ASI to organise global meet on decoding Indus Valley script

Key Facts on Indus Valley Script (c. 2600-1900 BCE) :

1. Undeciphered Nature:

   • The Indus script is yet to be deciphered.

   • Main reasons: no bilingual inscriptions (like Rosetta Stone for Egyptian), very short inscriptions, and no consensus on the language behind the script.

2. Features of the Script:

   • Contains over 400 symbols, many of which are pictographic.

   • Found on seals, pottery, copper tablets, and tools.

   • Often occurs in short sequences, mostly less than 5 symbols long.

   • Written mostly from right to left, as seen in some seal impressions.

3. Hypotheses:

   • Some scholars argue it could be non-linguistic symbols or proto-writing.

   • Others suggest it may be Dravidian-based (Asko Parpola's theory).

   • Still, others propose Munda or Indo-Aryan roots, but none are conclusive.

4. Usage:

   • Believed to be used for administrative, trade, and religious purposes.

   • Found in urban centres like Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Dholavira, etc.

5. Logo-syllabic Theory:

   • The script may use symbols that represent both whole words (logos) and syllables (syllabic sounds)—similar to ancient Sumerian and Mayan scripts.

6. Significance:

   • One of the earliest writing systems in the world (2600–1900 BCE).

   • Key to understanding the socio-political and economic aspects of the Indus Valley Civilization.

7. Prelims Pointers:

   • It is not yet deciphered.

   • It was mostly pictographic and right to left.

   • Found mainly on seals and pottery.

   • The Rosetta Stone type bilingual text is absent, hindering progress.

   • Recent efforts (like the upcoming ASI conference) aim to revive interest and scholarly collaboration in this area.