṅg ʻ comb ʼ (Dard. forms, esp. Gaw., Sv., Phal. but not Sh., prob. ← L. P. type < *kaṅgahiā -- , see 3 below); Sh. kōṅyi̯ f. (→ Ḍ. k*lṅi f.), gil. (Lor.) kōĩ f. ʻ man's comb ʼ, kōũ m. ʻ woman's comb ʼ, pales. kōgōm. ʻ comb ʼ; K. kanguwu m. ʻ man's comb ʼ, kangañ f. ʻ woman's ʼ; WPah. bhad. kãˊkei ʻ a comb -- like fern ʼ, bhal. kãkei f. ʻ comb, plant with comb -- like leaves ʼ; N. kāṅiyo, kāĩyo ʻ comb ʼ, A. kã̄kai, . kã̄kui; Or. kaṅkāi,  kaṅkuā ʻ comb ʼ, kakuā ʻ ladder -- like bier for carrying corpse to the burning -- ghat ʼ; Bi. kakwā ʻ comb ʼ, kakahā, °hī, Mth. kakwā, Aw. lakh. kakawā, Bhoj. kakahī f.; H. kakaiyā ʻ shaped like a comb (of a brick) ʼ; G. (non -- Aryan tribes of Dharampur) kākhāī f. ʻ comb ʼ; M. kaṅkvā m. ʻ comb ʼ, kã̄kaī f. ʻ a partic. shell fish and its shell ʼ; -- S. kaṅgu m. ʻ a partic. kind of small fish ʼ < *kaṅkuta -- ? -- Ext. with -- l -- in Ku. kã̄gilo, kāĩlo ʻ comb ʼ.2. G. (Soraṭh) kã̄gaṛ m. ʻ a weaver's instrument ʼ?3. L. kaṅghī f. ʻ comb, a fish of the perch family ʼ, awāṇ. kaghī ʻ comb ʼ; P. kaṅghā m. ʻ large comb ʼ, °ghī f. ʻ small comb for men, large one for women ʼ (→ H.kaṅghā m. ʻ man's comb ʼ, °gahī, °ghī f. ʻ woman's ʼ, kaṅghuā m. ʻ rake or harrow ʼ; Bi. kãgahī ʻ comb ʼ, Or. kaṅgei, M. kaṅgvā); -- G. kã̄gsī f. ʻ comb ʼ, with metath. kã̄sko m., °kī f.; WPah. khaś. kāgśī, śeu. kāśkī ʻ a comblike fern ʼ or < *kaṅkataśikha -- .*kaṅkatakara -- , *kaṅkataśikha -- .Addenda: káṅkata -- : WPah.kṭg. kaṅgi f. ʻ comb ʼ; J. kāṅgṛu m. ʻ small comb .kaṅkatakara CDIAL 2599 *kaṅkatakara ʻ comb -- maker ʼ. [káṅkata -- , kará -- 1]H. kãgherā m. ʻ caste of comb -- makers ʼ, °rī f. ʻ a woman of this caste ʼ.

kāmsako, kāmsiyo = a large sized comb (G.) Rebus: kaṁsa= bronze (Te.) kã̄sāri  ʻpewterer’ (Bengali)  kãsārī; H. kasārī  m. ʻ maker of brass pots’ (Or.) Rebus: kaṁsá1 m. ʻ metal cup ʼ AV., m.n. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ Pat. as in S., but would in Pa. Pk. and most NIA. lggs. collide with kāˊṁsya -- to which L. P. testify and under which the remaining forms for the metal are listed. 2. *kaṁsikā -- .1. Pa. kaṁsa -- m. ʻ bronze dish ʼ; S. kañjho m. ʻ bellmetal ʼ; A. kã̄h ʻ gong ʼ; Or. kãsā ʻ big pot of bell -- metal ʼ; OMarw. kāso (= kã̄ -- ?) m. ʻ bell -- metal tray for food, food ʼ; G. kã̄sā m. pl. ʻ cymbals ʼ; -- perh. Woṭ. kasṓṭ m. ʻ metal pot ʼ Buddruss Woṭ 109. 2. Pk. kaṁsiā -- f. ʻ a kind of musical instrument ʼ; A. kã̄hi ʻ bell -- metal dish ʼ; G. kã̄śī f. ʻ bell -- metal cymbal ʼ,kã̄śiyɔ m. ʻopen bellmetal panʼ kāˊṁsya -- ; -- *kaṁsāvatī -- ? Addenda: kaṁsá -- 1: A. kã̄h also ʻ gong ʼ or < kāˊṁsya – (CDIAL 2576). kāṁsya ʻ made of bell -- metal ʼ KātyŚr., n. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ Yājñ., ʻ cup of bell -- metal ʼ MBh., aka -- n. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ. 2. *kāṁsiya -- .[kaṁsá -- 1] 1. Pa. kaṁsa -- m. (?) ʻ bronze ʼ, Pk. kaṁsa -- , kāsa -- n. ʻ bell -- metal, drinking vessel, cymbal ʼ; L. (Jukes) kã̄jā adj. ʻ of metal ʼ, awāṇ. kāsā ʻ jar ʼ (← E with -- s-- , not ñj); N. kã̄so ʻ bronze, pewter, white metal ʼ, kas -- kuṭ ʻ metal alloy ʼ; A. kã̄h ʻ bell -- metal ʼ, B. kã̄sā, Or. kãsā, Bi. kã̄sā; Bhoj. kã̄s ʻ bell -- metal ʼ,kã̄sā ʻ base metal ʼ; H. kās, kã̄sā m. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ, G. kã̄sũ n., M. kã̄sẽ n.; Ko. kã̄śẽ n. ʻ bronze ʼ; Si. kasa ʻ bell -- metal ʼ. 2. L. kã̄ihã̄ m. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ, P. kã̄ssī, kã̄sī f., H. kã̄sī f.*kāṁsyakara -- , kāṁsyakāra -- , *kāṁsyakuṇḍikā -- , kāṁsyatāla -- , *kāṁsyabhāṇḍa -- .Addenda: kāṁsya -- : A. kã̄h also ʻ gong ʼ, or < kaṁsá -- . (CDIAL 2987).*kāṁsyakara ʻ worker in bell -- metal ʼ. [See next: kāṁsya -- , kará -- 1] L. awāṇ. kasērā ʻ metal worker ʼ, P. kaserā m. ʻ worker in pewter ʼ (both ← E with -- s -- ); N. kasero ʻ maker of brass pots ʼ; Bi. H. kaserā m. ʻ worker in pewter ʼ. (CDIAL 2988). kāṁsyakāra m. ʻ worker in bell -- metal or brass ʼ Yājñ. com., kaṁsakāra -- m. BrahmavP. [kāˊṁsya -- , kāra -- 1] N. kasār ʻ maker of brass pots ʼ; A. kãhār ʻ worker in bell -- metal ʼ; B. kã̄sāri ʻ pewterer, brazier, coppersmith ʼ, Or. kãsārī; H. kasārī m. ʻ maker of brass pots ʼ; G.kãsārɔ, kas m. ʻ coppersmith ʼ; M. kã̄sār, kās m. ʻ worker in white metal ʼ, kāsārḍā m. ʻ contemptuous term for the same ʼ. (CDIAL 2989).

Inscribed unicorn seals from Bagasra, comparative analysis of morphology, carving styles and distribution patterns --Gregg M. Jamison, Bhanu Prakash Sharma, P. Ajithprasad, K Krishnan, Kuldeep K.Bhan, and VH Sonawane (2017)

https://www.academia.edu/36047001/Inscribed_Unicorn_Seals_from_Bagasra_Gujarat_A_Comparative_Analysis_of_Morphology_Carving_Styles_andDistributionPatterns

https://www.academia.edu/18863544/Parpola_Asko_and_Juha_Janhunen_2011._On_the_Asiatic_wild_asses_and_their_vernacular_names._Pp._59-124_in_Toshiki_Osada_and_Hitoshi_Endo_eds._Linguistics_archaeology_and_the_human_past_Occasional_paper_12._Kyoto_Indus_Project_Research_Institute_for_Humanity_and_Nature

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