Many sherds inscribed after firing have single geometric signs. This collection of Early Harappan sherds from Periods 1 and 2 (c. 3300-2800 BCE) show a range of geometric signs that are roughly similar to later signs in the Indus script. >

One of the longer inscriptions made from a seal found during Mackay's excavations between 1927-1931 in Mohenjo-daro (D.K. 9134). There are few long Indus inscriptions; another similarly long inscription was recently found on a wooden signboard in Dh… >

This sign was carved onto the pottery vessel after it was fired and may indicate the type of goods being stored in the vessel or the owner of the vessel itself. Another possible explanation is that this symbol represents a deity or spirit to which t… >

Although the Indus Valley script is still undeciphered, there is some agreement among a number of leading scholars that it represents some sort of proto-Dravidian language common in South India today. These scholars include the Finnish Sanskritologi… >

On some sherds, two signs of the Early Indus script (Kot Dijian Phase) appear together. The complete shapes of these signs can be seen on later seals carved with the Indus script (see 43). The sign on the left eventually becomes one of the most com… >

These are the five most common terminal signs on the Indus Valley seals according to Iravatham Mahadevan's analysis (1982:316). The first sign (from the left), the most common in the Indus script (10% of all known signs), is read by him as denoti… >

Three signs are inscribed on this rim sherd of the Early Harappan Period (Kot Dijian Phase), dating to around 2800 BCE. Two of the signs appear to be pictographs for a bow and arrow, but they probably had some other meaning that was defined by the d… >

Iravatham Mahadevan believes that the terminal sign used here is actually a combination of two signs. The bottom part (figure carrying) denotes a bearer of office. The top represents a jar, which is related to priestly duties in early historical Ind… >