itihāsa of bhāratam janam through indus script and maritime tin route

8/20/2019 Itihāsa of Bhāratam Janam Through Indus Script and Maritime Tin Route

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Itihāsa of Bhāratam Janam through

Indus Script cipher and Maritime

Tin Routeभारतम जनम कथनम -- ेत

वक (Meluhha cipher), Proto-Prakritam S. Kalyanaraman, Sarasvati Research CentreSeptember 3, 2015

[email protected]

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/

mailto:[email protected]://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Maritime Tin Route of 3rd millennium

BCE from Far East to Fertile Crescent

Tin belt of the world is in the Far East

Dong Son Bronze Drums attest to cire perdu

casting methods and use of hieroglyphs

Eurasia’s demand for tin to make Tin Bronzesbecause of scarcity of arsenical copper

Maritime Tin Route supplied Tin throughSeafaring Merchants of Meluhha (Mleccha),

'bhāratam janam’


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Nahal Mishmar: cire perdue arsenical

copper hieroglyphs, 4th millennium

BCE


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Hindumahasagar parivaar

Malay Tin Granite belt

Opencast tin mining, Taiping

Dong Son Bronze Drum with heron, antelope


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Tin


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Tin belt of the globe

Paramahamsahttp://www.slideshare.net/JohnSykes/myanmar-the-black-swan-of-global-tin-gardiner-sykes-may-2015-itri-conference

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'bhāratam janam’ R.gveda (ṛca 3.53.12) uses the term, 'bhāratam janam',

which can be interpreted as 'bhārata folk'. The ṛṣi of thesūkta is viśvāmitra gāthina. India was calledBhāratavarṣa after the king Bharata. (Vāyu 33, 51-2; Bd.2,14,60-2; lin:ga 1,47,20,24; Viṣṇu 2,1,28,32).

ya ime rodasī ubhe aham indram atuṣṭavam viśvāmitrasya rakṣati brahmedam bhāratam janam3.053.12 I have made Indra glorified by these two, heaven

and earth, and this prayer of viśvāmitra protects thepeople of Bharata. [Made Indra glorified: indramatuṣṭavam -- the verb is the third preterite of the casual,I have caused to be praised; it may mean: I praise Indra,

abiding between heaven and earth, i.e. in thefirmament].


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Tiny seals with Indus Script

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4424083633692

62276/

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Tiny sealDr. Bryan Well (unseen), an expert on Indus

Valley Civilisation, holding a tablet at TheInstitute of Mathematical Sciences, Taramani,

Chennai. Photo: M. Karunakaranhttp://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indus-civilisation-reveals-its-volumetric-

system/article48883.ece

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Tablets, seals --

HARP

• An additional six copies of these tablets, again allwith the same inscriptions, were found elsewhere

in the debris outside of perimeter wall [250]including two near the group of 16 and two in

debris between the perimeter and curtain walls.

Here all 22 tablets are displayed together with aunicorn intaglio seal from the Period 3B street

inside the perimeter wall, which has two of the

same signs as those found on the tablets.


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Hieroglyphs are the message. Glyphs as

part of inscriptions and of sculptures

• Potsherd, Bhirrana Bronze sculpture, Mohenjodaro

i l h l i l (h )


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Hieroglyph-multiplex (hypertext)

demonstrated by Dennys Frenez &

Massimo Vidale


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M0299 composite animal h096 composite animal m1177 composite animal

Composite animal has the body of a ram, horns of a zebu, trunk of an

elephant, hindlegs of a tiger and an upraised serpent-like tail

Composition of faces analysed by Huntington


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Mahabharata, the most accurately dated

history in human civilization


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Earliest Phase-Ravi (3300-2800 B.C.)


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mhaÖIp kI %Är yaÇa ke pfav


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Great Water Tower for 250 crore peopleHimalaya is the source of major rivers for 2.5 billion people; Manasarovar in Tibet yields Sindhu, Sutlej, Sarasvati, Mahakali-

Karnali-Sharada and Tsangpo-Lohitya-Brahmaputra rivers; other rivers flowing from eastern Himalaya are: Irawaddy,

Salween, Mekong, Yangtse and Huanghe. Precipitation levels increase along the Himalaya from Karakorm (250 cm. per

annum) to Cherrapunjee, Assam (1410 cm p.a.) registering the highest rainfall regions of the world. Since 1959, Chinese

government estimates that they have removed over $54 billion worth of timber.


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Satellite imagery

Siwalik hills wereleft-laterallydisplaced. NNW-SSE-trendingtear fault is still

active. Theearlier west-flowing riverswere swungsouthwards,

following thepath of thefault.

[NRSA, ISRO,Hyderabad]


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IRS P3 WiFS True Color Composite image: palaeo-drainage of Sarasvati river basin. 4 to10 kms. wide channels. ISRO, Jodhpur


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Map of Sapta Sindhu (Nation of Seven Rivers): Theatre of Pan~cajana_h,Five Peoples Marius Fontane, 1881,

Histoire Universelle, Inde Vedique (de 1800 a 800 av. J.C.), Alphonse Lemerre, Editeur, Paris. Amri-Nal

maritime roots. He’lavo, elelo ‘seamens’ song’: Mleccha ‘lingua franca’; Sanskrit ‘literary language’,grammatically correct.


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Spatial distribution of major drainages in northern Haryana. Important

pilgrim sites/tirthas lie on the bank of Saraswati Nadi.

Inset: Location of the study area


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Drainages and watershed boundaries of (1) Markanda, (2)

Saraswati and (3) Somb Rivers on the Siwalik foothills of Haryana


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Spatial distribution of Harappan and post Harappan sites in relation to

palaeochannels in parts of northern Haryana. Note the concentration

of archaeological sites along Saraswati Nadi.


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Distribution/concentration of settlements of Sarasvati

civilizationhttp://www.chikyu.ac.jp/rihn_e/project/img/H03-2.jpg (After RIHN 2009 GIS map)

http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/rihn_e/project/img/H03-2.jpghttp://www.chikyu.ac.jp/rihn_e/project/img/H03-2.jpghttp://www.chikyu.ac.jp/rihn_e/project/img/H03-2.jpghttp://www.chikyu.ac.jp/rihn_e/project/img/H03-2.jpghttp://www.chikyu.ac.jp/rihn_e/project/img/H03-2.jpghttp://www.chikyu.ac.jp/rihn_e/project/img/H03-2.jpg


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IRS P6 LISS III image of Feb. 2004 showing Markanda-Bata divide and its mis-fit

wide valley around Paonta Sahib. Movement

along the NNW –SSE trending Yamuna Tear Fault was possibly responsible forthe diversion of Yamuna towards south.


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(a) SRTM DEM (Feb. 2000) with draped

Landsat ETM image (Oct. 2000)

showing 3D view of Siwalik foothill

around Adi Badri area. (b) Elevation

contour map (5m interval) is generated

from SRTM DEM (enclosed box only)

between Adi Badri and Rampur Herian,west of Somb River. Dashed line shows

possible linkage of the two places. (c)

IRS P6 LISS-IV Image (5.8 m) of May,

2004 showing vegetation anomaly

(yellow dashed line) from Adi Badri to

Rampur Herian, indicating possible link

between Somb River and Saraswati

Nadi.


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Action plan map to

revive the Saraswati

Nadi by three possibleRiver Linking schemes

(a) Saraswati-Somb for

1.5-2.0 km

distance, (b)Saraswati-Markanda

for 3-4 km distance

and (c) Saraswati-

Western YamunaCanal for ~18 km

distance.

f [


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VS Area, Section A. Block I, House II: Room 23, showing brick floor with dyeing troughs [Original

1931 caption] House II. - Rooms 1 to 26, covering a rectangular area of 86 ft. 10 in. by 64 ft. 5 in.

to the north of the building just described, appear originally to have belonged to one and the

same house, which had two entrances opening into the main street on the east and another

into Lane I Mohenjo-daro


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Steatite seal showing boat, Mohenjodaro.Sindhu River near Mohenjodaro. Boat and cart still plying here.

24. Moulded tablet, Mohenjo-daro.

Three sided molded tablet. One side shows a flat bottomed boat with a central hut that has leafy fronds at the top of two poles.Two birds sit on the deck and a large double rudder extends from the rear of the boat. On the second side is a snout nosed gharialwith a fish in its mouth. The third side has eight symbols of the Indus script.

Material: terra cotta Dimensions: 4.6 cm length, 1.2 x 1.5 cm width Mohenjo-daro, MD 602 Islamabad Museum, NMP 1384Dales 1965a: 147, 1968: 39

22. Toy carts, Nausharo.

Terra cotta toy carts from the Harappan period site of Nausharo in Baluchistan. Holes along the length of the cart serve to holdwooden side bars and at the center of the cart two of the wooden side bars can be extended below the frame to hold the axle. A

long stick inserted into the holes at the end of the cart would have been used to support a yoke. The two wheels were found l yingnext to the cart frame. Period III, Harappan, 2300-2200 B. C. Similar carts are still used in rural areas of Pakistan and India (#2).

Material: terra cotta Dimensions: Larger cart - 17 cm length, 8 cm width, 1.2 cm thickness; Wheel - 7 cm dia., 1.2 cm thicknessNausharo, NS/88/IV [Accession Number with year] Department of Archaeology, Karachi, EBK 6916 Jarrige 1990: XVa

Riverine, maritime

civilization

http://www.harappa.com/indus/40.htmlhttp://www.harappa.com/indus/40.htmlhttp://www.harappa.com/indus/40.htmlhttp://www.harappa.com/indus/41.htmlhttp://www.harappa.com/indus/37.html


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Indus-Sarasvati Rivers


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Valdiya, K. S., 1996, Resonance,1, pp.19-28


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• Tin ingots in the Museum of Ancient Art of the Municipality of Haifa, Israel (left #8251, right#8252). The ingots each bear two inscribed Cypro-Minoan markings. (Note: I have arguedthat the inscriptions were Meluhha hieroglyphs (Indus writing) denoting ranku 'tin' dhatu'ore'. See: The Bronze Age Writing System of Sarasvati Hieroglyphics as Evidenced by Two“Rosetta Stones” By S. Kalyanaraman in: Journal of Indo-Judaic StudiesVolume 1: Number 11(2010), pp. 47-74.)

• ranku 'liquid measure'; ranku 'antelope' Rebus: ranku 'tin' (Santali) dhatu 'cross'Rebus: dhatu 'mineral ore' (Santali).

• • Hieroglyph: ran:ku = liquid measure (Santali) Rebus: ran:ku = tin (Santali)• • Hieroglyph: ran:ku a species of deer; ran:kuka (Skt.)(CDIAL 10559).• • Hieroglyph: dāṭu = cross (Telugu) Rebus: dhatu = mineral (Santali)• • Hindi. dhāṭnā ‘ to send out, pour out, cast (metal)’ (CDIAL 6771).

• Inscribed tin ingot with a moulded head, from Haifa (Artzy, 1983: 53). (Michal Artzy, 1983,Arethusa of the Tin Ingot, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, BASOR 250,pp. 51-55) An additional hieroglyph on this third tin ingot is : human face. Hieroglyph: mũhe ‘face’ (Santali) Rebus: mũh ‘ingot’ (Santali). mũh opening or hole (in a stove for stoking (Bi.);ingot (Santali) mũh metal ingot (Santali) mũhã = the quantity of iron produced at one time ina native smelting furnace of the Kolhes; iron produced by the Kolhes and formed like a four-cornered piece a little pointed at each end; mūhā mẽṛhẽt = iron smelted by the Kolhes and

formed into an equilateral lump a little pointed at each of four ends; kolhe tehen mẽṛhẽt komūhā akata = the Kolhes have to-day produced pig iron (Santali).


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Indus writing legacy

-- Punch-marked glyphs


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[Tree symbol (often on a platform) on punch-marked coins; a symbol recurring on

many tablets with Sarasvati hieroglyhphs]. (After Pl. 30 C in: Savita Sharma, 1990,

Early Indian Symbols, Numismatic Evidence, Delhi, Agam Kala Prakashan; cf. Shah,

U.P., 1975, Aspects of Jain Art and Architecture, p. 77).


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[Pl.8, Local Tribal coin symbols: Ujjayini, Tripuri, Ayodhya, Almore, Pa_n~ca_la, Arjuna_yana (1-

3), Ra_janya (3,6,8), Uddehika, Audumbara, Kun.inda, Kuluta, Vr.s.n.i, Yaudheya, Ks.atrapa,

S’a_tava_hana]


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Taurine symbol [Pl. 35, on punch-marked, local, uninscribed cat coins and local coins]. The

symbol is so intense in almost all cultural periods and in a large number of sites that the taurine

symbol can be compared with the most frequently occurring sign of the SSVC inscribed objects:

the ‘rimmed jar with a narrow-neck’ (kan.d.kanka – copper furnace).

[After Pl. 10 to 13 in: Savita Sharma, 1990, Early Indian Symbols: Numismatic evidence, Delhi, Agam Kala

P k h ]


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Prakashan]


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[Pl. 2, N: Sahet-Mahet punch-marked coins symbols]

[Pl. 3, M,N: Singavaran punch-marked coin symbols]

Pl. 5, A to C, Amaravati punch-marked coin symbols]

Pl. 5, D, Punch-marked copper coins, Madhipur]

[Pl. 5, E, Uninscribed cast coins]

[Pl. 5, F, G, Eran punch-marked local coin

symbols]


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[Pl.5, J, Ahichhatra, punch-marked local coin symbols]

[Pl.5, K, Kada, punch-marked local coin symbols]

[Pl. 5, L, Kanauj, punch-marked local coin symbols]

[Pl. 5, M, Mathura, punch-marked local coin symbols]

[Pl. 5, N, O, P, Taxila, punch-marked local coin symbols]

[Pl. 6, A, Shamiawala (Lucknow Museum) Uttara Pa_n~ca_la Ahicchatra (Type I) punch-marked coinsymbols]


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[Pl.4,J to P, Amaravati punch-marked coin symbols]

[Pl. 5, h, I, Kaus’a_mbi_ punch-marked local coin symbols]


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Map of Metal Resources and Distribution Networks

(After Fig. 5.20f, Kenoyer, 1998)


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Over 45 sites where objects with epigraphs

have been discovered

http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/hieroglyphs/findsites.jpg?attredirects=0


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Bharatiyo• Areas for further research: it is no coincidence that the term bharatiyo means ‘caster of

metals’ (G.)

• Further linguistic studies to reconstruct the Proto-Bharatiya parole (spoken idiom,vernacular) should relate to the work of s’ ren.i (18 guilds are mentioned in Ja_taka-s)and links with megalithic cultures.

• Further archaeological explorations in Sarasvati river basin and metallurgical analysis islikely to reveal the early presence of iron-work and experimentation with alloys inBharat.

• Sociological studies related to Bhāratam Janam (R.gveda) and Pān~cāla (five artisans =Pan~cakammāl.ar) will establish the pan-bharatiya presence of the vis’ vakarma and

vra_tya tradition (together with yajn~a and yoga), also exemplified by s’ aiva a_gama,all dating back to not later than 5000 years Before Present.

• Knowledge systems of Bharat exemplified by Vedic, itihāsa and purāṇa texts willprovide the framework for inter-relating archaeology, tradition and cultural continuumin puṇyabhūmi Bharat. This calls for a multi-disciplinary approach to the study ofBharatiya culture, based on Bharatiya ethos and kāla gaṇana using planetaria softwareto authenticate the astronomical references in these texts. Such an approach will resultin national resurgence consistent with the tradition which postulates study of itihāsa toachieve dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa.


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Bhart, baran -- an alloy

bharatiyo = a caster of metals; a brazier;

bharatar, bharatal, bharataḷ = moulded; anarticle made in a mould; bharata = castingmetals in moulds; bharavum = to fill in; to putin; to pour into (G.lex.) bhart = a mixed metalof copper and lead; bhart- ī yā = a barzier,

worker in metal; bhat., bhrāṣṭra = oven,furnace (Skt.) bharata = a factitious metalcompounded of copper, pewter, tin (M.)


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Implications for language

studies• Language X and borrowings from proto-Munda can be identified

in over 25 ancient languages of India. (Indian Lexicon exists with8000 semantic clusters for these languages).http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97

• The formation and evolution of Language X and differentiationinto Prakrits, Pali and other languages of India need to bestudied through isoglosses of the linguistic area.

• The decoding of Sarasvati hieroglyphs establishes the essentialcultural continuum of the civilization which was nurtured,

principally, on the banks of Vedic River Sarasvati. The continuumis evidenced in language and also in many cultural markers.

B ti i d t h i d t d i S i l i

http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97


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Bronze murti: cire perdue technique used today in Swamimalai

to make bronze utsavabera.

Eraka Subrahmanya is the presiding divinity in Swamimalai.Eraka! Copper.

Devices on punch-marked coins comparable to Sarasvati

hieroglyphs


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Plate X [c] Lingam in situ in Trench Ai (MS Vats, 1940, Excavations at Harappa, Vol. II, Calcutta)

Lingam, grey sandstone in situ, Harappa, Trench Ai, Mound F, Pl. X (c) (After Vats). "In an

earthenware jar, No. 12414, recovered from Mound F, Trench IV, Square I... in this jar, six lingams

were found along with some tiny pieces of shell, a unicorn seal, an oblong grey sandstone block

with polished surface, five stone pestles, a stone palette, and a block of chalcedony..." (Vats, EH, p.

370).


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dvAdasha jyotirliNga stotram: kAverikAnarmadayoH pavitre samAgame sajjanatAraNAya

| sadaiva mAndhAtRipure vasantamoNkAramIshaM shivamekamIDe || Trans. I pay my

obeisance to the One Who is the savior of the good people and the great One Who

always resides at the Holy merging point of Kaveri and Narmada, i.e., Omkar Shiva.

6500 BCE. Date of the woman’s burial with ornaments including a wide bangle ofh kh M h h B i l t d f h ll d t di b d d


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shankha. Mehergarh. Burial ornaments made of shell and stone disc beads, and

turbinel la pyrum (sacred conch, s’an:kha) bangle, Tomb MR3T.21, Mehrgarh, Period

1A, ca. 6500 BCE. The nearest source for this shell is Makran coast near Karachi, 500

km. South. [After Fig. 2.10 in Kenoyer, 1998].


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Seal, Bet Dwaraka 20 x18 mm of conch shellWide bangle made from a single conch shell and carved with

a chevron motif, Harappa; marine shell, Turbinella pyrum (After Fig. 7.44, Kenoyer, 1998) National Museum,Karachi. 54.3554. HM 13828.

Seven shell bangles from burial of an elderly woman,Harappa; worn on the left arm; three on the upper armand four on the forearm; 6.3 X 5.7 cm to 8x9 cm marineshell, Turbinella pyrum (After Fig. 7.43, Kenoyer, 1998)Harappa museum. H87-635 to 637; 676 to 679.

Modern lady from

Kutch, wearing shell-bangles.


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Nausharo: female figurines. Wearing sindhur at the

parting of the hair. Hair painted black, ornaments golden

and sindhur red. Period 1B, 2800 – 2600 BCE. 11.6 x

30.9 cm.[After Fig. 2.19, Kenoyer, 1998].

Toilet gadgets: Ur and Harappa After


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g g ppWoolley 1934, Vats 1941

T tt t h i 1 4


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Terracotta toys show yogic asanas: 1-4,

from Harappa; 5-6, from Mohenjo-daro.


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Ligatured sculpture: three-faced: tiger, bovine, elephant, Nausharo NS

92.02.70.04 6.76 cm (h); three-headed: elephant, buffalo, bottom jaw of a

feline. NS 91.02.32.01.LXXXII. Dept. of Archaeology, Karachi. EBK 7712


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W Theobald 1890 (JASB): Glyphs


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W. Theobald, 1890 (JASB): Glyphs

on punch-marked coins

C.L. Fabri, JRAS, 1935, pp. 307-318


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KK Thapliyal in Studies in Ancient Indian Seals found that many Indian

seals from the 3rd century BCE to 7th century CE, portray animals, with

an inscription above the animal (just like in the case of the Harappan

seals).


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Punch-marked coin Sun hieroglyph; M0428b

[Or, sun depicted with rays? glyph: arka ‘sun’; rebus substantive: akka, arka ‘copper ’]Meaning: akka, aka (Tadbhava of arka) metal (Ka.); akka metal (Te.) arka =copper (Skt.) cf. arh, argha a collection of twenty pearls (having the weight of aDharan.a) VarBr.S.; worth , value , price , Mn. Ya_jn~.; arghya = valuable (Skt.) akka-ca_lai metal works (Cilap. 16,126, Urai); mint; akkaca_laiyar goldsmiths, jewellers(Ta.lex.) 5952a.Workshop of a goldsmith: aka-sa_la, aga-sa_la, aka-sa_liga, aka-sa_le a gold or silversmith; aka-sa_like the business of a gold or silver smith; akka-sa_le, aka-sa_le the workshop of a goldsmith; a goldsmith; akka-sa_liti a woman ofthe goldsmith caste (Ka.); akka-c-ca_lai a shop where metals are worked(Ta.)(Ka.lex.) CDIAL 624 arká— 1 m. ‘flash, ray, sun’ RV. [√arc] Pa. Pk. akka— m.

‘sun’, Mth. āk; Si. aka ‘lightning’, inscr. vid —äki ‘lightning flash’. • அகக்ம்¹ arukkam• , n. < arka . ( நநர் த்த .) 1. Copper; சம் . • அறக்ன் aṟkaṉ • , n. < arka . Sun; ரயன் . அறக்ன் மல்வ சமகசன (கந்த. கயகனவ்.

35).

H243b

ḍaṭhi ḍaṭi the petioles and mid ribs of a compound leaf after the leaflets


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Silver bent-bar

Imperial series

Asmaka janapada

*ஆரம்² āram , n. < āra. 1. Spoke of a wheel.See ஆரகக்ல். ஆரஞ் ழந்த் வலவ்ய் நசய (பண்.253). 2. Brass; தத்ள. (அக. ந.)

kamaṛkom = fig leaf (Santali.lex.)

kamarmaṛā (Has.), kamaṛkom (Nag.); the

petiole or stalk of a leaf (Mundari.lex.)

ḍaṭhi, ḍaṭi = the petioles and mid-ribs of a compound leaf after the leafletshave been plucked off, stalks of certain plants, as Indian corn, after the

grain has been taken off (Santali)

dhātu ‘mineral’ (Vedic); a mineral, metal (Santali)

kampaṭṭam coinage, coin (Ta.); kammaṭṭam,kammiṭṭam coinage, mint (Ma.); kammatia coiner(Ka.)(DEDR 1236) kammaṭa = coinage, mint(Ka.M.) kampaṭṭa-k-kūṭam mint; kampaṭṭa-k-kāran- coiner; kampaṭṭa- muḷai die, coining stamp(Ta.lex.)

M428b arka ‘sun’; agasāle‘goldsmithy’ (Ka.)kāmaṭhum = a bow; kāmaḍī,kāmaḍum = a chip of bamboo (G.)

A solid copper bolt (24 1/2" in length and a circumference of 14" at the centre and 12" at theends), was found in the Rampurva Asoka Pillar near Nepal border.


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h188, h196, h291, h630, h631

ends), was found in the Rampurva Asoka Pillar near Nepal border.

The copperbolt

with epigraph

(line 1) wasused to bolt

in the bull

capital on the

pillar.

M. अवक ु ड (p. 009) [ agnikuṇḍa ] n (S) A hole in the ground, or an enclosed space onthe surface, or a metal square-mouthed vessel, for receiving and preserving

consecrated fire.

•Sohgaura copper plate (Pre-Mauryan)

http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/romadict.pl?page=5&table=molesworth&display=utf8http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/romadict.pl?page=5&table=molesworth&display=utf8http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/romadict.pl?page=5&table=molesworth&display=utf8http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/romadict.pl?page=5&table=molesworth&display=utf8


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• Hieroglyph 1 (from left): glyph: tree, rebus: smelting furnace• kuṭhi kuṭa, kuṭi, kuṭha a tree (Kaus'.); kud.a tree (Pkt.); kuṛā tree; kaṛek tree, oak (Pas;.)(CDIAL 3228). kuṭha,

kuṭa (Ka.), kudal (Go.) kudar. (Go.) kuṭhāra, kuṭha, kuṭaka = a tree (Skt.lex.) kut., kurun: = stump of a tree(Bond.a); khut. = id. (Or.) kut.a, kut.ha = a tree (Ka.lex.) gun.d.ra = a stump; khuṇṭut = a stump of a tree left inthe ground (Santali.lex.) kuṭamu = a tree (Te.lex.)

• kuṭi, ‘smelting furnace’ (Mundari.lex.).kuṭhi, kuṭi (Or.; Sad. koṭhi) (1) the smelting furnace of the blacksmith;kut.ire bica duljad.ko talkena, they were feeding the furnace with ore; (2) the name of e_kut.i has been given tothe fire which, in lac factories, warms the water bath for softening the lac so that it can be spread into sheets;to make a smelting furnace; kut.hi-o of a smelting furnace, to be made; the smelting furnace of the blacksmithis made of mud, cone-shaped, 2’ 6” dia. At the base and 1’ 6” at the top. The hole in the centre, into which themixture of charcoal and iron ore is poured, is about 6” to 7” in dia. At the base it has two holes, a smaller oneinto which the nozzle of the bellow is inserted, as seen in fig. 1, and a larger one on the opposite side throughwhich the molten iron flows out into a cavity (Mundari.lex.)

• Hieroglyph 3 glyph: spear rebus: furnace• śūla = spear (Skt.)

• cuḷḷai = potter ’s kiln, furnace (Ta.); cu_l.ai furnace, kiln, funeral pile (Ta.); cul.l.a potter ’s furnace; cu_l.a brickkiln (Ma.); culli_ fireplace (Skt.); culli_, ulli_ id. (Pkt.)(CDIAL 4879; DEDR 2709). sulgao, salgao to light a fire;sen:gel, sokol fire (Santali.lex.) hollu, holu = fireplace (Kuwi); sod.u fireplace, stones set up as a fireplace(Mand.); ule furnace (Tu.)(DEDR 2857).

• Hieroglyph 4 glyph: peak mounted by a rimless pot rebus: furnace• kūṭa = peak (Telugu)• baṭa = rimless pot (Kannada)• kūṭam = workshop (Tamil); baṭa = furnace (Santali) bhrāṣṭra = furnace (Skt.)• Hieroglyph 5 glyph: tree (as shown on hieroglyph 1) with a rim of a jar and a quail ligatured on the branches of

tree• kuṭi = tree; rebus: kuṭi = smelting furnace.• kaṇḍ kanka = rim of jar (Santali); kaṇḍ = fire-altar (Santali); kan = copper (Tamil)• baṭa = quail (Santali)• baṭa = furnace (Santali) bhrāṣṭra = furnace (Skt.)• Hieroglyph 2 and hieroglph 6: koṣṭha_ga_ra, a pair of storehouses• Thus the line 1 is a hieroglyphic representation of facilities provided to artisan guilds,• itinerant metalsmiths at the tri-junction of three highways.

• Date? Pre-Mauryan, that is first millennium BCE

g pp p ( y )

http://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ ironage/IRON AGEINDIA2.htm

http://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htmhttp://www.engr.mun.ca/~asharan/bihar/ironage/IRONAGEINDIA2.htm


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“Villagers reported (as a tradition passed down from several generations), that the agarias (aparticular tribe known for their iron smelting skills) from Robertsganj side, used to come in this area

to procure iron by smelting the hematite” (Rakesh Tewari about the excavations in Malhar which

yielded an iron smelter dated to ca. 18th century BCE).

Rakesh Tiwari, 2003, Origins of iron working in India: new evidence from the Central

Ganga plain and Eastern Vindhyas pp 536 545 ca BCE 1800 Lohar dewa Malhar Raja

http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdf


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Ganga plain and Eastern Vindhyas, pp.536-545 ca. BCE 1800 Lohar dewa, Malhar, Raja

Nal ka Tala Circular clay furnace, comprising iron slag and tuyures and other waste

materials stuck with its body, exposed at Lohsanwa mound, Period II, Malhar, Dist.

Chandaulihttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdf

http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdfhttp://www.antiquity.ac.uk/ProjGall/tewari/tewari.pdf


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Indian linguistic area

Pre-Indo-Aryan substratum languages (After F. Southworth, 2005,


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Linguistic Archaeology of South Asia, New York, RoutledgeCurzon,

p. 65)

Mleccha-speaking areas of Asoka’s empire


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Austro-asiatic speakers:

Pinnow map

http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/austroasiatic/

Correlates with bronze-

age sites (extension of

Ganga basin iron-agesites) [After Fig. 8.1 in:

Charles Higham, 1996,

The Bronze Age of

Southeast Asia,

Cambridge University

Press].


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Implications for language studies

• Language X and borrowings from proto-Munda can beidentified in over 25 ancient languages of India. (IndianLexicon exists with 8000 semantic clusters for theselanguages). http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97

• The formation and evolution of Language X anddifferentiation into Prakrits, Pali and other languages of Indianeed to be studied through isoglosses of the linguistic area.

• The decoding of Sarasvati hieroglyphs establishes theessential cultural continuum of the civilization which wasnurtured, principally, on the banks of Vedic River Sarasvati.The continuum is evidenced in language and also in manycultural markers.

http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97


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Indus writing mlecchita vikalpa

(Meluhha cipher)--1- Adoration of

pattaṇī ʻferrymanʼ, paṭṭaṟai ‘guild’, kole.l ‘smithy, temple’

S. Kalyanaraman

Sarasvati Research Center


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Indus writing mlecchita vikalpa

(Meluhha cipher)—2-- Semantics & orthography of

svastika hieroglyph

S. Kalyanaraman



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Indus writing mlecchita

vikalpa (Meluhha

cipher)—3-- Meluhha animal hieroglyphs

read rebus: ores, metals, alloysS. Kalyanaraman


In us writing m ecc ita vi a pa


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In us writing m ecc ita vi a pa(Meluhha cipher)—4. kol ‘alloy

of 5 metals’ pañcaloha inMeluhha hieroglyphs

S. Kalyanaraman




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vikalpa (Meluhha cipher)—5. Metalwork hieroglyphs

S. Kalyanaraman



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kana, kanac = corner (Santali); Rebus: kañcu =

bronze (Telugu)

āra 'spokes' Rebus: āra ‘brass’ . cf. erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka)

copper (metal); crystal (Kannada) Glyph: eraka’nave of wheel’ Rebus: eraka ‘copper’;cf. erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka) copper (metal); crystal (Kannada)

dāṭu ‘cross’(Telugu) Rebus: dhatu ‘mineral’ (Santali).

kuṭila ‘bent’; Rebus: kuṭila, katthīl = bronze (8 parts copper and 2 partstin) [cf. āra-kūṭa, ‘brass’ (Sanskrit) (CDIAL 3230)


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kaṇḍā ‘jar’ + kanka ‘rim of jar’ Rebus: kaṇḍā ‘fire-altar’Rebus:

karṇīka ‘account (scribe)’

karṇī

‘supercargo’khareḍo = a currycomb (Gujarati) खरारा [ kharārā ]

m ( H) A currycomb. 2 Currying a horse. (Marathi)Rebus: करडा [karaḍā] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c.

(Marathi) kharādī ‘ turner’ (Gujarati)kānḍa ‘arrow’ (Sanskrit) Rebus:khānḍa ‘tools, pots andpans, metal-ware’. Rebus 2: kaṇḍ 'fire-altar' (Santali)mogge ‘sprout, bud’ Rebus: mu h̄ ‘ingot’ (Santali)


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meḍ ‘body’ Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) Rebus: खुडी [ khaṇḍī ]measure of weight (Marathi) கண் ; kaṇṭi , n. < Mhr.khaṇḍil . [T. Tu. khaṇḍi , M. kaṇḍi .] Candy, a weight, about 500lbs. काठी [ kāṭhī ] f ( काष S) ‘frame or structure of the body’(Marathi) Rebus: खुडी [ khaṇḍī ] measure of weight (Marathi)கண் ; kaṇṭi , n. < Mhr. khaṇḍil . [T. Tu. khaṇḍi , M. kaṇḍi .]Candy, a weight, stated to be roughly equivalent to 500 lbs.

• water-carrier hieroglyph kuṭi ; Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelterfurnace’. PLUS ‘rim of jar’:

• kanka ‘rim of jar’ Rebus: karṇīka ‘account (scribe)’ karṇī ‘supercargo’


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bicha ‘scorpion’ (Assamese) Rebus: bica ‘stone ore’ (Santali)

ḍãḡ mountain-ridge (H.)(CDIAL 5476). Rebus: dhangar ‘blacksmith’ (Maithili)

mēḍu height, rising ground, hillock (Kannada) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt , meḍ ‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.)

kamaḍha ‘crab’ Rebus: kammaṭa ‘mint, coiner’.ḍato = claws of crab (Santali) Rebus: dhātu ‘mineral ore’PLUS खा ड [ khāṇḍā ] m A jag, notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool orweapon). Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’ Thus, mint metalware, ore.

ḍhanga = a crook used for pulling down the branches of trees, for goats, sheep and camels (P.)Rebus:ḍhangar blacksmith’.

Strands of yarn/rope’ hieroglyph: Hieroglyph: ‘strands of yarn’ Rebus reading: dhāˊtu ‘strand of ropeʼ Rebus: dhatu ‘mineral ore’ (Santali)

kolmo ‘paddy plant’ Rebus: kolami ‘smithy, forge’ Vikalpa: mogge ‘sprout, bud’ Rebus: mu ̄ h ‘ingot’ (Santali)dolu ‘plant of shoot height’ Rebus: dul ‘cast metal’

aḍar 'harrow'; rebus: aduru 'native unsmelted metal’

mēḍu height, rising ground, hillock (Kannada) Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) kolom ‘three’ Rebus: kolami ‘smithy, forge’Thus, meḍ kolami ‘iron smithy-forge’


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loa ‘ficus religiosa’ Rebus: lo ‘iron’ (Sanskrit) PLUS unique ligatures: लोखुड [lōkhaṇḍa ]n ( लोह S) Iron. लोखुडाच े चण े खावण or चारण To oppress grievously. लोखुडकाम [ lōkhaṇḍakāma ] n Iron work; thatportion (of a building, machine &c.) which consists of iron. 2 The business of an ironsmith. लोखुडी [ lōkhaṇḍī ] a ( लोखुड ) Composed of iron; relating to iron. (Marathi)

koḍi ‘flag’ (Ta.)(DEDR 2049). Rebus 1: koḍ ‘workshop’ (Kuwi)Rebus 2: khŏḍ m. ‘pit ’, khö ḍ̆ü f. ‘small pit’ (Kashmiri. CDIAL 3947).

baraḍo = spine; backbone (Tulu) Rebus: baran, bharat ‘mixed alloys’ (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin) (Punjabi)

baroṭi ‘twelve’ bhārata ‘a factitious alloy of copper, pewter, tin’ (Marathi)

Ligature: two peaks: mēḍu height, rising ground, hillock (Kannada) Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) dula ‘pair’ Rebus: dul‘cast metal’ PLUS |||| Numeral 4: gaṇḍa 'four' Rebus: kaṇḍa 'furnace, fire-altar' (Santali

dula ‘ two, pair’ Rebus: dul ‘cast metal’ PLUS dhāḷ ‘a slope’; ‘inclination of a plane’ (G.); ḍhāḷiyum = adj. sloping,inclining (G.) Rebus: ḍhālako = a large metal ingot (G.) ḍhālakī = a metal heated and poured into a mould; a solidpiece of metal; an ingot (Gujarati) PLUS kolom ‘three’ Rebus: kolami ‘smithy, forge’. Thus cast metal ingot smithy.


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Parentheses joined into an ellipse to


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Parentheses joined into an ellipse to

create a circumfix ligature

() Parentheses when joined become an ellipseEach parenthesis orthographically denotes a ‘bent’ line. dula ‘pair’ Rebus: dul ‘cast metal’ PLUSkana, kanac = corner (Santali); Rebus: kañcu = bronze (Telugu) PLUS i nfixed kolmo‘paddy plant’ Rebus: kolami ‘smithy, forge’. Thus, cast bronze smithy, forge. Or, mogge

‘sprout, bud’ Rebus: mu h̄ ‘ingot’ (Santali) Thus, cast bronze ingot.

muka ‘ladle’ (Tamil)(DEDR 4887) Rebus: mu h̄ ‘ingot’ (Santali) baṭa = rimless pot(Kannada) Rebus: ) baṭa = a kind of iron (G.) ) bhaṭa furnace (Gujarati) Thus,iron ingot.

kolom ‘three’ Rebus: kolami ‘smithy, forge’ kānḍa ‘arrow’ (Sanskrit)Rebus:khānḍa ‘tools, pots and pans, metal-ware’. Rebus 2: kaṇḍ 'fire-altar'(Santali) Thus, the three sign sequence reads: iron ingot, furnace smithy, fire-altar metalware.


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ayo ‘fish’(Munda); ayas ‘iron’ (Sanskrit) Rebus: ayas ‘metal’ (Vedic) PLUSaḍaren ‘lid’ Rebus: aduru ‘unsmelted native metal’.

ayo ‘fish’ Rebus: ayas ‘iron’ (Gujarati) ayas ‘metal’ (Vedic) PLUS infixed hieroglyph of slanted stroke:dhāḷ ‘a slope’; ‘inclination of a plane’ (Gujarati); ḍhāḷiyum = adj. sloping, inclining (Gujarati) Rebus:ḍhālako = a large metal ingot (Gujarati) ḍhālakī = a metal heated and poured into a mould; a solid pieceof metal; an ingot (Gujarati) Thus, the ligatured hieroglyph reads: ayo ḍhālako ‘native metal ingot’.

ayo ‘fish’ Rebus: aya ‘iron’ (Gujarati) ayas ‘metal’ (Vedic) notch (infixed ligature) Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘pots andpans, metalware’, Thus, the composite hieroglyph reads rebus: metalware of alloyed metal.

ayo ‘fish’ Rebus: aya ‘iron’ (Gujarati) ayas ‘metal’ (Vedic) PLUS ligatured fins: khambhaṛā m. ʻfinʼ (Lahnda); khambh ‘wing’ (Punjabi) Allograph: Garh. khambu ʻ pillar ʼ.(CDIAL 13640) Rebus: kammaṭa ‘coiner, mint’. Thus ‘fish’ hieroglyph gets ligatured with fins to denote alloyed metal (of) mint to read:aya kammaṭa.’coiner, mint alloy’.

ayo ‘fish’ Rebus: ayas ‘iron’ (Gujarati) ayas ‘metal’ (Vedic) aḍaren ‘lid’ Rebus: aduru ‘native unsmeltedmetal’

ayo ‘fish’ Rebus: aya ‘iron’ (Gujarati) ayas ‘metal’ (Vedic) PLUS gaṇḍā ‘four’ Rebus: kaṇḍā ‘fire-altar’


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gaṇḍa 'four' Rebus: kaṇḍa 'furnace, fire-altar' (Santali) baṭa ‘rimless, broad-mouthed pot’ Rebus: bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (Gujarati.); baṭa ‘a kind of iron’ (Gujarati

kanka (Santali) karṇika ‘scribe’(Sanskrit)Rebus: karṇī , supercargo for a boat shipment. INFIXEDखाुडा [ khāṇḍā ] m A jag, notch, or indentation (as

upon the edge of a tool orweapon). Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans andmetal-ware’

j hAt i V h ihi


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vajrasanghAta in Varahamihira

Seals(texts) m0839(2476),, m0931


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( ) ( ),,

(3091) 5261

0839 (2 6)


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M0839 (2476)

खोु ड [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf. (Marathi) Rebus: kõdār ‘turner’(Bengali); कोु द kōnda ‘engraver, lapidary setting or infixing gems’ (Marathi)G. sãghāṛɔ m. ʻlathe’ ; सुघाट joinery; M. sãgaḍ ‘double-canoe’ Rebus:sangataras ‘stone-cutter, mason’

Bronze alloy workshop kañcu sal starting with bronze which is a tin + copperalloy or tin bronze (as distinguished from arsenical bronze, i.e. naturally

occurring copper + arsenic).• aḍar 'harrow'; rebus: aduru 'native unsmelted metal’ bhaṭa ‘warrior’(Sanskrit) Rebus: baṭa a kind of iron (Gujarati). Rebus: bhaṭa ‘furnace’(Santali)

• • meḍ ‘body’ Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) काठी [ kāṭhī ] f ( काष S) ‘frame or

structure of the body’ (Marathi) Rebus: खुडी [ khaṇḍī ] measure of weight(Marathi) கண் ; kaṇṭi , n. < Mhr. khaṇḍil . [T. Tu. khaṇḍi , M. kaṇḍi .]Candy, a weight, stated to be roughly equivalent to 500 lbs.

kanka ‘rim of jar’ Rebus: karṇīka ‘account (scribe)’ karṇī ‘supercargo’

M0931 (3091)


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M0931 (3091)

खोु ड [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf. (Marathi) Rebus: kõdār ‘turner’ (Bengali); कोु द kōnda ‘engraver, lapidarysetting or infixing gems’ (Marathi) G. sãghāṛɔ m. ʻlathe’ ; सुघाट joinery; M. sãgaḍ ‘double-canoe’ Rebus: sangataras‘stone-cutter, mason’

āra 'spokes' Rebus: āra ‘brass’ . cf. erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka) copper (metal); crystal (Kannada)Glyph: eraka’nave of wheel’ Rebus: eraka ‘copper’; cf. erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka) copper (metal);crystal (Kannada) erako ‘moltencast copper’ PLUS notch+slanted stroke reads rebus: ḍhālako kāṇḍa ‘ingot, tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’.dhāḷ ‘a slope’;

‘inclination of a plane’ (G.); ḍhāḷiyum = adj. sloping, inclining (G.) Rebus: ḍhālako = a large metal ingot (G.) ḍhālakī =a metal heated and poured into a mould; a solid piece of metal; an ingot (Gujarati) PLUS खाुडा [ khāṇḍā ] m A jag,notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool or weapon). Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’ Thus, together, the pair reads: āra erako khāṇḍā ‘brass, moltencast copper metalware’.

dula ‘ pair’ Rebus: dul ‘ cast (metal)’ PLUSkana, kanac = corner (Santali); Rebus: kañcu = bronze (Telugu) PLUS i nfixed kolmo ‘paddy plant’ Rebus: kolami ‘smithy, forge’. Thus, cast bronze smithy, forge. Or, mogge ‘sprout, bud’ Rebus:mu h̄ ‘ingot’ (Santali)Thus, cast bronze ingot. Read as: kañcu dul mu h̄ ‘bronze cast ingot’

ayo ḍhālako ‘alloy metal ingot’ kānḍa ‘arrow’ (Sanskrit) Rebus:khānḍa ‘tools, pots and pans, metal-ware’. Rebus 2: kaṇḍ 'fire-altar' (Santali)

5261


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5261

dāṭu ‘cross’(Telugu) Rebus: dhatu ‘mineral’ (Santali).dhāḷ ‘a slope’; ‘inclination of a plane’ (G.); ḍhāḷiyum = adj. sloping,inclining (G.) Rebus: ḍhālako = a large metal ingot (G.) ḍhālakī = ametal heated and poured into a mould; a solid piece of metal; an ingot(Gujarati) PLUS खाुडा [ khāṇḍā ] m A jag, notch, or indentation (asupon the edge of a tool or weapon). Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots andpans and metal-ware’ aya kammaṭa.’coiner, mint alloy’

कोठी [ kōṭhī ] f ( कोष S) A granary, garner, storehouse, warehouse,treasury, factory, bank. 2 The grain and provisions (as of an army); thecommissariatsupplies. Ex. लशकराची कोठी चालली - उतरली - आली - लटली .


T tt l d f i t bl t


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Terracotta seal and faience tablets

Three dancers, m1428C


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Iron forge

Potsherd from Bhirrana showing dance step

kolom ‘three’(Mu.); kolami‘forge’ (Te.)meḍ ‘body’, ‘dance’ (Santali); meṛ ed‘iron’ (Mu.); meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.)

M1406: sunflower, body; drummer; two acrobats;chain link M0312 Five acrobats vault over buffalo


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Banawali (after UMESAO 2000:88, cat. no. 335).

kamsa = to jump

(Santali) Rebus: kañcu ‘‘bronze’ (Telugu)

Banawali seal: ḍolu 'to tumble over' Rebus: ḍhōˋḷ m. ʻstone


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Glyphs: ‘1. arrow, 2. jag/notch’:

1. kaṇḍa ‘arrow’ (Skt.) H. kãḍerā m. ʻ a caste of bow -- and arrow -- makers (CDIAL

3024). Or. kāṇḍa, kã ṛ ʻstalk, arrow ʼ(CDIAL 3023). ayaskāṇḍa ‘a quantity of iron, excellent iron’ (Pāṇ.gaṇ)2. खाुडा [ khāṇḍā ] m A jag, notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool or weapon).(Marathi) Rebus: khāṇḍā‘tools, pots and pans, metal-ware’. An acrobat woman (kola ‘woman’; rebus: kol ‘smithy’): kaḍī a chain; a hook; a link (G.); kaḍum a bracelet, a ring (G.) Rebus: kaḍiyo [Hem. Des. kaḍaio = Skt. sthapatia mason] a bricklayer; a mason; kaḍiyaṇa, kaḍiyeṇa a woman of the bricklayer caste; a wife of a bricklayer(G.) ḍhol ‘drum’ (Gujarati.Marathi)(CDIAL 5608) Rebus 1: large stone; Rebus 2: brass pot; Rebus 3: dul ‘tocast in a mould’.

The imagery of vaulting over is repeated. This hieroglyphic representation of 'vaulting or rolling over' is an

allograph: Allographs: ḍollu. [Tel.] v. n. To fall, to roll over. ప, ర. చ [ ḍolucu ] or ḍoluṭsu.[Tel.] v. n. To tumble head over heels as dancing girls do (Telugu) Mth. Bhoj. Aw. lakh. Marw. G. M. ḍhol m.

*ḍhōlayati ʻmakes fallʼ(CDIAL 5608). Glyph: ḍhol ‘a drum beaten on one end by a stick and on the other by

the hand’ (Santali); ḍhol ‘drum’ (Nahali); dhol (Kurku); ḍhol (Hi.) dhol a drum (G.)(CDIAL 5608) [ḍōlu ] [Tel.] n. A drum. Rebus 1: dul ‘to cast in a mould’; dul mẽṛhẽt , dul meṛeḍ , dul; koṭe meṛeḍ ‘forged iron’(Santali) Wpah. Rebus 2: ḍhōˋḷ m. ʻstoneʼ, kṭg. ḍhòḷṭɔ m. ʻbig stone or boulderʼ, ḍhòḷṭu ʻsmall id.ʼ Him.I87.(CDIAL 5536).Rebus 3: K. ḍula m. ʻ rolling stone ʼ(CDIAL 6582)Rebus 4: Bshk. ḍōl ʻ brass pot ʼ; K. ḍol m. ʻ bucket ʼ, S. ḍ o̠lu m., P. ḍol m., WPah.bhal. ḍol n., Ku. N. B. Mth. ḍol , Aw. lakh. ḍōlu, H. dol , ḍol m., G. ḍol f.,M. ḍol m. WPah.poet. ḍōr m. ʻ small pot ʼ, kṭg. ḍōl m. ʻ bucket ʼ, J. ḍō'l m. ← H. or < *dōlla -- ).(CDIAL 6583)Allograph: Pk. ḍōla -- m. ʻ eye ʼ (CDIAL 6582).

Bronze, bell-metal. Drummer announcesll ti P t + ti


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a new alloy casting: Pewter + tin

kamsa ‘jump’ (Santali) Rebus: kañcu ‘ ‘bronze’ (Telugu) kāˊṁsya ʻ made of bell -- metal ʼ KātyŚr.,n. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ Yājñ., ʻ cup of bell -- metal ʼ MBh., °aka -- n. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ. 2. *kāṁsiya --. [kaṁsá -- 1]1. Pa. kaṁsa -- m. (?) ʻ bronze ʼ, Pk. kaṁsa -- , kāsa -- n. ʻ bell -- metal, drinkingvessel, cymbal ʼ; L. (Jukes) k ã jā adj. ʻ of metal ʼ, awāṇ. kāsā ʻ jar ʼ (← E with -- s -- , not ñj );N. k ã so ʻ bronze, pewter, white metal ʼ, kas -- kuṭ ʻ metal alloy ʼ; A. k ã h ʻ bell -- metal ʼ, B. k ã sā,Or. kãsā, Bi. k ã sā; Bhoj. k ã s ʻ bell -- metal ʼ, k ã sā ʻ base metal ʼ; H. kās, k ã sā m. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ,G. k ã sū n., M. k ã sẽ n.; Ko. k ã śẽ n. ʻ bronze ʼ; Si. kasa ʻ bell -- metal ʼ.2. L. k ã ihã m. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ,P. k ã ssī , k ã sī f., H. k ã sī f. A. k ã h also ʻ gong ʼ (CDIAL 2987) kāṁsyakāra m. ʻ worker in bell -- metalor brass ʼ Yājñ. com., kaṁsakāra -- m. BrahmavP. [kāˊṁsya -- , kāra -- 1]N. kasār ʻ maker of brasspots ʼ; A. kãhār ʻ worker in bell -- metal ʼ; B. k ã sāri ʻ pewterer, brazier, coppersmith ʼ, Or. kãsārī ;H. kasārī m. ʻ maker of brass pots ʼ; G. kãsārɔ, kas° m. ʻ coppersmith ʼ; M. k ã sār , kās° m. ʻ worker

in white metal ʼ, kāsārḍā m. ʻ contemptuous term for the same ʼ.(CDIAL 2988, 2989)

Ku. N. rã go ʻ buffalo bull ʼ(CDIAL 10559) Rebus: raṅga3 n. ʻ tinʼ lex. [Cf. nāga -- 2, vaṅga -- 1]Pk. raṁga -- n. ʻ tin ʼ;P. r ã g f., r ã gā m. ʻ pewter, tin ʼ (← H.); Ku. rāṅ ʻ tin, solder ʼ,gng. r ã k ; N. rāṅ, rāṅo ʻ tin, solder ʼ, A. B. rāṅ; Or. rāṅga ʻ tin

ʼ, rāṅgāʻ solder, spelter ʼ, Bi. Mth. r ã gā, OAw. rāṁga;H. r ã g f., r ã gā m. ʻ tin, pewter ʼ; Si. ran ğa ʻ tin ʼ.(CDIAL 10562)

M1918a; seal found in


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Afghanistan

rāngo ‘water buffalo bull’ (Ku.N.)(CDIAL 10559) Rebus: ranku‘tin’ raṅga3 n. ʻ tin ʼ lex. [Cf. nāga -- 2, vaṅga -- 1]Pk. raṁga --n. ʻ tin ʼ; P. r ã g f., r ã gā m. ʻ pewter, tin ʼ (← H.) kol ‘spearing’ kolsa = to kick the foot forward, the foot tocome into contact with anything when walking or

running; kolsa pasirkedan = I kicked it over(Santali.lex.)mēṛsa = v.a. toss, kick with the foot, hit with thetail (Santali) me~ṛhe~t iron; ispat m. = steel; dul m. = castiron; kolhe m. iron manufactured by the Kolhes(Santali)

kolsa = to kick the foot forward (Santali) kola = killing (Telugu)

Rebus: kol ‘working in iron’ kolhe ‘smelters’ kol ‘panchaloha,alloy of five metals’ (Tamil)

m14


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m14

M0492 A,B,C Person throwing a spear at a bison, placing one

foot on the head; serpent at left.

M1430 A,C Person throwing aspear at a buffalo and placing

one foot on itshead; three persons standing near a tree at the

centre. Text of inscription 2819 Material: terra cottaDimensions: 3.91 length, 1.5 to 1.62 cm width Harappa, Lot

4651-01 Harappa Museum, H95-2486

Meadow and Kenoyer 1997

Seated person in penance + other


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Meluhha hieroglyphs read rebus

kamaḍha ‘penance’ ‘crab’ Rebus: kammaṭa ‘ mint, coiner’.kolsa ‘ to kick’ (Santali) Rebus: kol ‘alloy of 5 metals’ pañcaloha (Hieroglyphs: kolsa, ‘to kick’; kol ‘to kill’) nāga ‘snake’ Rebus: nāga ‘lead’ (Sanskrit) anakku ‘tin’

(Akkadian)karāvu ‘ crocodile’ (Telugu) Rebus: khara ‘blacksmith’(Kashmiri)

balad m. ʻ ox ʼ, gng. bald , (Ku.) barad , id. (N. Tarai) Rebus:bharat (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin)(Punjabi)

rāngo ‘water buffalo bull’ (Ku.N.)(CDIAL 10559) Rebus:ranku ‘tin’ raṅga n. ʻ tin (Sanskrit)

Two animals look back


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Two animals look back

krammara ‘look back’ (Telugu) Rebus: kamar ‘metalsmith’(Santali)

kul ‘tiger’ (Santali); kōlu id. (Telugu) kōlupuli = Bengal tiger(Telugu) कोा [ kōlhā ] को [kōlhēṃ] A jackal (Marathi) Rebus: kole.l 'temple, smithy' (Kota.) kol =pañcalōha, a metallic alloy containing five metals (Tamil):copper, brass, tin, lead and iron (Sanskrit); an alternative list offive metals: gold, silver, copper, tin (lead), and iron (dhātu;Nānārtharatnākara. 82; Mangarāja’s Nighaṇṭu. 498)(Kannada)

ṭagara‘ram’ Rebus: tagara ‘tin’ Thus, tinsmith: tagara kamar.ṭagara‘ram’ Rebus: tagara ‘tin’ ranku ‘antelope’ Rebus: rankutin’ heraka ‘spy’ Rebus: eraka ‘moltencast copper’ kuṭi ‘tree’Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’


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A seal impression from Ur provides an example of ligatured Meluhha hieroglyphs:Seal impression, Ur (Upenn; U.16747); dia. 2.6, ht. 0.9 cm.; Gadd, PBA 18 (1932), pp.11-12, pl. II, no. 12; Porada 1971: pl.9, fig.5; Parpola, 1994, p. 183; water carrier with askin (or pot?) hung on each end of the yoke across his shoulders and another onebelow the crook of his left arm; the vessel on the right end of his yoke is over areceptacle for the water; a star on either side of the head (denoting supernatural?).The whole object is enclosed by 'parenthesis' marks. The parenthesis is perhaps a way

of splitting of the ellipse (Hunter, G.R., JRAS, 1932, 476). An unmistakable example ofan 'hieroglyphic' seal.

meḍha ‘polar star’ (Marathi). Rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet ‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.) dula ‘pair’Rebus: dul ‘cast metal’. Thus, the two ‘star’ sign hieroglyphs flanking the compositiondenote iron castings.

Ligatured sign hieroglyph: ‘rim-of- jar’ PLUS ‘water-carrier’

kanka ‘rim of jar’ Rebus: karṇīka ‘account (scribe)’ karṇī ‘supercargo’ कणधार [ karṇadhāra ] m S (A holder of the ear.) A helmsman or steersman. Thus, together, theligatured hieroglyph reads: supercargo for a boat.

Ur cylinder seal impression (cut downinto Ur III mausolea from Larsalevel; U


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into Ur III mausolea from Larsalevel; U.

16220), Iraq. BM 122947

Rebus Meluhha readings: Zebu + Meluhha


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hieroglyphs on Ur cylinder seal

ḍhanga‘tall, long-shanked; maran: ḍhangi aimai kanae ‘ = she is a big tallwoman’ (Santali) ḍhã go ʻ lean ʼ, m. ʻ skeleton ʼ (Ku.) (CDIAL 5524) Rebus:ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’ (Maithili) bicha ‘scorpion’ (Santali) Rebus: bica, bica-diri ‘stone ore’ (Munda etyma)kuṭire bica duljad.ko talkena, they were feeding the furnace with ore (Santali)

ranga ronga, ranga conga = thorny, spikey, armed with thorns; edel dare rangaconga dareka = this cotton tree grows with spikes on it (Santali) [Note thethorns on the round object in front of the bull onthe Ur cylinder sealimpression – U 16220]

Rebus ‘alloy of tin, lead and antimony’: ranga, rang pewter is an alloy of tin,lead, and antimony (añjana) (Santali).tagaraka ‘tabernae montana fragrant flower’ (Sanskrit) tagara ‘tin’ (Tamil) nāga ‘serpent’ Rebus: nāga ‘lead’ (Sanskrit) anakku ‘tin’ (Akkadian)ayo ‘fish’ Rebus: aya ‘iron’ (Gujarati) ayas ‘metal’ (Sanskrit)


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khṭ , ‘zebu’ Rebus read ‘guild’, A synonym is aḍar ḍangra Rebus: aduru ḍhangar ‘native-metal- or black-smith’ (Kannada.Santali). dangra ‘bull’ (Punjabi) Rebus: ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’ (Maithili) adar dangra ‘zebu’ bos indicus

(Santali) Rebus: ಗಣಯಿದ ತಗ ಕರಗ ಇವ ಅ (Kannada) aduru gan.iyinda tegadu karagadeiruva aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjectedto melting in a furnace (Ka. Siddhānti Subrahmaṇya’ Śastri’s new interpretation of theAmarakoŚa, Bangalore, Vicaradarpana Press, 1872,p.330). adar = fine sand (Tamil) aduru nativemetal (Kannada); ayil iron (Tamil) ayir, ayiram anyore (Malayalam); ajirda karba very hard iron (Tulu)(DEDR

192).

khṭ , ‘zebu’ Rebus read ‘guild’, kuṇṭha


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‘a type of copper’

Mleccha is a variety of tāmra, (copper)

The copper with white, black and red shades, very hard andremaining black even after repeated washing is considered themleccha tāmraka.

Muṇḍa, tīkṣṇa and kānta are the three main varieties of loha; mṛdu,kuṇṭha and kaḍāra are the three sub-varieties of muṇḍa loha. Mṛdu muṇḍa loha: That which melts quickly, does not contain fissures andhas a smooth surface is considered as mṛdu muṇḍa loha. It is the bestof all the three varieties of muṇḍa. Kuṇṭha muṇḍa loha: That whichexpands with great difficulty on hammering is known as kuṇṭha muṇḍa loha. It is considered medium.Vāgbhaṭa (13th century), Rasaratnasamuccaya (tr. INSA) (42-46, 69-74)


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ca. 2900 BCE. Khafajah chlorite vessel hieroglyphs

including the zebu hieroglyph

arye ‘lion’ Rebus āra ‘brass’. kola ‘woman’ Rebus:kolhe ‘smelter’

khṭ , ‘zebu’ Rebus read rebus ‘guild’, A synonym isaḍar ḍangra Rebus: aduru ḍhangar ‘native-metal-smith, black-smith working on native metal’ (Kannada.Santali).

ze u on a p aque rom t e am teDiyala Valley (Lamberg-Karlovsky and


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Potts 2001: 225).

adar dangra ‘zebu’ bos indicus Rebus: native-metal-smith; khṭ zebu’ bos indicus Rebus: guildor community kuṇṭha ‘a type of copper’

loa ‘ficus religiosa’ Rebus: lo ‘iron’ (Assamese,Bengali); loa ‘iron’ (Gypsy) Glyph: lo = nine(Santali); no = nine (Bengali) on-patu = nine

(Tamil)

A zebu bull tied to a post; a bird above. Large paintedstorage jar discovered in burned rooms at Nausharo, ca.

2600 to 2500 BCE Cf Fig 2 18 J M Kenoyer 1998 Cat


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2600 to 2500 BCE. Cf. Fig. 2.18, J.M. Kenoyer, 1998, Cat.

No. 8.

khṭ ‘zebu’ Rebus: guild or community kuṇṭha ‘a type ofcopper’

baṭa ‘quail’; bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (Gujarati); baṭa ‘a kind ofiron’ (Gujarati)śagaḍī = lathe (Gujarati) san:gaḍa, ‘lathe, portablefurnace’; rebus: battle; jangaḍiyo ‘military guard who

accompanies treasure into the treasury’ (Gujarati) Rebus:sanghāḍo (Gujarati) cutting stone, gilding (Gujarati);sangatarāśū = stone cutter (Telugu) ; सुघाट joinery; M.sãgaḍ ‘double-canoe’

m1224A B m1168


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m1224A,B m1168

eraka ‘upraised arm’ Rebus: eraka ‘moltencast copper’ meḍ ‘body’ Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) zebu horns: khṭ , ‘zebu’ Rebus read rebus ‘guild’,

community kuṇṭha ‘a type of copper’ A synonym is aḍar ḍangra Rebus: aduru ḍhangar ‘native-metal-smith, black-smith working on native metal’ (Kannada.Santali).

khṭ ‘zebu’ Rebus: ‘(native metal) guild’ aḍaren , ḍaren lid, cover (Santali) Rebus: aduru ‘nativemetal’ (Kannada)

kola ‘tiger’ Rebus: kolhe ‘smelter’ kol ‘working in iron’

Kalibangan 032 m1118A


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m277A


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m277A

खोु ड [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf. (Marathi)Rebus: kõdār ‘turner’ (Bengali); कोु द kōnda ‘engraver,lapidary setting or infixing gems’ (Marathi) G.

sãghāṛɔ m. ʻlathe’ ; सुघाट joinery; M. sãgaḍ ‘double-canoe’ Rebus: sangataras. सुगतराश lit. ‘to collectstones, stone-cutter, mason.’ Count of four: ||||Numeral 4:

gaṇḍa 'four' Rebus:

kaṇḍa 'furnace, fire-

altar' (Santali) PLUS aya kammaṭa.’coiner, mint alloy’ kanka ‘rim of jar’ Rebus: karṇīka ‘account (scribe)’karṇī ‘supercargo’

M1179 1180


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M1179, 1180

miṇḍāl ‘markhor’ (Tōrwālī )meḍho a ram, a sheep(Gujarati)(CDIAL 10120) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt , meḍ ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.)dhatu ‘scarf; (Western Pahari) Rebus: dhatu ‘mineral ore’(Santali)

Variant hieroglyph Sign: क वटल kuṭila ‘bent’ Rebus: ‘bronze’Duplicated bent glyph: dula ‘pair’ Rebus; dul ‘cast metal’. Thusthe hieroglyph denotes caste bronze.


M1135: tusk of boar, body of bull,


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feet of elephant, ears of donkey

baḍhia = a castrated boar, a hog (Santali) baḍhi ‘a caste who workboth in iron and wood’ (Santali) baṟea ‘merchant’ Vikalpa: kāṇḍā ‘rhinoceros’ (Tamil) Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘tools, pots and pans, metalware’(Marathi) khara ‘donkey’ Rebus: khar ‘blacksmith’ (Kashmiri) खोु डी [khōṇḍī ] f An outspread shovelform sack (as formed temporarily out

of a काुबळा , to hold or fend off grain, chaff &c.) (Marathi) koḍiyum ‘rings on neck’ (Gujarati) kondh ‘heifer’. kōḍu horn (Kannada. Tulu.Tamil) खोु ड [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf. (Marathi) Rebus:kõdār ‘turner’ (Bengali); kõdā ‘to turn in a lathe’ (Bengali). कोु द kōnda ‘engraver, lapidary setting or infixing gems’ (Marathi) G. sãghāṛɔ m. ʻlathe’ ; sã gāḍā m. ʻ frame of a building ʼ, ° ḍī f.ʻ lathe ʼ(CDIAL 12859) Rebus: sangataras. सुगतराश lit. ‘to collectstones, stone-cutter, mason.’ Rhinoceros/boar: baḍhia = a castratedboar, a hog (Santali) baḍhi ‘a caste who work both in iron and wood’(Santali) baṟea ‘merchant’ ibha ‘elephant’ Rebus: ib ‘iron’ ibbo‘merchant’ (Gujarati)

Glazed steatite . Cylinder seal. 3.4cm high; imported

from Indus valley. Rhinoceros, elephant, crocodile


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y , p ,

(lizard? ).Tell Asmar (Eshnunna), Iraq. IM 14674

Ibha ‘elephant’ Rebus: ibbo ‘merchant’, ib ‘iron’Rhinoceros ; baḍhia = a castrated boar, a hog

(Santali) baḍhi ‘a caste who work both in iron

and wood’ (Santali) baṟea ‘merchant’ Vikalpa:கண் டகம் kāṇṭā-mirukam , n.[M. kāṇṭāmṛgam.] கலய்ளன Rebus: kāṇḍā ‘metalware, tools, pots andpans’.kāru ‘crocodile’ Rebus: kāru ‘artisan’.

sangaḍi = joined animals (Marathi) Rebus: sãghāṛɔ m. ʻlathe’(Gujarati); sã gāḍā m. ʻ frame of a building ʼ, ° ḍī f.ʻ lathe ʼ(CDIAL 12859) sangataras. सुगतराश lit. ‘to collect


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( ) g

stones, stone-cutter, mason.’

araṇe ‘lizard’ Rebus: airaṇ ‘anvil’.(A Tepe Yahya epigraphs clearly indicate alizard hieroglyph).Ibha ‘elephant’ Rebus: ibbo ‘merchant’, ib ‘iron’ Rhinoceros ; baḍhia = acastrated boar, a hog (Santali) baḍhi ‘a caste who work both in iron and wood’(Santali) baṟea ‘merchant’meḍ ‘body’ Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) काठी [ kāṭhī ] f ( काष S) ‘frame or structureof the body’ (Marathi) Rebus: खुडी [ khaṇḍī ] measure of weight (Marathi)கண் ; kaṇṭi , n. < Mhr. khaṇḍil . [T. Tu. khaṇḍi , M. kaṇḍi .] Candy, a weight,stated to be roughly equivalent to 500 lbs.

Ta. kōṭaram monkey. Ir. kōḍa (small)monkey; kūḍag monkey. Ko. ko·ṛṇ smallmonkey. To. kwṛṇ monkey. Ka. kōḍaga monkey, ape. Koḍ . ko·ḍë

monkey. Tu. koḍañji, koḍañja, koḍaṅgů baboon. (DEDR 2196). kuṭhāru = amonkey (Sanskrit) Rebus: kuṭhāru ‘armourer or weapons maker’(metal-worker), also an inscriber or writer.

balad m. ʻ ox ʼ, gng. bald , (Ku.) barad , id. (N. Tarai) Rebus: bharat (5 copper, 4zinc and 1 tin)(Punjabi) pattar ‘trough’ Rebus: pattar ‘guild’. Dula ‘pair’ Rebus:dul ‘cast metal’

h176A,B


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Side A:balad m. ʻ ox ʼ, gng. bald , (Ku.) barad , id. (N. Tarai) Rebus: bharat (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin)(Punjabi)āra 'spokes' Rebus: āra ‘brass’ . cf. erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka) copper (metal); crystal

(Kannada) Glyph: eraka’nave of wheel’ Rebus: eraka ‘copper’; cf. erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka)copper (metal); crystal (Kannada) erako ‘moltencast copper’ DUPLICATED dula ‘pair’ Rebus: dul ‘cast metal’Thus, cast copper and brass.

meḍ ‘body’ Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.) Rebus: खडुी [ khaṇḍī ] measure of weight (Marathi) கண் ; kaṇṭi , n. <Mhr. khaṇḍil . [T. Tu. khaṇḍi , M. kaṇḍi .] Candy, a weight, about 500 lbs. काठी [ kāṭhī ] f ( काष S) ‘frame orstructure of the body’ (Marathi) Rebus: खुडी [ khaṇḍī ] measure of weight (Marathi) கண் ; kaṇṭi , n. <Mhr. khaṇḍil . [T. Tu. khaṇḍi , M. kaṇḍi .] Candy, a weight, stated to be roughly equivalent to 500 lbs.

baṭa = rimless pot (Kannada) Rebus: baṭa = a kind of iron (Gujarati) : bhaṭa ‘furnace, kiln’

kháṭvā- cot; no. 3785, khaṭṭi- bier (lex.)(CDIAL 3781) Pa. kaṭeya cot (< Halbi); Kui kaṭe id.; Kur. khaṭī bedstead,bed; Malt. kaṭe, káṭi id. (DEDR 1145) Rebus: काठी [ kāṭhī ] f ( काष S) ‘frame or structure of the body’(Marathi) Rebus: खुडी [ khaṇḍī ] measure of weight (Marathi) கண் ; kaṇṭi , n. < Mhr. khaṇḍil . [T.Tu. khaṇḍi , M. kaṇḍi .] Candy, a weight, stated to be roughly equivalent to 500 lbs.

kanka ‘rim of jar’ Rebus: karṇīka ‘account (scribe)’ karṇī ‘supercargo’ Side B: kol ‘tiger’ Rebus: kolhe ‘smelters’ krammara ‘turn back’ Rebus: kamar ‘blacksmith’khōṇḍa A stock or stump (Marathi); ‘leafless tree’ (Marathi) Rebus: kõdār ’turner’ (Bengali); Allograph: young

bull.heraka ‘spy’ Rebus: erako ‘moltencast copper’ kamaḍha ‘penance’ Rebus: kammaṭa ‘mint, coiner’. dhatu ‘scarf; Rebus: dhatu ‘mineral ore’ Kur. kaṇḍō a stool. Malt. kanḍo stool, seat. (DEDR 1179) Rebus: kaṇḍ 'fire-altar' (Santali) kāṇḍa ‘tools, potsand pans and metal-ware’ (Marathi) Hare + trough+tiger looks back: kulai ‘hare’ Rebus: kolhe ‘smelter’ pattar ‘trough’ Rebus: pattar ‘guild’ kol

kamar ‘smelter-artisan’ Thus, together, the pictorial composition reads: smelter-artisan guild

m1927a 1927b


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khṭ ‘zebu’ (denoted by the ligatured horns of zebu) Rebus: ‘(native metal) guild’

ibha ‘elephant’ Rebus: ib ‘iron’; ibbo ‘merchant’ (Gujarati. Des’i)

Kur. xolā tail. Malt. qoli id. (DEDR 2135). Rebus: kolhe ‘smelter’

Message: iron smelter merchant guild.

Other ligaturing elements are: body of a ram and hindlegs of tiger read rebus:

ṭagara‘ram’ Rebus; tagara ‘tin’ kol ‘tiger’ Rebus; kolhe ‘smelter’ mu h̄ ‘human face’ Rebus: mu h̄ ‘ingot’

Thus, the message conveyed by the composite animal hieroglyph is: ingot (from) iron smelter,

tin smelter merchant guild.

M1792 Cylinder seal. Provenience: Khafaje Kh. VII

256 Jemdet Nasr (ca. 3000 - 2800 BCE) Frankfort,

Henri: Stratified Cylinder Seals from the Diyala

Region. Oriental Institute Publications 72. Chicago:


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g g

University of Chicago Press, no. 34.

खोु ड [ khōṇḍa ] m A young bull, a bullcalf. (Marathi) Rebus: kõdār ‘turner’ (Bengali); कोु द kōnda ‘engraver, lapidary setting orinfixing gems’ (Marathi)Circumscript: dula ‘two’ Rebus: dul ‘cast metal’ PLUS kanka ‘rim of jar’ Rebus: karṇīka ‘account (scribe)’ karṇī ‘supercargo’ karaṇḍa ‘duck’ (Sanskrit) karaṛa ‘a very large aquatic bird’ (Sindhi) Rebus: करडा [karaḍā] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c.(Marathi) kharādī ‘ turner’ (Gujarati) Vikalpa: baṭa ‘quail’ Rebus: bhaṭa ‘furnace’. baṭa ‘a kind of iron’ (Gujarati)aya kammaṭa.’coiner, mint alloy’ dula ‘pair’ Rebus: dul ‘cast (metal)’ kolmo ‘rice plant’ Rebus: kolami ‘smithy/forge’kanka ‘rim of jar’ Rebus: karṇīka ‘account (scribe)’ karṇī ‘supercargo’ karaṇḍa ‘duck’ (Sanskrit) karaṛa ‘a very large aquatic bird’ (Sindhi) Rebus: करडा [karaḍā] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c.(Marathi)karaḍa ‘panther’ Rebus: karaḍā ‘hard alloy’. khōṇḍa A stock or stump (Marathi); ‘leafless tree’ (Marathi). Rebus: kõdār ’turner’ (Bengali); kõdā ‘to turn in alathe’ (Bengali).kāṇḍa ‘flowing water’ Rebus: kāṇḍā ‘metalware, tools, pots and pans’. kul ‘tiger’ (Santali); kōlu id. (Telugu) kōlupuli = Bengal tiger (Telugu) कोा [ kōlhā ] को [kōlhēṃ] A jackal (Marathi) Rebus: kole.l 'temple, smithy' (Kota.) kol = pañcalōha, a metallic alloy containing five metals (Tamil): copper,brass, tin, lead and iron (Sanskrit); an alternative list of five metals: gold, silver, copper, tin (lead), and iron (dhātu;

Nānārtharatnākara. 82; Mangarāja’s Nighaṇṭu. 498)(Kannada) kol, kolhe, ‘the koles, iron smelters speaking a language akinto that of Santals’ (Santali) sã gāḍā m. ʻ frame of a building ʼ, ° ḍī f. ʻ lathe ʼ(CDIAL 12859) Rebus: sangataras. सुगतराश lit. ‘to collect stones, stone-cutter,mason.’ bhaṭa ‘warrior’ (Sanskrit) Rebus: baṭa a kind of iron (Gujarati). Rebus: bhaṭa ‘furnace’ (Santali) H. sainī , senī f. ʻ ladder ʼ Rebus: Pa. sēṇi -- f. ʻ guild, division of army ʼ; Pk. sēṇi -- f. ʻ row, collection ʼ; śrḗṇi (metr. often śrayaṇi -- ) f. ʻ line, row, troop ʼ RV. śrēṇikā f. ʻhouse ~ ladderʼ Rebus:śreṇi in meaning “guild” (Sanskrit) Pa. sēṇi -- f. ʻ guild, division of army ʼ(Pali)(CDIAL10718) seniya ‘soldier’.

Anthropomorph with `fish' glyph incised on the chest. Curved arms like the horns of afighting ram ligatured to the outstretched legs of a warrior. Sheorajpur, Kanpur Dist.,

UP, India. State Museum, Lucknow (O.37). 47.7 x 39 x

2 1 cm C 4 kg Early 2nd millennium BCE


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2.1 cm. C. 4 kg. Early 2nd millennium BCE.

Kalibangan 34A miṇḍāl ‘markhor’ (Tōrwālī ) meḍho a ram, a sheep (G.)(CDIAL 10120)Rebus: mẽṛhẽt , meḍ ‘iron’ (Mu.Ho.)ayo

‘fish’ Re

itihāsa of bhāratam janam through indus script and maritime tin route

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