Writing

Essays on the symbols and study of the written communication or script system used by the ancient Indus Valley civilization.

An Interview with Ahmed Hasan Dani

An interview from January 6, 1998 with one of the subcontinent's most remarkable archaeologists covers his Indus excavations and objections to theories by good friends. An unusual perspective by the first Muslim to graduate from Benares Hindu University. Dr. Dani passed away 26 January 2009 (aged 88). Dr. Ahmed Hasan Dani was interviewed on January 6, 1998 by Webmaster Om… >

An Interview with Iravatham Mahadevan

A wide-ranging interview with Iravatham Mahadevan [1930-2018] home on January 17, 1998 with Omar Khan. The interview, held at Mr. Mahadevan's home in Chennai lasted nearly two hours and covered the Brahmi script, the cult object, various signs, his response to Asko Parpola's work. A reflection on a decades-long pursuit of the key to Indus writing by the most important Indi… >

TIFR Indus Script Research

In November 2007 scientists at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), one of India's most prestiguous scientific institutions, began publishing a series of papers on their analysis of ancient Indus script signs. Supported by a five-year grant from the Jamsetji Tata Trust, the researchers plan to approach issues around the ancient script with rigorous statistical … >

Deciphering the Indus Script

Generally recognized as the world's expert on the Indus script, Asko Parpola has been studying this undeciphered writing for over 40 years at the University of Helsinki in Finland. He is co-editor of collections of all seals and inscriptions in India and Pakistan. As Professor of Indology he has led a Finnish team of experts through numerous approaches to the puzzle of one … >

The Indus Script

Introduction Iravatham Mahadevan is a National Fellow of the Indian Council of Historical Research, and has been working on the Indus script for over 40 years. His publications include The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables (1977). A Tamil speaker, he has used historical linguistics and statistical studies to examine the Dravidian components in Vedi… >

The Indus Script

The Planets Fig. 2: Modified Fish Signs 'Modified fish' signs: Planets and a Star The Indus texts very often feature the 'fish' sign modified by some diacritic-like markings (Fig.II). These signs are identified by Parpola as planets or stars on the basis of his pictorial interpretations of the markings. The Dravidian word meen… >

The Indus Script

The Star Rohini Fig. 2: Modified Fish Signs The Star Rohini Parpola starts with the assumption that the 'dot + fish' sign (Fig.II d) occurring in the 'Fig Deity' seal is likely to represent the deity depicted on the seal identified by him as the goddess of fertility and victory in war, the Harappan proto-form of Durga. He asks … >

The Indus Script

The Planets 'Bangles' Sign: God Murukan Fig. 3: Bangles and Squirrel Sign The principal deity of early Tamils was Murakan, the youthful god of war and love, who became identified with the North Indian war-god Skanda. Parpola has identified the sign depicting a pair of intersecting circles (Fig. III a) as 'ear/nose rings' or 'ba… >

The Indus Script

The Indus Squirrel Sign: Title of Murukan The 'Squirrel' Sign: Title of Murukan Fig. 3: Bangles and Squirrel Sign Parpola has proposed reading a pair of signs as 'bangles + squirrel' (Fig.III b), interpreting it as a divine title. The second sign appears to depict a small animal perched on a tree branch. Parpola has, in my opinion, … >

The Indus Script

Fig Indus Tree + Crab Sign as Proto Rudra 'Fig Tree + Crab' Sign: Proto-Rudra Fig. 4: Fig Tree + Crab Sign and Components Parpola refers to two sets of copper tablets, both with the same inscription on one side but two different motifs on the other. One of the motifs is the 'fig tree + crab' sign (Fig.IV: Sign 124) occurring as … >