Indus script corpora, archaeo-metallurgy and Meluhha (Mleccha)
Srinivasan Kalyanaraman

TL;DR
This paper explores the evolution of the Indus script, its connection to ancient Indian languages and metallurgy, and proposes the rebus principle as a key to deciphering the script based on archaeological and linguistic evidence.
Contribution
It introduces the idea that Indus hieroglyphs are rebus representations linked to archaeo-metallurgy and Indian sprachbund languages, providing a new approach to decipherment.
Findings
Indus script developed around 3500 BCE using hieroglyphs.
Hieroglyphs served as rebus representations of metallurgical lexemes.
Continued use of hieroglyphs in metallurgy and coinage supports their significance.
Abstract
Jules Bloch's work on formation of the Marathi language has to be expanded further to provide for a study of evolution and formation of Indian languages in the Indian language union (sprachbund). The paper analyses the stages in the evolution of early writing systems which began with the evolution of counting in the ancient Near East. A stage anterior to the stage of syllabic representation of sounds of a language, is identified. Unique geometric shapes required for tokens to categorize objects became too large to handle to abstract hundreds of categories of goods and metallurgical processes during the production of bronze-age goods. About 3500 BCE, Indus script as a writing system was developed to use hieroglyphs to represent the 'spoken words' identifying each of the goods and processes. A rebus method of representing similar sounding words of the lingua franca of the artisans was…
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Taxonomy
TopicsHistorical Linguistics and Language Studies · Linguistics and language evolution · Ancient Near East History
