Jalalabad seal indicates Leprosy (original) (raw)

The Jalalabad Indus Seal Its Iconography and Text Interprets Leprosy and Its Treatment

A paper on the Jalalabad seal written by Massimo Vidale, Francoise Dessert, and Dennys Frenez presents the scholarly view of the seal. They describe the elements of the iconography well, which can be accessed on academia.edu for details. Hence, researchers suggested six possible alternative readings to the inscribed text because the seal is partly damaged and the signs in the text are difficult to distinguish. In my opinion, one of them seems appropriate since it interprets iconography. My decipherment indicates that the text refers to leprosy and its treatment. Therefore, all those elements of iconography have been described accordingly

Decipherment of two unpublished Indus Script seals reported by Massimo Vidale et al. Wealth accounting ledgers, metalwork catalogues.

The two unpublished seals from a private collection are reported in 2018 and discussed by Massimo Vidale et al in the context of use of Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy for miniature objects like Indus script seals. This monograph presents a decipherment of the Indus Script Hypertexts on these two seals. One seal has the field symbol of bos gaurus PLUS feeding trough; the second seal has one-horned young bull PLUS a standard device in front. Seal 1 Fig. 1, Fig. 2 pp.456, 347 (21 mm square seal; Bos gaurus, Smith, 1827) Seal and seal impression. Seal 2 Fig. 6. Seal with unicorn and inscription: map obtained for the reconstruction of 144 3D laser images, recorded using a 5x objective and a 40% image overlay, with a dimensional scale of 4854 micrometers (X) and 4847 micrometers (Y). Private collection, Indus Valley, ca. 2600-2200 B.C.E Source: p.461 opcit. The unicorn - depicted almost exclusively on this type of molded seals - is undoubtedly the most characteristic iconographic element of the Indus Civilization. This enigmatic creature represents about 75% of all images engraved on the Indus seals, with peaks of over 90% in minor urban settlements, but its interpretation is still at the center of a heated debate (For an overview of the different interpretations and hypotheses on the nature of the Indus unicorn, (Parpola A. 2011, The Harappan Unicorn in Eurasian and South Asian Perspectives, in Osada T., Endo H. (eds), Linguistics, Archaeology and the Human Past Occasional Paper 12, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, 142-143; Frenez, D., Vidale M. 2012, Harappan Chimeras as ‘Symbolic Hypertexts’: Some thoughts on Plato, Chimaera and the Indus Civilization, South Asian Studies, 28.2, 107-130; Kenoyer, JM 2013, Iconography of the Indus Unicorn: Origins and Legacy, in Abraham S., Gullapalli P., Raczek T.,Rizvi U. (eds), Connection and Complexity: New approaches to the archaeology of South and Central Asia, Walnut Creek, 107-125.) [quote]Abstract When Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM) is applied to small stone artefacts carved or shaped in complex and intricate fashions, the images surprisingly acquire a monumental character and their surfaces reveal a universe of details, ranging from tools traces, ﬁring and glazing defects and wear-consumption patterns. The paper will shortly demonstrate the potentials of this new powerful 3D-imaging technique on two unpublished steatite stamp seals of the Indus Civilization, which characterized present-day Pakistan and northwestern India between ca. 2600 and 1900 BC. Keeping in mind the unexhausted interest that Sara Santoro had for technological innovation and archaeometry in the investigation of the past, we propose that the same non-destructive, high resolution imaging techniques could be fruitfully applied to the semiprecious stone seals of the Graeco-Roman period, which have been studied so far mainly on stylistic and iconographic grounds [unquote] (Massimo Vidale, Ivana Angelini e Dennys Frenez , Miniature in steatite. Un passo nel mondo dei sigilli della civiltà dell’Indo, in: A cura di Marco Cavalieri e Cristina Boschetti 2018, Il polisemico significato della moderna ricerca archeologica. Omaggio a Sara Santoro, Vol. 1, Presses universitaires de Louvain, 2018, ISBN: 978-2-87558-666-7, pp.447 to 472) Translation: Miniature in steatite. A step in the world of the seals ofIndo Civilization in: The polysemic meaning of modern archaeological research. Homage to Sara Santoro. https://www.academia.edu/36877552/Miniature\_in\_steatite.\_Un\_passo\_nel\_mondo\_dei\_sigilli\_della\_Civilt%C3%A0\_dell\_Indo Seal 1: Field symbol: bos gaurus PLUS feeding trough barat, barad, 'ox, bos gaurus' Rebus: bharat 'mixed alloys' (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin) (Marathi) There are two orthographic variants of this 'feeding-trough' hieroglyph which are read in Meluhha lexis (vocbulary) rebus:Ta. paṭṭai painted stripe Ma. paṭṭa stripe. Ka. paṭṭe, paṭṭi id. Koḍ. paṭṭe striped; Tu. paṭṭè stripe. Te. paṭṭe stripe or streak of paint; paḍita stripe, streak, wale. (DEDR 3877). Rebus: పట్టీ paṭṭī . [Tel.] n. A list or inventory, a roll of names పట్టి paṭṭi A list. PLUS pāṭroṛo, pattar 'feeding trough' Rebus: పట్ర paṭra, patta 'village, hamlet, maritime town' pāṭan 'market'. paṭan ʻ quarter of a town; village, hamlet, town'. Thus, the hypertext, striped feeding trough reads: pattar paṭṭi 'feeding trough+ stripes' rebus: 'market inventory, market list'. Rebus 2: pattar 'goldsmith guild' బత్తుడు battuḍu, baḍaga 'a professional title of five artificers'. It may be seen from Variant 2 of the 'feeding-trough' hieroglyph, that an unambiguous signifier 'three stripes' has been ligatured at the bottom of the trough as a phonetic determinant of the intended 'feeding trough' signifier word. Phonetic variants of related lexis (vocabulary) are: Feeding trough: Ta. pātti bathing tub, watering trough or basin, spout, drain; pattal wooden bucket; pattar id., Ka. pāti basin for water round the foot of a tree. Tu. pāti trough or bathing tub, spout, drain. Te. pādi, pādu basin for water round the foot of a tree. (DEDR 4079) patta -- n. ʻ bowl ʼ, °aka -- n. ʻ little bowl ʼ, pātĭ̄ -- f.; K. pāthar, dat. °tras m. ʻ vessel, dish ʼ, pôturu m. ʻ pan of a pair of scales ʼ (gahana -- pāth, dat. pöċü f. ʻ jewels and dishes as part of dowry ʼ ← Ind.); S. pāṭri f. ʻ large earth or wooden dish ʼ, pāṭroṛo m. ʻwooden troughʼ; P. pātar m. ʻ vessel ʼ, parāt f., parātṛā m. ʻ large wooden kneading vessel ʼ, ḍog. pāttar m. ʻbrass or wooden do.ʼ; Ku.gng. pāiʻ wooden potʼ (CDIAL 8055). Seal 1: Text of inscription The rhombus sign Variant of Sign 261 is a square is read as mũh 'metal ingot' The Sign 261 is ligatured with four 'splinters': sal 'splinter' rebus: sal 'workshop'. Thus, the expression of the hypertext is: mũh sal 'metal ingots workshop' kolmo 'three' rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge' ayo 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'alloy metal' The lozenge shape is of a bun ingot: mũh 'metal ingot' PLUS खांडा [ 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'. Thus, mũh khāṇḍā 'ingots and equipment'. koḍa 'one'(Santali) Rebus: koḍ 'artisan's workshop'.PLUS ḍhaṁkaṇa 'lid' rebus dhakka 'excellent, bright, blazing metal article' Oriya. kāṇḍa, kã̄ṛ ʻstalk, arrow ʼ(CDIAL 3023) Rebus: ayaskāṇḍa 'a quantity of iron, excellent iron' Rebus: khāṇḍā 'equipment'. bicha 'scorpion' rebus:; bica 'haematite, ferrite ore' Thus, the text message is: metal ingots workshop; alloy metal smithy/forge; metal ingots and equipment'; blazing metal articles workshop; haematite ferrite ore equipment. Seal 2: Field symbols: One-horned young bull PLUS standard device Note on the identification of the young bull as bos primegenius; see: Zebu (Bos primigenius indicus) are descended from Indian aurochs (stylized as unicorns) https://tinyurl.com/yc4dj5gz Bos primigenius (unicorns as young bulls with one horn): khōṇḍa m A young bull, a bullcalf. rebus: kunda, 'one of कुबेर's nine treasures', kundaṇa 'fine gold' Hypertext kō̃da 'young bull, with one horn' signifies payĕn-kō̃da wôlu पयन्-कोँद 'metal smelter' payĕn-kō̃da पयन्-कोँद । परिपाककन्दुः f. a kiln (a potter's, a lime-kiln, and brick-kiln, or the like); a furnace (for smelting). -thöji - or -thöjü ; । परिपाक-(द्रावण-)मूषा f. a crucible, a melting-pot. -ʦañĕ ञ । परिपाकोपयोगिशान्ताङ्गारसमूहः f.pl. a special kind of charcoal (made from deodar and similar wood) used in smelting furnaces. -wôlu -; । धात्वादिद्रावण-इष्टिकादिपरिपाकशिल्पी m. a metal-smelter; a brick-baker. -wān -वान् । द्रावणचुल्ली m. a smelting furnace. (Kashmiri)pácana n. ʻ means for cooking ʼ RV., pacanikā -- f. ʻ frying pan ʼ lex. [√pac]Pa. pacana -- n. ʻ cooking ʼ, Pk. payaṇa -- , °ṇaga -- n. ʻ cooking pot ʼ; L.awāṇ. paeṇī ʻ a partic. measure ʼ; N. paini ʻ earthen vessel in which rice -- spirit is distilled ʼ; G. peṇɔ m. ʻ large frying pan ʼ, °ṇī f. ʻ small do. ʼ. (CDIAL 7651) kándu f. ʻ iron pot ʼ Suśr., °uka -- m. ʻ saucepan ʼ.Pk. kaṁdu -- , kaṁḍu -- m.f. ʻ cooking pot ʼ; K. kō̃da f. ʻ potter's kiln, lime or brick kiln ʼ; -- ext. with -- ḍa -- : K. kã̄dur m. ʻ oven ʼ. -- Deriv. Pk. kaṁḍua -- ʻ sweetseller ʼ (< *kānduka -- ?); H. kã̄dū m. ʻ a caste that makes sweetmeats ʼ. (CDIAL 2726) *kandukara ʻ worker with pans ʼ. [kdu -- , kará -- 1] K. kã̄dar, kã̄duru dat. °daris m. ʻ baker ʼ.(CDIAL 2728) kāndavika m. ʻ baker ʼ Pañcad. [kándu -- ]Pk. kaṁdaviya -- , °dōiya -- , °duia -- (u from kaṁdua -- ) m. ʻ sweetmeat seller ʼ; G. kãdoī m. ʻ confectioner ʼ.Addenda: kāndavika -- : S.kcch. kandhoyo m. ʻ confectioner ʼ(CDIAL 3034) kã̄dur m. ʻovenʼ; kō̃da f. ʻpotter's kiln, lime or brick kilnʼ (Kashmiri) Phonetic variant of kã̄dur m. ʻovenʼ seems to link to an early phonetic form of kō̃da to signify a smelter's kiln as defined in the expression: .payĕn-kō̃da पयन्-कोँद 'melting in a smelter'. Thus, the seal 1 and seal 2 are Wealth accounting ledgers with metalwork catalogues with Indus Script Hypertexts rendered as Meluhha expressions.

Jasper cylinder seal c. 2220 BCE deciphered Indus script proclamations of iron, copper-, gold-smithy, mint-work

Jasper cylinder seal is a stunning example of the power of hypertexts (using hieroglyph-multiplexes) to convey precise, detailed technical information. The cylinder seal, 2.8 cm. high and 1.6 cm dia, signifies -- in an extraordinarily crisp hypertext, within limited writing space-- Indus script proclamations of iron, copper, gold-smithy, mint-work. ḍhangar bhaṭa पेढी 'blacksmith furnace shop' kamar कारणी arka lokhaṇḍa aya kammaṭa 'blacksmith supercargo, copper, gold, metal implements, mint' Red jasper H. 1 1/8 in. (2.8 cm), Diam. 5/8 in. (1.6 cm) cylinder Seal with four hieroglyphs and four kneeling persons (with six curls on their hair) holding flagposts, c. 2220-2159 B.C.E., Mesopotamia. Akkadian (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Cylinder Seal (with modern impression). Cuneiform inscription: Sharpum, son of Shallum. The rest of the hieroglyph-multiplexes are a cypher signifying Sharpum's occupation as a merchant with diverse metallurgical competence The four hieroglyphs are: from l. to r. 1. moon or crucible PLUS storage pot of ingots, 2. sun, 3. narrow-necked pot with overflowing water, 4. fish (with fins emphasised). A hooded snake is on the edge of the composition. (The dark red color of jasper reinforces the semantics: eruvai 'dark red, copper' Hieroglyph: eruvai 'reed'; see four reedposts held. koṭhāri 'crucible' Rebus: koṭhāri 'treasurer, warehouse'; kuṭhāru 'armourer' If the hieroglyph on the leftmost is moon, a possible rebus reading: قمر ḳamar A قمر ḳamar, s.m. (9th) The moon. Sing. and Pl. See سپوږمي or سپوګمي (Pashto) Rebus: kamar 'blacksmith' कारणी or कारणीक 'supercargo of a ship' (Marathi) of ingots are held in a conical jar (storage pot). The leftmost hieroglyph shows ingots in a conical-bottom storage jar (similar to the jar shown on Warka vase (See Annex: Warka vase), delivering the ingots to the temple of Inanna). Third from left, the overflowing pot is similar to the hieroglyph shown on Gudea statues. Fourth from left, the fish hieroglyph is similar to the one shown on a Susa pot containing metal tools and weapons. (See Susa pot hieroglyphs of bird and fish: Louvre Museum) Hieroglyph: meṇḍā ʻlump, clotʼ (Oriya) On mED 'copper' in Eurasian languages see Annex A: Warka vase). mūhā mẽṛhẽt 'iron smelted by the Kolhes and formed into an equilateral lump a little pointed at each of four ends.' (Note ingots in storage pot superfixed on the crucible hieroglyph). The key hieroglyph is the hood of a snake seen as the left-most hieroglyph on this rolled out cylinder seal impression. I suggest that this denotes the following Meluhha gloss: Hierogyph: A. kulā 'hood of serpent' Rebus: kolle 'blacksmith'; kolhe 'smelter' kol 'working in iron' Four flag-posts(reeds) with rings on top held by the kneeling persons define the four components of the iron smithy/forge. The four persons carry four maces with rings on top register. The maces are comparable in shape to the mace held by a bull-man on a terracotta plaque (British Museum number103225, see picture appended with decipherment). The mace is: ḍã̄g (Punjabi) ḍhaṅgaru 'bull' (Sindhi) -- as a phonetic determinant; rebus: ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’. Mth. ṭhākur ʻ blacksmith ʼ (CDIAL 5488). The four persons (kamar) may be recognized as soldiers based on the Pashto gloss: kamar kīsaʿh, s.f. (3rd) A waist-belt with powder horn, and other furniture for a soldier. Hieroglyph: meṇḍa 'bending on one knee': మండి [ maṇḍi ] or మండీ manḍi. [Tel.] n. Kneeling down with one leg, an attitude in archery, ఒక కాలితో నేలమీద మోకరించుట, ఆలీఢపాదము. मेट [ mēṭa ] n (मिटणें) The knee-joint or the bend of the knee. मेटेंखुंटीस बसणें To kneel down. Ta. maṇṭi kneeling, kneeling on one knee as an archer. Ma. maṇṭuka to be seated on the heels. Ka. maṇḍi what is bent, the knee. Tu. maṇḍi knee. Te. maṇḍĭ̄ kneeling on one knee. Pa. maḍtel knee; maḍi kuḍtel kneeling position. Go. (L.) meṇḍā, (G. Mu. Ma.) minḍa knee (Voc. 2827). Konḍa (BB) meḍa, meṇḍa id. Pe. menḍa id. Manḍ. menḍe id. Kui menḍa id. Kuwi (F.) menda, (S. Su. P.) menḍa, (Isr.) meṇḍa id. Cf. 4645 Ta. maṭaṅku (maṇi-forms). / ? Cf. Skt. maṇḍūkī- part of an elephant's hind leg; Mar. meṭ knee-joint. (DEDR 4677) Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Mu.Ho.) The four persons are worshippers in a kneeling posture: bhaTa 'worshipper' Pk. bhuaga -- m. ʻ worshipper in a temple ʼ, G. bhuvɔ m. (rather than < bhūdēva -- ). rebus: bhaTa 'furnace' bhaṭa -- m. ʻ hired soldier, servant ʼ MBh. Pali. bhaṭa -- m. ʻ hireling, servant, soldier ʼKu.bhaṛ m. ʻ hero, brave man ʼ, gng. adj. ʻ mighty ʼ; B. bhaṛ ʻ soldier, servant, nom. prop. ʼS.kcch. bhaṛ ʻ brave ʼ; Garh. (Śrīnagrī dial.) bhɔṛ, (Salānī dial.) bheṛ ʻ warrior ʼ.(CDIAL 9588) Ku. bhaṛau ʻ song about the prowess of ancient heroes ʼ.(CDIAL 9590) The kamar is semantically reinforced by orthographic determinative of six curls of hair: baTa 'six' Rebus: baTa 'iron' (Gujarati) bhaTa 'furnace' PLUS PLUS meDh 'curl' Rebus: meD 'iron' to signify that the message conveyed is of four smelters for iron (metal). The four hieroglyphs are: from l. to r. 1. moon PLUS storage pot of ingots, 2. sun, 3. narrow-necked pot with overflowing water, 4. fish A hooded snake is on the edge of the composition. (The dark red color of jasper reinforces the semantics: eruvai 'dark red, copper' Hieroglyph: eruvai 'reed'; see four reedposts held. kamar 'moon' Rebus: kamar 'blacksmith' arka 'sun' Rebus: arka, eraka 'copper, gold, moltencast' lokāṇḍa 'overflowing pot' Rebus: lokhaṇḍa 'metal implements, excellent implements' aya 'fish' Rebus: aya 'iron' (Gujarati) ayas 'metal' (Rigveda) khambhaṛā m. ʻ fin ʼ (Lahnda) kammaṭa 'coiner, coinage, mint' (Note on the emphasis on the fins of the fish) Hieroglyph: मेढा (p. 665) [ mēḍhā ] A twist or tangle arising in thread or cord, a curl or snarl.(Marathi. Molesworth)Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Mu.Ho.) baṭa 'six' Rebus: bhaṭa 'furnace' PLUS meḍh 'curl' Rebus: meḍ 'iron' This is a proclamation of four shops, पेढी (Gujarati. Marathi). पेंढें ‘rings’ Rebus: पेढी ‘shop’.āra ‘serpent’ Rebus; āra ‘brass’. karaḍa 'double-drum' Rebus: karaḍa 'hard alloy'. http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/indus-script-hieroglyphs-signify-dhatu.html Citation "Cylinder seal with kneeling nude heroes [Mesopotamia]" (L.1992.23.5) In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/L.1992.23.5\. (October 2006) Four representations of a nude hero with six sidelocks of hair appear on this cylinder seal. Each wears a three-strand belt with a tassel. In all cases, the hero kneels on one knee and with both hands holds up a gatepost standard in front of his raised leg. Two vertical lines of inscription, one placed before a hero and another placed behind a second hero, give the name as Shatpum, son of Shallum, but do not provide an official title. Placed vertically in the field, a serpent appears behind one hero. In the spaces between the tops of the standards are four symbols: a sun disk, a lunar crescent, a fish, and a vase with flowing streams of water. The nude hero is often shown with this very explicit type of gatepost, which perhaps is the emblem of a specific god or group of deities. The heroes with gateposts, the flowing vase, and the fish suggest that the iconography of this seal is somehow connected with Ea, god of sweet water and wisdom. However, the meaning of individual symbols could change in different contexts. The sun, moon, vase, and fish are undoubtedly astral or planetary symbols—the vase with streams and the fish are forerunners of what in much later times become zodiacal signs.

A Short Introduction to the Study of the Indus Script With Comments on the Corner Symbols

The Indus seals were used in connection with commerce, both international and local. The basic elements of the seals must therefore have some relevance to their use. It is argued that the animal figures are totemic, identifying either place of origin or destination, and that certain other symbols denote the character of the goods being transferred and/or the means used to transport the goods to which the seals were probably affixed. It is thus possible to come to certain conclusions as to what information the inscriptions were intended to convey. This article was first published by ESOP in Volume 3, Part 2, Paper 66, September 1976. It has been radically revised in 2010 for Volume 28 based on additional information obtained in the interim. Note: The images in this article all appear in Jagat P. Joshi and Asko Parpola's excellent volume: Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions 1. Collections in India . While many have appeared in other publications as well, we used that volume because of the excellent quality of the photographs of the artifacts. In every case we used a computer to flip the seal photos horizontally so as to publish them in "impression" format (often photos of actual impressions fail to show all features clearly). Photos of the "corner symbols" were removed from the seals and rendered as separate graphics using Adobe Photoshop.

Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions: Volume 3: New material, untraced objects, and collections outside India and Pakistan, Part 1: Mohenjo-daro and Harappa

Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia, 2010

That "writing" and "script" are appropriate terms to employ in reference to what has commonly been called the "Indus script" has been contested by Fanner, Sproat and Witzel (2004). They argue that the Indus script is not likely to have been linked directly to a spoken language and was probably a system of non-linguistic symbols. We, however, contend that given the development in the system of inscriptions over time as seen at Harappa and given the extensive use of the "signs" or "symbols" both fonnally and infonnally and on many media (see text discussion), making the distinction between a language-based script and a not-so-tied-to-Ianguage symboling system is not a particularly interesting distinction. In any event, in the absence of multilingual texts, long texts, and/or a successor symboling system or script, there can be no widely accepted understanding of what the symbols or signs of the "Indus script" actually meant to those who employed them, and thus there can be no true resolution of tIus issue. As a result, we continue to employ tenns like "script" and even "writing" in their broadest senses and are well aware that not everyone may agree with such usage. We are also rather imprecise in our use of the tenns "inscribed" and "inscription", which we employ broadly in relation to the Indus script and not in the restricted sense of something engraved, incised, or written. Thus pieces with script in relief are also referred to as inscribed (although not "incised"). Finally the tenn "tablet" is used in the sense employed in all volumes of the Corpus of Indus Signs and Inscriptions to refer to small inscribed pieces specially made of stone, terracotta, faience, or copper-with images and/or script incised or in relief-that are not intaglio seals. 2 The Harappa Archaeological Research Project (HARP), a long-tenn program of investigations into the origins and character ofIndus urban centers, was first initiated at Harappa by the late Prof. George F. Dales and Dr.

Mirrored signs. Administrative and scriptorial information in the Indus Civilization clay sealings

Studies on Indus Script - Conference on Indus Script - Mohenjodaro , 2020

for having granted me with access to their reference collection of sealings and sealed objects. A special thanks to Jonathan Mark Kenoyer from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Massimo Vidale, University of Padova, Gianni Marchesi and Maurizio Cattani, University of Bologna, with whom I have to honour to collaborate in several projects and research. Thanks to «Zhermack SpA -Materials for Impressions in Surgery and Laboratory» for having provided me with tools and materials for making impressions of archaeological materials.

Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions Volume 3 : New material , untraced objects , and collections outside India and Pakistan

2010

Jalalabad seal indicates Leprosy (original) (raw)

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