Indus script decoded!!

(Hi fellas, just wanted to share this.. since it is a great achievement on the part of our historians..)

Indus script decoded, announces Dr. S. Kalyanaraman



Press Release, 26 February 2009


The implications of the conclusive decoding of the writing system are that the Aryan Invasion/Migration theories are myths since the languages of India had evolved indigenously with intense interactions among ancient versions of present-day languages of the nation. Those who theorise about Indo-European homeland have to rework on their theses. The findings prove an essential cultural unity among Indian languages founded on a continuing culture which emerged on the Vedic Sarasvati river basin.

Gen. Alexander Cunningham, had discovered in 1875, the first known Indus seal (British Museum 1892-12-10, 1) at Harappa. For the last 134 years, scholars have been trying to decipher the writing system on about 4000 such seals and objects with inscriptions.

Dr. S. Kalyanaraman, Director of Sarasvati Research Centre is making a historic announcement in a lecture at Rojah Muthiah Library, Chennai on his decoding of the writing system of Indus script. His 30 years of research have led him to conclude that the writing system was composed of graphics (like picture writing) read rebus. (Rebus means similar sounding words which can be represented by pictures – for example, words which actually represent mine workers’ and metal smiths’ possessions of furnaces and smelters, minerals, metals and alloys they created for trade.) The Vedic Sarasvati River Basin close to Khetri and Zawar mines of Rajasthan had 80% of the ancient settlements of the speakers of ancient versions of present-day Indian languages. Many of these settlements also yielded objects—such as seals, seal impressions, copper plates, weapons and metal tools-- containing the writing system.

Dr. Kalyanaraman’s finding is that the ancestors of the present-day speakers of all Indian languages -- Aryan, Dravidian, Munda languages -- were living together in what scholars call a ‘linguistic area’ – an area where speakers of different dialects borrow language features from one another and make the features part of their own dialects. This path-breaking finding also explains the reason why over 30% of agricultural words in Indian languages do not have any links with Indo-European languages and why over 40% of the words used in early Vedic and Sanskrit texts contain many word borrowed from Dravidian and Munda Similarly, the metallurgical words used by miners and smiths also are unique to the community of Indian languages showing an indigenous formation and evolution of early metallurgical techniques and related language words.

The finding is also significant because the invention of early metals and techniques of alloying and trade in the metal artefacts necessitated the invention of a writing system. The symbols used are referred to as Sarasvati hieroglyphs including pictures of many animals – markhor, ibex, goat, elephant, tiger, rhinoceros, alligator, buffalo, zebu, ox, heifer, fishes, archer – and also graphics derived from objects such as: rim of jar, rimless pot, rice plant sprout, comb, harrow, ficus leaf. All these glyphs have been read rebus and shown to relate to miners’ and smiths’ professional repertoire, thus the inscriptions were effective calling cards of these artisans. There is also a sign-board which once adorned the gate of the fort of Dholavira about 4500 years ago and contained 10 glyphs to communicate the message of the workshop of smiths offering many metallurgical services such as metal casting and forging. This constitutes the earliest advertisement hoarding in civilization history of a huge size: each sign is 37 cm. high and 25 to 27 cm. wide and made of white mother-of-pearl.

The language was called mleccha in ancient Indian texts and called meluhha in Mesopotamian texts. It is significant that milakkhu in Pali language and mlecchamukha in Sanskrit both mean ‘copper’ confirming the fact that the language-speakers of mleccha were metal workers.

The implications of the conclusive decoding of the writing system are that the Aryan Invasion/Migration theories are myths since the languages of India had evolved indigenously with intense interactions among ancient versions of present-day languages of the nation. Those who theorise about Indo-European homeland have to rework on their theses. The findings prove an essential cultural unity among Indian languages founded on a continuing culture which emerged on the Vedic Sarasvati river basin.

For example, he demonstrates a pectoral (steatite pendant ornament) with glyphs: one-horned heifer, with pannier and an overflowing pot and explains the meanings: copper smith’s metal casting workshop, furnace of miner (kod ‘workshop’; rebus reading kod ‘horn’); (kamarsaala, rebus reading of kammarsaala ‘pannier’); (kand kanka ‘rim of jar’; rebus: miner’s furnace); (ere ‘casting metal’; rebus: ere ‘overflowing’). In front of the ligatured animal is a standard device. It is sangada ‘lathe’, ‘portable furnace’; rebus reading: sangataraasu ‘stone-cutter’. The lapidaries’ work has yielded exquisite ornaments made of carnelian, agate, lapis lazuli and other semi-precious stones. The trough shown in front of many animals is read as ‘pattar’ which also means ‘guild of goldsmiths’.

The lecture of Kalyanaraman and his powerpoint presentation are scheduled at 5 PM at Rojah Muthiah Library, Taramani, Chennai on 26 February 2009.





S. Kalyanaraman, Ph.D.,

Director, Sarasvati Research Centre

kalyan97@gmail.com