Hypertext khāra, šē̃ṣṭrĭ̄ 'squirrel’ is plaintext khār 'blacksmith' śrēṣṭhin 'guild-master' (Aitareya Brāhmaṇa) 

https://tinyurl.com/y9ug5h9y) After presenting a long catalogue of metalwork done, the documentation is signed off by the guild-master: hieroglyph: khāra, šē̃ṣṭrĭ̄ 'squirrel’ rebus: śrēṣṭhin 'guild-master'. 

Monkey. 

Triple monkey figurine amulet with hole in center. This miniature carved faience bead or pin ornament shows three monkeys in tight embrace with amused expressions on their faces. Possibly placed on a stick or cord. Possibly molded and carved.

Material: yellow-brown glazed faience
Dimensions: 1.6 cm height, 1.4 cm dia.
Mohenjo-daro, HR 1053
National Museum, Karachi, NMP 50.870
Marshall 1931: pl. CLVIII, 5 https://www.harappa.com/indus/64.html

I submit that Indus Script records three types of monkeys as rebus renderings of metalwork catalogues:

Type 1 Monkey

Hieroglyph: mūhū 'monkey, langur, baboon' rebus: mũhã̄ = the quantity of iron produced at one time in a native smelting furnace of the Kolhes;  iron produced by the Kolhes and formed like a four-cornered piece a little pointed at each end 

Type 2 Monkey

kuṭhāru 'monkey' rebus: 'armourer' Monkey is an Indus Script hieroglyph.

Indus script seal shows horned young bull PLUS monkey as field symbol. कुठारु kuṭhāru 'a monkey' Rebus:  कुठारु  kuṭhāru 'an armourer' (Monier-Williams) PLUS khoṇḍa 'young bull' rebus: kunda 'fine gold' PLUS singi 'horned' rebus: singi 'ornament gold'. Text message: mũha 'ingot shape' rebus: mũha 'ingot' PLUS खांडा [ khāṇḍā] m A jag, notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool).This is a hieroglyph-multiplex: slant PLUS notch: DhAL 'slanted' rebus ḍhāḷako 'large ingot' khaṇḍa 'implements' PLUS dula 'two' rebus: dul 'metal casting' PLUS khāṇḍā m A jag, notch rebus: khaṇḍa'implement' PLUS gaṇḍa'four' rebus: khaṇḍa 'implement' PLUS aya 'fish' rebus: ayas 'alloy metal'. Thus, the message reads alloy metal implement, large ingots. The seal conveys wealth resources: fine gold, ornament gold, armour (jewels), implements, ingots. If the monkey is female, the rebus reading is रत्नी ratnī 'female monkey dressed as woman' rebus ratna 'jewel, gem'.

On this seal, the monkey takes the place of 'standard device' which signifies: 1. kunda'lathe' rebus: kunda'fine gold' PLUS kammata'portable furnace' rebus: kammaṭa'mint, coiner, coinage'

Type 3 Monkey

She is held on a leash of a chain. ūkam, 'Female monkey' rebus: ukku 'steel' रत्नी  ratnī 'female monkey dressed as woman' Indus Script hieroglyphs rebus kuṭhāru 'monkey' rebus: 'armourer' Rebus: ratna 'gifts'; रत्निन् 'possessing or receiving gifts'. रतन   ratana n (Corr. from रत्न S) A gem or jewel. रत्न   ratna n (S) A gem, a jewel, a precious stone. 2 A common term for the fourteen precious things produced by the ocean when it was churned by the gods and giants. See चौदा रत्नें. 3 fig. A term of praise for an excellent thing in general, a jewel. रत्नखचित   ratnakhacita a (S) रत्नजडीत a Set or studded with gems.   रत्नदीप   ratnadīpa m (S) A gem serving as a luminary; a radiant or light-yielding gem. Such gems are fabled to be in Pátál.(Marathi)రత్నము  ratnamu. [Skt.] n. A jewel, precious stone, gem. మణి. A masterpiece of fine thing, the best of its kind of species స్వజాతి శ్రేష్ఠము, నవరత్నములు the nine precious stones, viz., మౌక్తికము a pearl, పద్మరాగము an emerald, వజ్రము a diamond. ప్రవాళము a coral, మరకతము. an emerald నీలము a sapphire, గోమేధికము an agate. పుష్యరాగము a ruby, వైడూర్యము a cat's eye. రత్నాకరము ratn-ākaramu. n. The abode of gems, that is, the ocean. సముద్రము. రత్నావళి ratnā-vaḷi. n. A necklace of gems.

rạth^an र॑थ्न् or rạt^an र॑त्न् । रत्नम्, रत्नभूतः m. (sg. dat. rạtnas र॑त्नस्), a gem, jewel, precious stone (El. rattan, a ruby; Śiv. 525, 855, 1153; Rām. 15-17, 1345; K. 28, 97, 178, 183, 555, 671, 673-5, etc.; H. xii, 10, 12, 14-15, 18, 20); met. (of a person) a jewel of a person, a virtuous and popular person (cf. rāza-r^o, s.v. rāza) (cf. Rām. 1345); (of a thing) the most excellent and admirable of its kind. rạtna-dīph र॑त्न-दीफ् । रत्नदीपः m. (sg. dat. -dīpas -दीपस्), a jewelled lamp used, by Hindūs, in worship (Śiv. 108, 377). -ʦö̃gij^ü -च़ाँ॑गिजू॒ । नीराजना f. lustration of a god, an honoured guest, or the like, by waving a lamp over his or her head (Śiv. 1093 rạt^an-ʦ^a).(Kashmiri)
रत्नम्   ratnam रत्नम् [रमते$त्र रम्-न तान्तादेशः Uṇ.3.14] 1 A gem, jewel, a precious stone; किं रत्नमच्छा मतिः Bv.1.86; न रत्नमन्विष्यति मृग्यते हि तत् Ku.5.45. (The ratnasare said to be either five, nine or fourteen; see the words पञ्चरत्न, नवरत्न, and चतुर्दशरत्न respectively.) -2 Anything valuable or precious, any dear treasure. -3 Anything best or excellent of its kind; (mostly at the end of comp.); जातौ जातौ यदुत्कृष्टं तद् रत्नमभिधीयते Malli; कन्यारत्नमयोनिजन्म भवतामास्ते वयं चार्थिनः Mv.1.3; अग्रेसरीभवतु काञ्चनचक्ररत्नम् Nāg.5.37; so पुत्र˚, स्त्री˚ V.4.25; अपत्य˚ &c. -4 A magnet.(Apte)

 देवजी or देवजीधसाडा   dēvajī or dēvajīdhasāḍā or ड्या m A name given to the male monkey (in monkey-sports) which is accoutred as a man. The female is termed रत्नी. 2 Hence An ugly and awkward fellow.   रत्नी   ratnī f (रत्न) In monkey-sports. A term given to the female monkey habited as a woman.(Marathi)

One of the four panels of tributes from Musri recorded on Shalamaneser III Black Obelisk.(827 BCE)Apart from sakea (animal with horn), there are other animals -- camels with two humps, river-ox, susu, elephant, monkeys, apes -- in the four sculptural frieze registers in row 3 of the Black obelisk of Shalamaneser III are also hieroglyphs which signify in Meluhha (Indian sprachbund, 'language union') tributes of wealth.

rátna n. ʻ gift ʼ RV., ʻ treasure, jewel ʼ Mn. [√raṇ1] Pa. ratana -- n. ʻ jewel ʼ, Pk. rayaṇa -- , ladaṇa -- m.n., Si. ruvan -- a.(CDIAL 10600) ratnākara m. ʻ jewel -- mine, ocean ʼ Kāv. [rátna -- , ākara -- ]
Pa. ratanākara -- m. ʻ mine of jewels or precious metals ʼ, Pk. rayanāara -- m.; -- Si. ruvanāra ʻ ocean ʼ (EGS 148) prob. ← Pa.(CDIAL 10601) रत्न n. ( √1. रा) a gift , present , goods , wealth , riches RV. AV. S3Br.; a magnet , loadstone Kap. Sch. (cf. मणि); रत्न--हविस् n. a partic. oblation in the राजसूय (having reference to persons who may be reckoned among a king's most valuable treasures) Ka1tyS3r. (cf. रत्न्/इन्). रत्निन् mfn. possessing or receiving gifts RV.; m. pl. N. of certain persons in whose dwelling the रत्न-हविस् (q.v.) is offered by a king (viz. the ब्राह्मण , राजन्य , महिषी , परिवृक्ती , सेना-नी , सूत ,ग्राम-णी , क्षत्तृ , संग्रहीतृ , भाग-दुघ , and अक्षावाप) TBr. S3Br.( °नि-त्व n. TBr. )

This is the figure of रत्नी  ratnī a monkey dressed as woman:

Ratana¹ (nt.) [cp. Vedic ratna, gift; the BSk. form is ratna (Divy 26) as well as ratana (AvŚ ii.199)] 1. (lit.) a gem, jewel VvA 321 (not=ratana², as Hardy in Index); PvA 53 (nānāvidhāni). -- The 7 ratanas are enum^d under veḷuriya (Miln 267). They are (the precious minerals) suvaṇṇa, rajata, muttā, maṇi, veḷuriya, vajira, pavāḷa. (So at Abhp 490.) These 7 are said to be used in the outfit of a ship to give it more splendour: J ii.112. The 7 (unspecified) are mentioned at Th 2, 487 (satta ratanāni vasseyya vuṭṭhimā "all seven kinds of gems"); and at DhA i.274, where it is said of a ratana -- maṇḍapa that in it there were raised flags "sattaratana -- mayā." On ratana in similes see J.P.T.S. 1909, 127. -- 2. (fig.) treasure, gem of ( -- ˚) Sn 836 (etādisaŋ r.=dibb' itthi -- ratana SnA 544); Miln 262 (dussa˚ a very fine garment). -- Usually as a set of 7 valuables, belonging to the throne (the empire) of a (world -- ) king. Thus at D ii.16 sq.; of Mahā -- Sudassana D ii.172 sq. They are enum^d singly as follows: the wheel (cakka) D ii.172 sq., the elephant (hatthi, called Uposatha) D ii.174, 187, 197; the horse (assa, Valāhaka) ibid.; the gem (maṇi) D ii.175, 187; the woman (itthi) ibid.; the treasurer (gahapati) D ii.176, 188; the adviser (pariṇāyaka) ibid. The same 7 are enum^d at D i.89; Sn p. 106; DA i.250; also at J iv.232, where their origins (homes) are given as: cakka˚ out of Cakkadaha; hatthi from the Uposatha -- race; assa˚ from the clan of Valāhassarāja, maṇi˚ from Vepulla, and the last 3 without specification. See also remarks on gahapati. Kern, Toev. s. v. ratana suspects the latter to be originally "major domus" (cp. his attributes as "wealthy" at MVastu i.108). As to the exact meaning of pariṇāyaka he is doubtful, which mythical tradition has obscured. -- The 7 (moral) ratanas at S ii.217 & iii.83 are probably the same as are given in detail at Miln 336, viz. the 5: sīla˚, samādhi˚, paññā˚, vimutti˚, vimutti -- ñāṇadassana (also given under the collective name sīla -- kkhandha or dhamma -- kkhandha), to which are added the 2: paṭisambhidā˚ & bojjhanga˚. These 7 are probably meant at PvA 66, where it is said that Sakka "endowed their house with the 7 jewels" (sattar. -- bharitaŋ katvā). -- Very frequent is a Triad of Gems (ratana -- ttaya), consisting of Dhamma, Sangha, Buddha, or the Doctrine, the Church and the Buddha [cp. BSk. ratna -- traya Divy 481], e. g. Mhvs 5, 81; VbhA 284; VvA 123; PvA 1, 49, 141. -- ākara a pearl -- mine, a mine of precious metals Th 1, 1049; J ii.414; vi.459; Dpvs i.18. -- kūṭa a jewelled top DhA i.159. -- paliveṭhana a wrapper for a gem or jewel Pug 34. -- vara the best of gems Sn 683 (=vararatana -- bhūta SnA 486). -- sutta the Suttanta of the (3) Treasures (viz. Dhamma, Sangha, Buddha), representing Sutta Nipāta ii.1 (P.T.S. ed. pp. 39 -- 42), mentioned as a parittā at Vism 414 (with 4 others) and at Miln 150 (with 5 others), cp. KhA 63; SnA 201. (Pali)

Of the four panels of tributes from Musri to Shalamaneser III, the following three also include monkeys (See panel 3, following elephant karibha, ibha'elephant' rebus: karba, ib'iron'). The associated monkeys are kuṭhāru 'monkey' rebus: kuṭhāru 'armourer' . Hence, the armour produced by the armourers is of iron.

Terracotta toy monkeys, Mohenjo-daro

The rebus reading of the three-monkey figurine as an Indus Script hypertext composed of two hieroglyphs:

Combined animals: Hieroglyph: सांगड   sāṅgaḍa m f (संघट्ट S) f A body formed of two or more (fruits, animals, men) linked or joined together. सांगडणें   sāṅgaḍaṇēṃ v c (सांगड) To link, join, or unite together (boats, fruits, animals).Rebus: sangarh 'fortification'; सांगड   sāṅgaḍa That member of a turner's apparatus by which the piece to be turned is confined and steadied. सांगडीस धरणें To take into linkedness or close connection with, lit. fig.  saṁghāṭa m. ʻ fitting and joining of timber ʼ R. [√ghaṭ]Pa. nāvā -- saṅghāṭa -- , dāru -- s˚ ʻ raft ʼ; Pk. saṁghāḍa -- , ˚ḍaga -- m., ˚ḍī -- f. ʻ pair ʼ; Ku. sĩgāṛ m. ʻ doorframe ʼ; N. saṅār, siṅhār ʻ threshold ʼ; Or. saṅghāṛi ʻ pair of fish roes, two rolls of thread for twisting into the sacred thread, quantity of fuel sufficient to maintain the cremation fire ʼ; Bi. sĩghārā ʻ triangular packet of betel ʼ; H. sĩghāṛā m. ʻ piece of cloth folded in triangular shape ʼ; G. sãghāṛɔ m. ʻ lathe ʼ; M. sãgaḍ f. ʻ a body formed of two or more fruits or animals or men &c. linked together, part of a turner's apparatus ʼ, m.f. ʻ float made of two canoes joined together ʼ (LM 417 compares saggarai at Limurike in the Periplus, Tam. śaṅgaḍam, Tu. jaṅgala ʻ double -- canoe ʼ), sã̄gāḍā m. ʻ frame of a building ʼ, ˚ḍī f. ʻ lathe ʼ; Si. san̆gaḷa ʻ pair ʼ, han̆guḷa, an̆g˚ ʻ double canoe, raft ʼ.Addenda: saṁghāṭa -- : Md. an̆goḷi ʻ junction ʼ?(CDIAL 12859)

Hieroglyph: mūhū 'monkey, langur, baboon' rebus: mũhã̄ = the quantity of iron produced at one time in a native smelting furnace of the Kolhes;  iron produced by the Kolhes and formed like a four-cornered piece a little pointed at each end 

PLUS

Hieroglyph: kolom 'three' rebus; kolimi 'smithy, forge'. Thus, together, the three-monkey figurine signifies iron ingot smithy

Hieroglyph: Kuwi (F.) mūhū (pl. mūska) monkey (hanuman); (S.) mūhu monkey; (Su.) muhu (pl. muska), (Isr.) mūhu (pl. mūska) black-faced monkey.Ta. mucu langur, Semnopithecus priamus. Ma. mocca a light-coloured monkey (or with 4626 Ka. maṅga). Ka. musu, musuku, musuva a large and black kind of ape; (Hav.) muju black monkey; (Gowda, Dr. Ling., p. 98) mucca black-faced monkey. Koḍ. muccë langur. Tu. mujji, mujju a black monkey. Te. koṇḍa-muccu large black-faced monkey, baboon. Kol. muy black-faced monkey; (Haig) muī langur. Nk. muy black faced monkey.Pa. muy id. Ga. (P.) muy id. Go. (Tr.) mūnj (pl. mūsk) langur monkey (female); (W.) mūnjāl ape; (M.) munj monkey; (D. Mu.) mūnjal, (Ma.) mūnji, (S.) mūnju, (Ko.) mūnj black-faced monkey (Voc.2937). Kui mūsu (pl. mūska) sp. monkey or ape.  Malt. muge baboon.

Rebus:  mũh '(copper) ingot' (Santali) mũhã̄ = the quantity of iron produced at one time in a native smelting furnace of the Kolhes;  iron produced by the Kolhes and formed like a four-cornered piece a little pointed at each end (Santali) Santali

An Indus Monkey Figurine

Of all the objects in the National Museum of Pakistan's Indus Gallery in Karachi, none quite so grabs your attention with its innate character as this tiny faience monkey from Mohenjo-daro. Just over 3 cm in height, made of blue-green faience, probably in a wooden mold according to Mark Kenoyer (Ancient Cities, p. 230), it arrests you with the richness of its persona through the glass casing. It seems to have its character pushed from the inside out, so regal is it in the surrounding space. Broken feet suggest it might have once been part of a triple monkey figurine. John Marshall wrote "The monkey is now extinct in Sind, but that it existed there in ancient times is suggested by the fact that models of it are found in Mohenjo-daro made in faience, pottery, and steatite. It is always represented in a squatting position with a hand on each knee." (Marshall 1931: 349, 351, pl. XCVI, 13).

https://www.harappa.com/blog/indus-monkey-figurine

See: Triple-monkeys figurine of Mohenjodaro is an Indus Script hypertext, reads Meluhha rebus iron ingot smithy fortification https://tinyurl.com/y5qa4q6c

Sarasvati Script Rosetta stones from Daimabad, a chalcolithic culture on Pravara river basin http://tinyurl.com/kdclwev Five hypertexts discovered at Daimabad dated to ca 2200 BCE reckoned as Late Harappa phase:

 1.Bronze chariot drawn by two humped bulls and decorated with hypertexts

2. Bronze Rhinoceros on wheels

3. Bronze elephant on wheels

4. Bronze water buffalo on wheels

5. Terracotta seal with 'rim-of-jar- hieroglyph

This monograph demonstrates that these five hypertexts are read rebus in Sarasvati Script Cipher of Meluhha words which signify metalwork, metalworkers and seafaring merchants/artisans. Daimabad archaeological evidence establishes the continuum of Sarasvati Civilization in parts of Bhāratam, south of the Vindhyas in what are characterised as 'chacolithic' cultures of Maharashtra and Western Bhāratam.

Toy animals made for the Pola festival especially celebrated by the Dhanoje Kunbis. (Bemrose, Colo. Derby - Russell, Robert Vane (1916). The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India: volume IV. Descriptive articles on the principal castes and tribes of the Central Provinces. London: Macmillan and Co., limited. p. 40).

legged platform attached to four solid wheels 31X25 cm.; elephanton four-legged platform with axles 25 cm.; rhinoceros on axles of four solid wheels 25X19 cm. (MK Dhavalikar, 'Daimabad bronzes' in: Harappan civilization, ed. by GL Possehl, New Delhi, 1982, pp. 361-6; SA Sali, Daimabad 1976-1979, New Delhi, 1986).

Sculpture of a water buffalo, 31 cm high and 25 cm long standing on a four-legged platform attached to four solid wheels.

ran:gā ‘buffalo’; ran:ga ‘pewter or alloy of tin (ran:ku), lead (nāga) and antimony (añjana)’(Santali)

Sculpture of a rhinoceros 19 cm high and 25 cm long standing on two horizontal bars, each attached to an axle of two solid wheels. Hieroglyph, read rebus:Rhinoceros: 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. WPah.kṭg. geṇḍɔ mirg m. ʻ rhinoceros ʼ, Md. genḍā ← H. (CDIAL 4000).காண்டாமிருகம் kāṇṭā-mirukam , n. [M. kāṇṭāmṛgam.] Rhinoceros; கல்யானை. (Tamil) Rebus: khāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans, and metal-ware’.  

 

25 cm high sculpture of an elephant on a platform 27 cm long and 14 cm wide, but axles and wheels missing; Elephant ‘ibha’. Rebus: ibbo (merchant of ib ‘iron’)ibha ‘elephant’ (Skt.) Rebus: ibbho 'merchant' (cf.Hemacandra, Desinamamala, vaṇika). ib ‘iron’ (Santali) karibha ‘elephant’ (Skt.); rebus: karb ‘iron’ (Ka.)

See decipherment at:

The short tail of the Cholistan Seal is comparable to the goat shown on a Bhirrana Seal.

Sign 162 is in front of the markhor

sign 169 is on the tail of the markhor Text message is six linear strokes, i.e. two +4. The decipherment of Field symbol including Sign 162: miṇḍāl 'markhor' rebus: mẽṛhet 'iron' PLUS koḍa 'sprout'.rebus: koḍa 'workshop'. PLUS  xoli 'fish-tail' rebus: kolhe 'smelter', kol 'working in iron' PLUS Sign162 kolmo 'rice plant' rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge'. Thus, the field symbol is iron smelter workshop and smithy. Text message: dula 'two' rebus: dul 'metal casting' PLUS gaNDa 'four' rebus: khaNDa 'equipment. baTa 'six' rebus: baTa 'iron' rebus: bhaTa 'furnace'. Thus, metalcast equipment.

Dalbergia Sissoo leaves.

The identification of the golden leaves from Ur as Dalbergia sissoo undoubtedly constitutes supplementary evidence for the contacts between Mesopotamia and the countries lying to the East, beyond the vast Central Iranian Plateau.

Headdress of Queen Puabi at Ur:Pennsylvania Museum. The famous headress of Queen Pu-abum or Pu-abi at Ur is an object of great beauty.The gold leaves of her headress tell an interesting and rich story.Identified among them are the leaves of the Sisso tree.The medicinal and other properties of the Sisso tree were not only appreciated in Mesopotamia but in Eastern Iran and the Indus Valley,home to the Sisso tree.

Aerial photograph of the "Great Bath," at the centre of the citadel of Harappa .The round stucture to the left of the bath is the well.

Headband and waist ornament found in female grave at Level III - Mehrgarh

Cemetery IV - Grave and detail of headband

Grave of cemetery 9 at Mehrgarh showing the remains of the wall sealing the pit as well as a basket offering.Copper beads were found around the waist of the skeleton,in which the remains of a cotton thread were identified.

The Symbol contained within the 'Ensign of the Rising Sun of Mehrgarh' is taken from Faiz Mohammed greyware excavated in Mehrgarh.Viewed as a helicon, the four quadrants that constitute the ensign are interpreted to represent the four provinces.

Pre Indus, Kot Diji Phase gold beads or could be earrings.ca. 2600-2800 BCE found at Harappa

Ziggurat. Mohenjo-daro.

Mehrgarh:
ca. 3000–2500 B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 234

This clay figurine was found in a grave of Period I,LevelC9.The grave was of the classical type,with a wall closing the funerary chamber.It contained the remains of a 30 year old female,adorned with ornaments and also a belt and necklace around her body.She was holding the figurine close to her face in her clasped hands.The figurine is of the sitting type and covered with red ochre.

Pl:39, Pl:40..Mehrgarh Stamp Seals Source:  "Forgotten Cities on The Indus".

On 28 June 1989, the Pakistan Postal Service issued a series of four stamps to commemorate the Mehrgarh excavation .

The oldest part of Mehrgarh that has been excavated so far is archaeological site MR3.

The oldest part of MR3 is marked pink on our map and dates back to around 9,000 years before the present.

The map below shows the Indus civilization and its earliest historic neighbours. The eastern limits of the Indus civilization in the Ganges plains and beyond are highly uncertain. No traces of permanent settlements have been found there but there are some indications at least of trading as far east as Assam and even Burma.

There was definitively contact and trading with the emerging Mesopotamian civilizations and some closer contact with the Elamites. Just precisely what the role of the Elamites was in the Indus culture is unknown but they seem to have been in closer contact with the Indus civilization than any other known civilization. Unfortunately, of all the early Mesopotamian/Iranian cultures and states, the Elamite is the most enigmatic and least understood; their language is isolated (i.e. not known to be related to any other known language) but it might just possibly be related to the Indus language. The Indus language itself is completely unknown because the Indus script has not been deciphered.

Figurine found in grave 258:The figurine is perforated by many holes.This paints a picture linked with religous practices and sympathetic magic.The symbol of the snake may indicate a desire to control the forces of Nature.As for the holes pierced through the clay,they either represent an attempt of a magical treatment of a pain,be it moral or physical.Or of a way to harm somone through an image.(Catherine Jarrige)

Clay figurines from Mehrgarh - Nausharo,Period IB c. 2800-2700 BCE and Period ID c. 2600-2550 BCE

Clay figurines from Mehrgarh VIIB and Nausharo ID

Clay figurines from Mehrgarh Period VII:Nausharo ID,(left)Nausharo III(center)Harappa(right)

Female figurine with three sets of chokers and necklaces. One of the largest female figurines found at Harappa with common fan shaped headdress with cups on either side of the head. Discovered in 1991.

Thar Women with similiar bangles and bracelets.

Feline mask

From Left to Right (Mohenjo Daro, Indus Valley. Abydoss, Egypt and Sumeria). Source of image third from left: http://www.ancient-wisdom.com/indusvalley.htm

The person in the middle with elephantine legs is holding back two elephantsdraped in dotted circles scarf. karibha, ibha'elephant' rebus: karba, ib'iron' PLUS dhāī 'wisp' rebus: धाव dhāva 'ores' PLUS vaṭṭa 'circle' rebus, together dhā̆vaḍa'iron smelter'.PLUS dula 'two' rebus: dul 'metalcasting'. Thus, cast iron smelter.

https://www.academia.edu/2142088/Dancing_with_Bulls_An_exploration_of_Indus_iconography_showing_dynamic_interaction_between_humans_and_bulls

See: 

Indus Script Seals of mokka, ḍollu, karaṇa.'tumbler, drummer' rebus mokkha 'chief'ḍaulu'appraiser' (of guild) rango khāṇḍā 'pewter metalware' karaṇa 'accountant' https://tinyurl.com/yxlwvcx5

buffalo attack or bull-leaping scene, Banawali (after UMESAO 2000:88, cat. no. 335)

Signifiers of śreṇi 'guild', seṇi-mukha 'head of guild' mokka 'tumbler' mokkha 'chief' http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2016/10/signifiers-of-sreni-guild-seni-mukha.html

Text message: 1.     kaṇḍa ‘arrow’ (Skt.) H. kãḍerā m. ʻ a caste of bow -- and arrow -- makers (CDIAL 3024). Or. kāṇḍa, kã̄ṛ ʻstalk, arrow ʼ(CDIAL 3023). ayaskāṇḍa ‘a quantity of iron, excellent  iron’ (Pāṇ.gaṇ)

2.     खांडा [ khāṇḍā ] m  A jag, notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool or weapon). (Marathi) Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘tools, pots and pans, metal-ware’.

Field symbol narrative:

Hieroglyph:  rã̄go 'water-buffalo' 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.(CDIAL 10562) ranga 'alloy of copper, zinc, tin'

Examples of acrobats as hieroglyphs:

கரணம்போடு-தல் karaṇam-pōṭu -, v. intr. < id. +. 1. To tumble heels over head; to gambol; தலைகீழாகப் பாய்தல். Colloq.குட்டிக்கரணம் kuṭṭi-k-karaṇam , n. < குட் டி¹ +. [M. kuṭṭikkaraṇam.] 1. Performing a somersault on the ground, as minor acrobatics; தலைகீழாக மறிந்துவிழும் ஒரு வித்தை.

Rebus:  கரணன் karaṇaṉ , n. < karaṇa. Accountant; கணக்கன். கரணர்கள் வந்தனர் கழல் வணங்கினார்(கந்தபு. மார்க்கண். 210).கரணிகம் karaṇikam , n. < karaṇa.  [T. karaṇikamu.] Office of accountant. See கருணீகம். Loc.கருணீகம்

 karuṇīkam , n. < karaṇa. [T. karaṇikamu.] Office of village accountant or karṇam; கிராமக்கணக்குவேலை.கருணீகன் karuṇīkaṉ , n. < id. 1. Village accountant; கிராமக்கணக்கன். கடுகை யொருமலை யாகக் . . . காட்டுவோன் கருணீகனாம் (அறப். சத. 86). 2. A South Indian caste of accountants; கணக்குவேலைபார்க்கும் ஒருசாதி.

karã̄ n. pl. wristlets, bangles Rebus: khār'blacksmith, iron worker'.

dolutsu 'tumble' Rebus: dul 'cast metal' Te. ḍollu to fall; ḍolligillu to fall or tumble over; ḍullu to fall off; ḍul(u)cu, (K. also) ḍulupu to cause to fall; ? ūḍuto fall off, come off, drop, give way, fail. Kol. ḍol- (ḍolt-) to lie down, be felled; ḍolp- (ḍolopt-) to fell (trees), pull down (wall).(DEDR 2988)   డొల్లు  , దొల్లు or దొరలు ḍollu. [Tel.] v. n. To fall, to roll over. పడు, పొరలు.

 డొలుచు  or డొల్చు ḍoluṭsu. [Tel.] v. n. To tumble head over heels as dancing girls do. డొల్లజేయు.

డోలు  ḍōlu. [Tel.] n. A drum.

Rebus:  డౌలు  or డవులు ḍaulu. [Tel.]  An estimate మదింపు. Demand or collection of revenue by the Government: డవులుదారు an appraiser. డవులుపట్టీ an account of the estimate of each farmer's produce.

   

(Signatures of Human Settlements before 1500 B.C.in the Indian Sub-continent:Inputs from Archaeology:Kulbhushan Mishra and Vimal Tiwari,Indian Archaeological Society,New Delhi and Archaeological Survey of India.Lucknow.)

Mehrgarh Period II and Period III

Chanhudaro is about 130 km south of Mohenjodaro, it was excavated by Majumdar and E.J.H. Mackay between 1931 to 1936.Chanhudaro I a to c was termed Harappa Culture,Chanhudaro II was designated Jhukar culture and III was assigned to Jhangar culture.The animal motifs represented on Chanhudaro pottery consist of animals, both wild and domestic.

Chanhudaro:A stamp seal (LII-19) recovered in the excavations at Chanhu-daro (courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts ,Boston)

A goat motif from Amri(after Indus Civilization Exhibition, 2000)
Mehrgarh period II

Horned bull motif from Mehi(after Satyawadi, 1994)

Two bull motifs drawn together and a humped bull with etchings on its back.Kili Gul Muhammad.
Cattle and fish motif from Mehrgarh Period II.(Indus Valley Civilization Exhibition 2000) 

pola 'zebu, bos indicus'; pola 'magnetite ore' (Munda) poladu 'black drongo' rebus: polad 'steel' arka 'sun' Rebus: araka, eraka 'copper, moltencast' 

Hieroglyph: aya 'fish' rebus: ayas 'alloy metal' 
Humped bulls from Kile Gul Mohammad(after www.harappa.com)

Kot Diji is situated on the east bank of the Indus River in Khairpur division of Pakistan.It is about 50 km from Mohenjodaro.It was excavated by F.A.Khan of the Department of Archaeology, Govt. of Pakistan.Excavations took place in the high portions of the site (Area A) and in a lower area to the east (Area B).The lower levels (Phases 4 to 16) constitute an assemblage which Khan called Kot Dijian 3A is transitional and phases 1 to 3 are Harappan.(from Domestic Animals in Harappan Levels:
Archaeological Evidences)

[ mēḍha ] 'polar' star' Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Ho.Mu.) PLUS Hieroglyph:  rã̄go 'water-buffalo' 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.(CDIAL 10562) ranga 'alloy of copper, zinc, tin'

Kalibangan.

Stone-Sculpture of Bull.Mature Harappan:ca. 2600–1900 B.C.On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 403




Terra cotta toy boat from Harappa. Such toys may have been used by children.

Terracotta sealing from Mohenjo-daro depicting a collection of animals and some script symbols. This sealing may have been used in specific rituals as a narrative token that tells the story of an important myth


Mature Harappan:
ca. 2600–1900 B.C.On view at The Met Fifth Avenue New York.
Reclining mouflon



Mehrgarh Period VII (Nausharo)

The Harappan trade routes showing how their wealth of resources was traded along rivers and eventually into the Arabian Sea and beyond.


From:Ancient Iran and Its Neighbours:
edited by Cameron A. Petrie


Bison seal, Mohenjo-daro:This is a flat square double sided seal. On one side, four script symbols are inscribed in reverse, above a bison with head lowered to the feeding trough. A swastika motif turning counter clockwise is carved on the reverse. The seal is perforated from the side along the axis of the animal motif.


Rakhigarhi:A toy from 2300 BC. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint
Ornamental beads from 2300 BC found in Rakhigarhi show the high level of craftsmanship during the Harappan era. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint

Painted polychrome pottery from Mehrgarh.MR1







A plate of the Kulli Culture in Balochistan.By 2600 BCE, the northern areas of Balochistan had been abandoned but the southern regions were populated by what is known as the Kulli culture. Named for a site in Kolwa in southern Balochistan, the Kulli sites were occupied from around 2500 to 2000 BCE. Their culture developed from nomadic camps into subsistence agricultural villages and into surprisingly well designed towns, before reverting to the nomadic camps. Nomadic herdsmen made up most of the population. The permanent settlements were possibly based on irrigation agriculture and appear to have been located along the major land routes between the lower Indus valley and the Harappan ports of Makran. The inhabitants of these towns were not nomadic.The most important Kulli site is Nindowari which features a central mound rising 80 feet above the Porali River.

Sundaland:Sundaland is the name given to the Sunda shelf – part of the Southeast Asian continental shelf – when it was above water during the ice age; it also includes the Malay Peninsula, and the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Java. Rising sea levels submerged Sundaland in several rapid stages, drowning a land area the size of India. Stephen Oppenheimer speculates that Sundaland may have been the cradle of civilization, and that before and during its inundation, its inhabitants migrated by land and sea to the Asian mainland, including China, India and Mesopotamia, and to the islands from Madagascar to the Philippines and New Guinea, from where they later colonized Polynesia as far as New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island. (David Pratt
January 2015)

Harappan type brick found in Raghopur Diara during digging for pilling work of house

Mehrgarh

· April 6, 2018 · 

 

The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration Debate
By Edwin Bryant

Mehrgarh Period VII, c. 2800-2600 BCE

An Early Harappan figurine found at Harappa. The subject is clothed, which is unusual; she wears a painted skirt and carries a bowl. Painted bangles cover her arms, and she is also wearing a necklace with pendants. Her hair is arranged in a tiered hairstyle tied at the back. (Richard H. Meadow, Courtesy Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan)

Early Harappan female figurine with painted features from Harappa.

Mehrgarh Period III, terracotta tokens used in commerce, most likely as accounting pieces during purchases

Pirak:terracotta figurines of horses and riders (1800 BC) © C. Jarrige


Horse figurine from Mohenjo-daro.



Miniature votive figurines or toy models from the Harappa region of Pakistan, ca. 2500. Recent archaeological findings proove the Indus River Valley civilization is up to 2,000 years older than previously believed.

A patterened bead type seal and its impression from the early settlement period at Mehrgarh.Sixth millennium B.C.which Jarrige interprets as a cylindrical seal akin to a later Mesopotamian seal.

Although the origins of the eye-bead may date to around 7000 BC at sites such as Mehrgarh, the development of numerous different types of eye beads is clearly associated with the urban period of the Indus Civilization:Bead Making Areas of Harappa:3300-1700BCE.

Axe head and compartmented seals of copper from Shahi Tump cemetery.

Harappan shell and stone beads from Gola Dhoro,Gulf of Kutch.

By 1,500 BC the population of the Indus Valley was creating moulds for metal and terracotta ornaments. Gold jewellery from these civilizations also consisted of bracelets, necklaces, bangles, ear ornaments, rings, head ornaments, brooches, girdles etc. Here, the bead trade was in a full swing and they were made using simple techniques.

Discovery of a huge cache of gold and other ornaments in 2000, reportedly belonging to the Harappan period (2600-1900 B.C.) by the villagers of Mandi in the Muzaffarnagar District of Uttar Pradesh state, 93 miles east of New Delhi.

Wide shell bangles, each made from a single conch shell (Turbinella pyrum) found at Harappa.

Shell works excavated from Balakot

Libation vessels made of the conch shell Turbinella pyrum. One of these is decorated with vermilion filled incised lines. A single spiraling design is carved around the apex and a double incised line frames the edge of the orifice. This type of vessel was used in later times for ritual libations and for administering sacred water or medicine to patients.

AIthough the presence of a specialized shell industry and the widespread use of shell are well documented at sites of the Indus Civilization (2500-1750 B.C.), the early stages of this industry were not known until recent excavations at the site of Mehrgarh, Pakistan. It is fortunate that the sample of shell artifacts from Mehrgarh is relatively large because very few neolithic or early chalcolithic sites have been excavated in Balochistan or the Indus region, and little or no shell has been reported from this period. Because of this lack of comparative data, however, the significance of the Mehrgarh sample must be kept in perspective, especially since the site is located in a transitional zone at the edge of the Indus plain and the highlands of Balochistan:Jonathan Mark Kenoyer

(Himanshu Prabha Ray)