Context (IE): Tamil Nadu’s CM announced a $1 million prize for deciphering the Indus Valley script.
About Indus Script & Its Features
The Indus Valley Script is a writing style developed by the Indus Valley Civilization and it is the earliest form of writing known in the Indian subcontinent.
Boustrophedon method was adopted, i.e., written from right to left on one line and then from left to right in the next line.
Mainly pictographic, containing 250 to 400 pictographs in the form of a picture where each letter stands for some sound, idea, or object.
Boustrophedon method was adopted, i.e., written from right to left on one line and then from left to right in the next line.
Symbols: Found on seals and terracotta tablets; include human & animal motifs and unknown characters.
Inscription Length: Typically short, with an average of five characters, the longest has26 characters.
Writing System: Believed to be logosyllabic, where signs represented objects, words or homophones.
Major Theories on Language and Script
Dravidian Hypothesis: Suggests Dravidian roots based on the rebus principle (e.g., fish sign linked to “star” in Dravidian); Supported by Brahui language in Balochistan and Old Tamil connections.
Sanskrit Connection: Proposed link to Vedic Sanskrit rejected due to Aryan migration after 2000 BCE.
Nonlinguistic Symbols Theory: Suggests symbols were used for trade, taxation, or religious purposes rather than encoding language.