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The Decipherment of Harappan Writing
By
Clyde Winters
Over 3500 years ago a civilization existed in the Indus Valley. This
riverine civlization is referred to by archaeologist as the Harappan or
Indus Valley civilization (see:The <http://olmec98.net/harapa.htm>
Harappan Civilization
).
<http://olmec98.net/harapa.htm>
Harppan boat on moulded tablet from Mohenjo-daro <olmec98.net/24.jpg>
The founders of this civilization were Proto-Dravidian speaking people
from middle Africa (_ The Proto-Sahara_). Now mainly situated in South
India, these people earlier lived in Central Asia, and even China
(see:_Shang__ Dynasty _). <olmec98.net/24.jpg>
<http://olmec98.net/blshang2.htm>
Male head from Mohenjo-daro, <olmec98.net/39.jpg>
Mohenjo-daro <olmec98.net/39.jpg> <olmec98.net/39.jpg>Museum
<olmec98.net/39.jpg>, MM431. <olmec98.net/39.jpg>
The Harappans have left us thousands of written documents. These
documents are called seals by archaeologists. The Harappan seals are
written in a Dravidian language anologous to Tamil (Winters,1990).
<olmec98.net/39.jpg>
Scholars early recognized that the Harappans may have spoken a Dravidian
language. This view was supported by 1) the fact that in the West Indus
, Brahui , a Dravidian language is spoken in Baluchistan and
Afghanistan; 2) the Rig Veda is written in a form of Dravidian called
SumeroTamil; and 3) the presence of Dravidian loan words in Sanskrit
indicated that Dravidian speakers probably occupied northern India and
Pakistan before the Aryan invasion of the area after 1000 BC with their
grey ware. <olmec98.net/39.jpg>
<olmec98.net/39.jpg>
Over 4000 Harappan seals have been found at 60 different sites. The
script incorparates 419 signs. But there are around 60-70 basic syllabic
signs. The remaining 339 signs are compound or ligature signs formed by
the combination of two or more basic signs (Winters,1987). There are
also 10 ideographic signs (Winters, 1987a). <%20>
<%20>
Inscribed Indus Valley Objects <olmec98.net/29.gif>
Harappan writing appears on both steatite seals and copper
plates/tablets (Winters, 1987b). Ninety percent of the seals are square,
the remaining ten percent are rectangular. They range in size from
half-an-inch to around two-and-half inches. <olmec98.net/29.gif>
<wrharap_files/29.gif>
Harappan seals and sealings <olmec98.net/31.gif>
The seals have a raised boss on the back pierced with a hole for
carrying, or being placed on parcels. These seals carry messages
addressed to the gods of the Harappans requesting support and assistanc
in obtaining "aram" (benevolence) (Winters 1984a, 1984b).
<wrharap_files/31.gif>
<wrharap_files/31.gif>
The key to deciphering the Harappan script was the recognition that the
Proto-Dravidians who settled the Indus Valley had formerly lived in the
Proto-Sahara were they used the so-called Libyco-Berber writing
(Winters,1985b). <%20>
Further research indicated that the Indus Valley writing was related not
only to the Libyco-Berber writing but also the Brahmi writing. Some
researchers claim that the Brahmi writing is related to Phonecian
writing. But a comparison of the Brahmi vowels and Phonecian vowels fail
to show similarity. <%20>
<%20>
Comparison of Brahmi and Phonecian Vowels <wrharap_files/PhonBrahmi.gif>
Although we fail to see a relationship between the Brahmi and Phonecian
vowels, comparison of the Brahmi and Harappan vowels show complete
correspondence. <wrharap_files/PhonBrahmi.gif>
<wrharap_files/PhonBrahmi.gif>
It is clear that a common system of record keeping was used by people in
the 4th and 3rd millenium BC from Saharan Africa to Iran, China and the
Indus Valley (Winters, 1985). The best examples of this common writing
were the Linear A script, Proto-Elamite, Uruk script Indus Valley
writing and the Libyco-Berber writing (Winters, 1985). Although the
Elamites and Sumerians, abandoned this writing in favor of the cuneiform
script, the Dravidians, Minoans, Mande (the creators of the
Libyco-Berber writing) and Olmecs continued to use the Proto-Saharan
script. <wrharap_files/BrahmiVowels.gif>
The Sumerian, Elamite, Dravidian and Manding languages are genetically
related (Winters,1989). This is not a recent discovery by linguist and
anthropologists. N. Lahovary in Dravidian Origins and the West
(Madras,1957) noted structural and grammatical analogies of the
Dravidian , Sumerian and Elamite languages. K.L. Muttarayan provides
hundreds of lexical correspondences and other linguistic data supporting
the family relationship between Sumerian and Dravidian languages. And D.
McAlpin in Proto-Elamo Dravidians: The Evidence and its Implication
(Philadelphia, 1981) provides documented evidence for the family
relationship between the Dravidian languages and Elamite. <BrahmiVowels.gif>
Using the evidence of cognate scripts and the analogy between the
Dravidian language, and the languages spoken by peoples using cognate
scripts it was able to make three assumptions leading to the
decipherment of the Harappan writing. <wrharap_files/BrahmiVowels.gif>
One, it was assumed that Harappan script was written in the Dravidian
language. <BrahmiVowels.gif>
Two, it was assumed that the Draviaind language shares linguistic and
cultural affinities with the Elamites, Manding and Sumerians--all of
whom used a similar writing system. This led to a corollary hypothesis
that the Harappan writing probably operated on the same principles as
the related scripts, due to a probable common origin.
<wrharap_files/BrahmiVowels.gif>
Three, it was assumed that since the Harappan script has affinity to the
Proto-Manding writing (Libyco-Berber) and the Manding language, the
Harappan script could be read by giving these signs the phonetic values
they had in the Proto-Manding script as preserved in the Vai writing,
since the northernManding languages like Bambara and Malinke are
genetically related to Dravidian languages like Tamil. The discovery of
cognition between Vai and Harappan signs ont the one hand, and the
corresponding relationship of sign sequences in the Harappan and Vai
scripts helped lead to a speedy reading and decipherment of the Harappan
signs. <wrharap_files/BrahmiVowels.gif>
This made it possible to use symbols from the Manding-Vai script to
interpret Harappan signs. The only difference, was that when
interpreting the phonetic values of the Harappan script, they were to be
read using the Dravidian lexicon. The terms used to express the
translation of Harappan signs are taken from Burrow and Emeneau's,
Dravidian Etymological Dictionary. Once the seals were broken down into
their syllabic values, we then only had to determine if the Harappan
term was a monosyllabic word, or if it was a term that was made up of
only one syllable. <BrahmiVowels.gif>
A comparison of the Harappan signs, Brahmi and Vai writing show that the
signs have similar phonetic value. It is the similarity in phonetic
value that allows us to read the Indus Valley writing use Vai signs.
<wrharap_files/BrahmiVowels.gif>
<BrahmiVowels.gif>
Many would-be deciphers of dead languages have assumed that you can not
read ancient language using contemporary or comparatively recent
time-depth lexical material. This is a false view of archaeological
decipherment. For example, Jean Champollion used Coptic to read the
Egyptian hieroglyphics; and Sir Henry Rawlinson, used Galla ( a Cushitic
language spoken in Africa) and Mahra (a South Semitic language) to
decipher the cuneiform writing. <wrharap_files/Brahmi.gif>
Moreover, we know from the history of the cuneiform writing several
different languages (Eblate, Elamite, Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian,
etc.) were used written in the cuneiform script. This meant that if
cuneiform could be used to write different languages, why couldn't the
Proto-Saharan script used in ancient middle Africa (and later Asia and
Europe), be used to write genetically related languages like the Manding
and Dravidian groups. <wrharap_files/Brahmi.gif>
This decipherment Harappan seals (Winters, 1984a, 1984b, 1987a, 1985,
1987b, 1989) shows that they do not contain the names and titles of
their owners. They are talismans, with messages addressed to the
Harappan gods requesting blessings. This is in sharp contrast to the
Mesopotamian seals which were used for administrative and commercial
purposes. <Brahmi.gif>
The Harappan seals illustrate that the Harappan Believer wanted from his
god 1) a good fate; 2) spiritual richness; 3) virtue; 4) humility; and
5) perserverance. They were protective amulets found in almost every
room in the city of Mohenjo-Daro. <wrharap_files/Brahmi.gif>
<wrharap_files/Brahmi.gif>
A Unicorn seal, note the manger under the head of this god
<wrharap_files/Indus5.gif>
The Harappan writing was read from right to left. Above we can see the
average Harappan seal and its talismanic formula: 1) depiction of Diety
X (in this case Maal/Mal) as an animal, and then the votive inscription
was written above the Deity. <Indus5.gif>
The manger, under the head of Maal is made up of several Harappan signs.
It reads Puu-i- Paa or " A flourishing Condition. Thou distribute (it)".
<Indus5.gif>
The Harappan seals were often found by archaeologists in a worn
condition. The fact that the seals often had holes drilled in the back,
suggest that the seals were tied with string and hung around the neck or
from belts. <wrharap_files/Indus5.gif>
<wrharap_files/Indus5.gif>
Perforated boss on the back of many seals <wrharap_files/26.jpg>
The importance of the Harappan seals as amulets is attested too by the
popularity of wearing totems among the Dravidians. During the Sangam
period (of ancient Dravidian history), the warriors and young maidens
wore anklets with engraved designs and or totemic signs. Moreover at the
turn of the century, in South India, it was common for children to wear
an image of Hanumen around their neck; while wives wore a marriage totem
around their necks as a symbol of household worship. <26.jpg>
It is also interesting to note that K.K. Thapliyal in Studies in Ancient
Indian Seals, found that many Indian seals from the 3rd century BC to
the 7th century AD , portray animals, with an inscription above the
animal ( just like in the case of the Harappan seals) which were
indicative of the religious views of the owner of the seal. This
evidence supports our finding that the Harappan seals were worn (or
carried) by the Harappans to help them remember the Harappan man's goal,
to obtain guidance from his deity. <26.jpg>
In the Harappan worldview animals were used in many cases to represent
characteristics human beings should exhibit. As a result the bird was
recognized as a symbol of the highest love, due to its devotion to its
offspring ; and the elephant due to its strict monogamy symbolized the
right attitude towards family life and social organization. <26.jpg>
The principal Harappan gods are all depicted on the Harappan seals. The
main god of the Harappans was the unicorn. The unicorm probably
represented Maal ( Vishnu or Kataval). This god was held in high esteem
by the coherds and shepards. Other Harappan gods were represented by the
water buffalo, humped bull, elephant, rhino, tiger and mythological
animals. <26.jpg>
<wrharap_files/26.jpg>
Seals depicting the Harappan gods <37.jpg>
The crescent shaped horns of the oxen or castrated bull on some Harappan
seals may represent the mother goddess "Kali". The lunar crescent shape
of the oxen's curved horns recalled the lunar crescent which was the
primordial sign for the mother goddess. <37.jpg>
Siva was probably represented by the the short horn bull. The elephant
on the Harappan seals may have represented Ganesa/Ganesha the elephant
headed god of India. In the "Laws of Manu", it is written that Ganesha
is the god of the 'shudras', the aboriginal population of India. The
Tamilian name for the elephant god is 'Pillaiyar, palla and veeram'. The
hunter figure on Harappan seals wearing the horned headdress and armed
with a bow and arrow may have been Muruga, the son of Uma. <37.jpg>
Pillayar, is considered the shrewdest of animals. He is associated with
Harvest time, abundance and luck. The appearence of mythological animals
on the Harappan seals may refer to Pillayar or Ganesha in one of his
many transformations. <37.jpg>
In summary , my decipherment of the Harappan seals indicate that the
seals and copper plates/tablets are amulets or talismans. They are
messages addressed to the Dravidian gods of the Harappans, requesting
for the bearer of the seal the support and assistance of his god in
obtaining aram (Benenolence). As a result, each animal figure on the
seals was probably a totemic deity, of a particular Dravidian clan or
economic unit that lived in the Harappan cities. As a result, eventhough
the Harappans had different gods, each god was seen by his follwers as
1) a god having no equal, 2) a god having neither Karma, and 3) as a god
who is the ocean of aram. <37.jpg>
The Harappan believed that man must do good and live a benevolent life
so he could obtain Pukal (fame), for his right doing(s). Through the
adoption of benevolence an individual would obtain the reward of gaining
the good things of life--the present world--and the world beyond. In
general, the Harappan seals let us know that the Harappans sought
righteousness and a spotlessly pure mind. Purity of mind was the 'sine
qua non', for happiness 'within'. <37.jpg>
Further Reading <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1984a). "The Inspiration of the Harppan Talismanic
Seals", Tamil Civilization, 2 (1), pp.1-8. <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1984b). "The Indus Valley writing is Proto-Dravidian",
Journal of Tamil Studies, no.25, pp.50-64. <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1985). "The Proto-Culture of the Dravidians, Manding and
Sumerians", Tamil Civilization, 3(1), pp.1-9. <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1985b). "The Indus Valley and related scripts of the 3rd
millenium BC". India Past and Present, 2(1), pp.13-19.
<wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1987). The Harappan script, Journal of Tamil Studies,
no.30, . <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1987b). The Harappan writing of the Copper Tablets,
Journal of Indian History, 62, . <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1989). A grammar of Dravido-Harappan Writing, Journal of
Tamil Studies, 35, 53-71. <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1989b). "Tamil, Sumerian and Manding and the Genetic
model", International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, 18(1).
<wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1990). The Dravidian language and the Harappan script,
Archiv Orientalni, 58, 301-309. <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1991). The Proto-Sahara. In The Dravidian encyclopaedia
(Vol. 1, pp. 553-556). Trivandrum, India: International School of
Dravidian Linguistics. <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1994). Afrocentrism: A valid frame of reference, Journal
of Black Studies, 25 (2), 170-190. <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
Winters, C.A. (1996). Foundations of the Afrocentric ancient history
curriculum, The Negro Educational Review, 47 (3-4), 214-217.
<wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
* _Winter's Hompage_ <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>
* _The Harappan Civilization_ <http://olmec98.net/index.html>
* _The Proto-Sahara_ <http://olmec98.net/harapa.htm>
* _The Shang Dynasty_ <http://geocities.com/Olmec982000/proto2.htm>
Other Afrocentric Links by C.A. Winters
<http://olmec98.net/blshang2.htm>
* _Ekwesi's__ Afrocentric Homepage_ <http://olmec98.net/blshang2.htm>
* _Mkubwa's__ Afrocentric Homepage_
<http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/7051>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
<http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/8919>
Send comments to _cwinters@enc.k12.il.us_ <http://olmec98.net>
revised: 2004 <mailto:olmec98.net>
1 <wrharap_files/grape_hr.gif>