A majority of the Indus Val- ley inscriptions were written logographically (by using word signs) and not by using phonograms (speech sounds units), claims a recent re- search paper published in Palgrave Communications, a Nature group journal. The paper, titled Interro- gating Indus inscription to unravel their mechanism of meaning conveyance, points out that the inscriptions can be compared to the struc- tured messages found on stamps, coupons, tokens and currency coins of mod- ern times. Epigraphic analysis Discovered from nearly 4,000 ancient inscribed ob- jects, including seals, ta- blets, ivory rods, pottery shards, etc., the Indus in- scriptions are one of the most enigmatic legacies of the Indus Valley civilisation which have not been deci- phered due to the absence of bilingual texts, extreme brevity of the inscriptions, and ignorance about the lan- guage(s) encoded by the In- dus script. “This article mainly fo- cusses on understanding how Indus inscriptions con- veyed meanings, rather than on deciphering what they conveyed,” Bahata Ansumali Mukhopadhyay, the author of the paper, told The Hindu. For the study, Ms. Mukho- padhyay has used the digi- tised corpus of Indus in- scriptions compiled by well-known epigraphist and Indus scholar Iravatham Ma- hadevan. She studied it us- ing computational analyses and various interdisciplinary measures. Analysing the brevity of the inscriptions, the rigid positional preferences main- tained by the signs of the in- scriptions, and the co-occur- rence of restriction patterns demonstrated by certain classes of Indus signs, she in- fers that such patterns can never be phonological co-oc- currence restrictions. Phon- ological co-occurrence res- trictions refers to two or more sound units that can- not be pronounced together. “A very compelling, nearly unassailable proof of the lo- gographic nature of Indus in- scriptions comes from the co-occurrence restriction patterns maintained within them,” the paper states. Ancient tokens In the publication that runs into 37 pages, Ms. Mukho- padhyay classifies the signs into nine functional classes. Based on archaeological evi- dence, she says, “The in- scribed seals and tablets were used in some adminis- trative operation that con- trolled the commercial tran- sactions prevalent in the trade-savvy settlements of the ancient Indus Valley ci- vilisation. These inscriptions can be compared to the mes- sages found on stamps, cou- pons, tokens and currency coins of modern times, where we expect formulaic texts that encode certain type of information in some pre-defined ways, rather than freely composed narrative.” A common perception among some scholars is that the Indus script is logo-syl- labic, where one symbol can be used as a word sign at one time and as a syllable sign at another. This method, where a word symbol also gets sometimes used only for its sound value, is called the rebus principle. For exam- ple, you can combine the pictures of a honey bee and a leaf to signify the word “be- lief ” (bee+leaf ). According to Ms. Mukhopadhyay, though many ancient scripts use re- bus methods to generate new words, the inscriptions found on the Indus seals and tablets have not used rebus as the mechanism to convey meaning. The researcher said that the popular hypothesis that the seals were inscribed with Proto-Dravidian or Proto-In- do-European names of the seal-owners does not hold water. It is not that no other Indus scholar has proposed the logographic theory be- fore. Mr. Mahadevan himself tried to read these inscrip- tions logographically for de- cades, just that the logo- graphic theory was not articulated well enough. Ms. Mukhopadhyay said her cur- rent work could serve as a basis in future for the deci- phering of the script. Indus Valley seals carried meaning like modern coins do, shows study So far, inscriptions from the ancient civilisation have remained an enigma Practical use: Structural similarities between some Indus artefacts and modern coins and stamps. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Shiv Sahay Singh Kolkata
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A majority of the Indus Val-ley inscriptions were writtenlogographically (by usingword signs) and not by usingphonograms (speech soundsunits), claims a recent re-search paper published inPalgrave Communications, aNature group journal.
The paper, titled Interro-gating Indus inscription tounravel their mechanism ofmeaning conveyance, pointsout that the inscriptions canbe compared to the struc-tured messages found onstamps, coupons, tokensand currency coins of mod-ern times.
Epigraphic analysisDiscovered from nearly4,000 ancient inscribed ob-jects, including seals, ta-blets, ivory rods, potteryshards, etc., the Indus in-scriptions are one of themost enigmatic legacies ofthe Indus Valley civilisationwhich have not been deci-phered due to the absence ofbilingual texts, extremebrevity of the inscriptions,and ignorance about the lan-guage(s) encoded by the In-dus script.
“This article mainly fo-cusses on understandinghow Indus inscriptions con-veyed meanings, rather thanon deciphering what theyconveyed,” Bahata AnsumaliMukhopadhyay, the authorof the paper, told The Hindu.
For the study, Ms. Mukho-padhyay has used the digi-tised corpus of Indus in-scriptions compiled bywell-known epigraphist andIndus scholar Iravatham Ma-hadevan. She studied it us-ing computational analyses
and various interdisciplinarymeasures.
Analysing the brevity ofthe inscriptions, the rigidpositional preferences main-tained by the signs of the in-scriptions, and the co-occur-rence of restriction patternsdemonstrated by certainclasses of Indus signs, she in-fers that such patterns cannever be phonological co-oc-currence restrictions. Phon-ological co-occurrence res-trictions refers to two ormore sound units that can-not be pronounced together.“A very compelling, nearlyunassailable proof of the lo-
gographic nature of Indus in-scriptions comes from theco-occurrence restrictionpatterns maintained withinthem,” the paper states.
Ancient tokensIn the publication that runsinto 37 pages, Ms. Mukho-padhyay classifi��es the signsinto nine functional classes.Based on archaeological evi-dence, she says, “The in-scribed seals and tabletswere used in some adminis-trative operation that con-trolled the commercial tran-sactions prevalent in thetrade-savvy settlements of
the ancient Indus Valley ci-vilisation. These inscriptionscan be compared to the mes-sages found on stamps, cou-pons, tokens and currencycoins of modern times,where we expect formulaictexts that encode certaintype of information in somepre-defi��ned ways, ratherthan freely composednarrative.”
A common perceptionamong some scholars is thatthe Indus script is logo-syl-labic, where one symbol canbe used as a word sign at onetime and as a syllable sign atanother. This method,where a word symbol alsogets sometimes used only forits sound value, is called therebus principle. For exam-ple, you can combine thepictures of a honey bee and aleaf to signify the word “be-lief” (bee+leaf ). According toMs. Mukhopadhyay, thoughmany ancient scripts use re-bus methods to generatenew words, the inscriptionsfound on the Indus seals andtablets have not used rebusas the mechanism to conveymeaning.
The researcher said thatthe popular hypothesis thatthe seals were inscribed withProto-Dravidian or Proto-In-do-European names of theseal-owners does not holdwater. It is not that no otherIndus scholar has proposedthe logographic theory be-fore. Mr. Mahadevan himselftried to read these inscrip-tions logographically for de-cades, just that the logo-graphic theory was notarticulated well enough. Ms.Mukhopadhyay said her cur-rent work could serve as abasis in future for the deci-phering of the script.
Indus Valley seals carried meaninglike modern coins do, shows studySo far, inscriptions from the ancient civilisation have remained an enigma
Practical use: Structural similarities between some Indusartefacts and modern coins and stamps. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Shiv Sahay SinghKolkata
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