Comparative analysis of and functions served by field symbols as Sarasvati hieroglyphs

[Guest guest]

Srinivasan Kalyanaraman <kalyan97@g...> wrote:

Comparative analysis of and functions served by field symbols on

inscribed objects -- as hieroglyphs of Sarasvati civilization (so

called Indus script)

 

Typically, Mahadevan corpus of epigraphs of Sarasvati civilization (so

called Indus script) lists about 100 field symbols (which are called

pictorial motifs) in the photographic corpus volumes 1 and 2.

 

Field symbols generally occupy a significant space within a small

tablet or a seal or other inscribed object. They just dominate the

field. Sign graphs (an average of about 5 or 6) are added to complete

the message conveyed by the field symbol. There are objects with just

the field symbols (without any sign graph), in such instances, the

field symbols itself constitutes the message.

 

The best way to describe the field symbols is to show pictures of

inscribed objects containing these field symbols to facilitate an

artistic appraisal. Some glyphs are unambiguous such as vagina,

heifer, zebu, bull, buffalo, tiger, elephant, boar, lizard, alligator,

scorpion, headless trunk of a standing person, rim of narrow-necked

jar, wide-mouthed pot, tiger looking back, antelope looking back, a

person seated on a tree branch, a tree, the veins of a leaf, ligatured

elements of multiple animals to result in a composite animal.

 

To show the pictures, over 500 representative glyphs out of a total of

about 4,000 inscribed objects are presented through an easy to use

slide show.

 

The pictures are presented to provoke a question, answers to which

will provide the code to the cryptographic problem posed by the

messaging system: what messages do the field symbols convey?

 

To gain an understanding of the possible functions served by the field

symbols, it is necessary to review the entire corpus of over 3,600

inscribed objects in the photographic corpus.

 

That a standard device which appears generally in front of a heifer on

many seals also appears in the round as an artifact is instructive. A

tiger ligatured to a woman appears on an epigraph. A tiger's face

ligatured to the breast of a woman wearing necklaces displays the same

message. Thus, both objects in the round and pictorial motifs on

inscribed objects convey comparable messages. A standard device is

sangada; rebus, 'furnace'. A tiger is kol; rebus (phonetic determinant

ligature), kola 'woman'; rebus, kol 'alloy of five metals.'

 

In addition, the following artifacts also have a bearing on the

artistic techniques used in composing the field symbols – because,

these constitute the environment from which the artistic motifs have

been taken by the artisans to create the two categories of glyphs

called field symbols and sign graphs which together constituted the

core of the message (apart from the object itself on which the glyphs

are inscribed/incised):

 

• Objects in the round such as standard device, horses, toy

carts,

boats depicted on tablets, daimabad ratha, boats plying on River

Sindhu, terracotta image of a woman's breast ligatured to the head of

a tiger, techniques of ligaturing evident in some terracotta images,

ivory combs containing unique motifs such as taberna montana plant

(tagaraka) found at Tell Abraq, together with dotted circles, gold

pendant with a painted epigraph, gold plate depicting the outline of a

standard device;

• Comparable devices – such as svastika, tree, three mountain

summits,

dotted circle, bull, elephant, tiger, boar, narrow-necked jar, fish,

bow & arrow, standard device (portable furnace) -- employed on many

punch-marked coins of the historical periods in regions stretching

from the present-day regions of Taxila to Bihar, from Haryana to

Andhra Pradesh;

• Comparable glyphs in neighboring regions such as Elam

(cylinder

seals of Jamdet Nasr, vase and marble seal of Jiroft), Mesopotamian

cylinder seals and other inscribed objects with comparable pictorials

such as a person holding back two rearing tigers, water-carrier

glyphs, cylinder seal with a cuneiform epigraph showing a Meluhha

merchant carrying an antelope accompanied by a woman carrying a vase

-- kamandalu; two unique finds from a shipwreck at Haifa are included:

they are two pure tin ingots carrying sarasvati hieroglyphs connoting

the nature of the metal: ranku 'antelope'; rebus 'tin'; ranku 'measure

of capacity for liquids'; rebus 'tin'; dhat.u 'crossing' – X glyph;

rebus dhatu 'ore, mineral';

• Use of dotted circles on the standard device get repeated by

independent representation on seals, on ivory combs, as holes on a

khafage bowl depicting a winding snake, as trefoils adoring a stand to

hold a s'ivalinga or trefoils adoring the upper garment of the priest

or the buttocks of a bull;

• Eight cylinder seals found in the civilization area with

pictorials

and epigraphs composed of frequently occurring hieroglyphs;

• Maps showing the site locations of the civilization, mostly

on the

banks of River Sarasvati; site features such as ploughed field of

Kalibangan, evidences of earthquake; old river channels as seen from

satellite images;

• Sketch maps/photographs detailing circular workers'

platforms, finds

of s'ivalinga in Harappa, terracotta images of s'ivalinga in

Kalibangan, galleries of warehouse, artistic drawings of what sites

such as Dholavira or Lothal would have looked like, the architectural

features of buildings, drains, tanks, fortifications, rock-cut

reservoir as in Dholavira, polished round pillars, ringstones used as

structural supports;

• Types of furnaces/kilns, fire-altars discovered; methods of

working

with s'ankha (turbinella pyrum) which is a unique product of the

coastline stretching from Makran coast through Gulfs of Kutch, Khambat

and to Gulf of Mannar (ki_r..akkarai, Tiruchendur, where the industry

thrives even after the first discovery of a wide s'ankha bangle

stratigraphically dated by Jarrige to 6500 BCE);

• Photographs of artifacts such as jewellery, household

utensils,

tools such as axes, inscribed daggers, inscribed celts, inscribed

copper plates;

• Paintings on pottery showing devices such as horses, dotted

circles,

leaves (which also are used as sign graphs);

• Objects in the round, mostly made of stone or terracotta and

sometimes of bronze (using cire perdue or lost wax technique used even

today by vis'vakarma of Swamimalai) of figurines showing male/female

hairstyles, dresses, ornaments worn such as bangles or anklets or

necklaces, dance postures;

• The three faces of the seated person surrounded by a group of

animals + epigraph is seen to be composed of the bristles of a tiger's

mane. (The pictographs of this seal get echoed on Gundestrup cauldron

of a later historical period; hence, the pictographs from this

cauldron are also presented for comparison). Tiger's mane is a

critical lexeme: cu_la 'tiger's mane'; rebus: cu_la 'furnace, kiln';

the seated person in yogic posture is kamad.ha 'penance'; rebus:

kampat.t.a 'mint'. The artistic representation is an exquisite

composite of artistic elements: buffalo horns, haystack on pedestal,

bangles worn, ornaments worn as necklaces, a pair of antelopes

adorning the pedestal.

 

Only samples of inscribed objects are presented so as to bring out the

orthographic variations even when the same field symbol is used. For

example, the standard device normally shown in front of the heifer

(young bull with one horn) is shown in variant orthographic

representations. Such a standard device also occurs by itself or

together with other pictorials shown in a procession.

 

The selection of samples is to emphasise a unique artistic style

employed, paralleling the ligaturing style used in the orthography of

sign graphs. Many animals shown independently are also shown in

groups, either in a procession of animals (e.g. elephant, boar; ox,

heifer, antelope) or in a characteristic combination creating what is

termed a 'fabulous animal'. Such typical representations in

combination are: ligature of the heads of a heifer, an antelope and an

ox to the body of a heifer; ligature of the trunk of an elephant,

horns of a bovine, front legs of a bull; hind legs of a tiger, tail

curving like a serpent, neck adorned with rings shown like strips

hanging down, pannier characteristic of the heifer. The heifer

pictorial motif is a uniquely ligatured representation highlighting:

the pannier (W-shaped), rings on the neck, and one curved horn. Many

animals (ox, boar, elephant, buffalo) are shown standing in profile in

front of a trough. A zebu or brahmani bull is never shown in front of

any object. An antelope or a tiger are also represented by a variant:

with their heads turned backwards.

 

There are about 550 objects mostly with epigraphs which are loaded on

the Photos section.

 

The objects can be viewed as a slide show (at desired speed) or

individually to provide a panoramic view of the people who created the

civilization, of their arts, crafts and habitat.

 

One thing is clear from these pictorial motifs or field symbols of the

civilization. They are hieroglyphs read rebus as lexemes.

 

The artististry depicted is monumental despite the small size of the

objects used (mostly such as seals or tablets) and DO NOT constitute

magical representations or adoration of divinities. If anyone claims

that the glyphs are such magical or divinity representations, the onus

of proof is on such a scholar; until proof is given, the claims will

only be unverified/non-falsifiable conjectures.

 

Together with the epigraphs, the pictographs are intended to convey

messages from lapidaries/smiths of s'reni/artisan guilds. Field

symbols are part of the writing system. It has been established that

everyone of the pictographs (including the characteristic ligatures on

a heifer and stylized turning of the heads of an antelope or a tiger)

relate to the repertoire of mints – of metalsmiths and lapidaries

working with types of furnaces, with minerals, metals and alloys. They

are like professional calling cards or bills of lading showing that

the packages on which the seals are impressed (seal impressions or

sealings) or the tablets are tied are products made out of a

particular furnace with a particular mineral or groups of minerals.

 

How would a Jamshedji Tata deliver a calling card to his bride, as a

mangalasutram? He would say that he owns an iron blast furnace. Same

is the case with most of the messages conveyed by the hieroglyphs

which are composed of two basic elements: field symbols and sign

graphs. The holder of the seal is declaring his tools of trade and the

facilities used in the smithy or workshop or mint. When a Meluhhan

sea-faring merchant who appears on a Mesopotamian cylinder seal

appears carrying an antelope (not unlike the depiction of Elam king

statues of gold and silver carrying antelopes), the antelope conveys

the hieroglyphic message that he is a trader in meluhha [mr.eka,

'goat'; rebus: milakkha 'copper'] and the vase carried by his

companion says that he has a kand, 'narrow-necked pot'; rebus 'fire

altar' and hence, can supply smelted cuprite.

 

Who else could have created an epigraphic on a metal object such as a

copper wafer, a copper tablet, a dagger, a celt, an axe, but a

metalsmith?

 

To access the photos and to see the slide show of 410

objects/maps/figures, click on Photos at

indiancivilization Click on folder

titled: Hieroglyphs Sarasvati.

 

The remaining 140+ representative objects/figures with unique field

symbols or glyphs will be loaded in the Photos section at

sarasvatisindhu

 

A solution has to be found to display for easy access and analysis,

the entire, updated corpus of epigraphs (over 170 mb) since the

permit a maximum space of only 30 mb.

 

Dhanyavaadah.

 

Kalyanaraman

8 April 2005

--- End forwarded message ---