The Mystery of the Indus Script Remains Unsolved

The Indus Valley Civilization, which existed thousands of years ago, left behind a writing system that still hasn't been deciphered. Despite many attempts, we still don't know what their symbols mean.

Here's a simplified explanation:

What does "deciphering a script" mean? Figuring out what the written symbols of a language mean.

What are the steps involved in deciphering a script?

1. Segmenting: Separating the symbols.
2. Reducing: Finding the basic set of symbols.
3. Assigning Values: Giving sounds or meanings to each symbol.
4. Matching to a Language: Connecting the symbols to a known language.

What makes the Indus script so difficult to decipher?

1. No Bilingual Texts: Unlike the Rosetta Stone (which had the same text in hieroglyphics and Greek, allowing scholars to translate hieroglyphics), we don't have any texts in the Indus script alongside a known language.
2. Unknown Language: We don't know what language the Indus people spoke, which makes it hard to guess the meaning of the symbols.
3. Limited Text: We've found about 3,500 seals with Indus script, but each one only has about five symbols on average. This isn't enough information to work with.

What recent developments have there been?

• The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu offered a $1 million prize for deciphering the script.
• A study found similarities between Indus symbols and graffiti from South India. This study analyzed many artifacts and identified different types of symbols.

What do we know about the Indus script?

• It uses many different symbols, including pictures of people and animals.
• Experts disagree on how many different symbols there are (estimates range from 62 to 676).
• Some think it's a "logosyllabic" system (where symbols represent words or syllables), while others think it might not be a writing system at all.

What are some of the theories about the language?

• Some think it's related to Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language).
• Others think it's related to the Dravidian languages (a family of languages spoken in southern India).
• One theory suggests that the symbols are "rebuses," meaning they represent words or similar-sounding words (like using a picture of an "eye" to represent "I").

Key Facts:

• The Indus Valley Civilization was very large.
• The "Pashupati seal" is a famous artifact with a unicorn image.
• The Rosetta Stone was crucial for deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics.
• The Brahui language (spoken in Balochistan) is related to the Dravidian languages.
• Many attempts have been made to decipher the Indus script.

What is the future of Indus script research? Continued archaeological discoveries and collaboration between different experts are important. New findings might give us more clues about the script and the Indus civilization.

In simple terms: The Indus script is a mystery because we don't have enough information to understand it. There are no bilingual texts, we don't know the language, and we only have short examples of the writing. Despite these challenges, researchers continue to study the script, hoping to one day unlock its secrets.