V051 If this represents a scorpion, it could be: kamar kidin:; rebus: kamar, blacksmith (Santali)  

Glyphs showing kammat.a ‘mint, gold furnace’ (Te.)

Archer, fig leaf (petioles), rimless pot: kama_t.hiyo ‘archer’ (G.); kammat.a ‘mint, gold furnace’ (Te.)

Copper tablet inscriptions (pictures are appended):
m0582At m0582Bt 3358 m0587At m0587Bt 3365 Horned Archer? m0588At m0588Bt Horned archer. m1540Act m1540


Allographs of a leaf sign, ligature with crab sign [After Parpola, 1994, fig. 13.15] Thanks to Asko Parpola for the insight that the identical inscription on one side of the copper tablets points to the possibility of the glyphs on the observe side of the tablets being homonymous glyphs (what Parpola calls allographs) .

How could an archer and a ligatured fig leaf (and inlaid claws of a crab) be homonyms? Surprisingly, there are lexemes in ancient Indian languages which affirm this possibility.

The pair of fig-leaves is ligatured orthographically to represent a rim of a jar (mimicking the most frequently occurring glyph – See sign 342): kan.d. kanka ‘rim of pot’; rebus: kan.d. ‘furnace’ + kanka ‘copper metal’ . Inlaid within this ligatured glyph is a glyph showing claws.

Vikalpa (Alternative):

kamat.ha = a water-pot; kaman.d.alu = ann ascetic’s or religious student’s water-pot, kun.d.ike (Ka.lex.) kamat.hamu = a water-jar (Te.lex.) kamad.ha = pot for curds; Baladeva; face (Pkt.lex.) Could the most frequently occurring rim of jar glyph connote kamad.ha ‘pot for curds’? If so, the entire corpus frequently containing this sign may relate to the category of lexemes representing the lexical repertoire of a mint, metallurgical workshop, gold furnace: kammat.a ‘mint, gold furnace’ (Te.). It is likely that the glyph for kamad.ha ‘pot for curds’ could be the rimless pot: something like U without the handles. This is surmised, because the rimless pot is ligatured to two pincers on ligatured Sign 218.

V053, Sign 53

kamat.ha = a crab, a tortoise (G.lex.) kamat.ha = tortoise (Skt.) kamad.ha, kamat.ha, kamad.haka, kamad.haga, kamad.haya tortoise (Pkt.lex.) kamat.hamu = a tortoise; kamat.hi = a female tortoise (Te.lex.)

The archer shown on one copper tablet seems to be a synonym of the leaves ligatured with crab on another copper tablet since the inscription on the obverse of each of the tablets is identical. [cf. Parpola, 1994, fig. 13.13] This ligatured leaf + crab sign appears on two seals- one from Harappa and another from Lothal. Leaves ligatured with crab is a sign which occurs on these seals and with similar sign sequences. [cf. Parpola, 1994, fig. 13.12] An orthographic vikalpa reading of the ligatured glyph could be: kamad.ha ‘rimless pot’ (or, pot for curds) superscripted with two glyphs showing petioles of leaf, phonetically reinforced by kamar.kom ‘petioles of leaf’ and inlaid claws of crab (crab, kamat.ha). The substantive rebus is: kammat.a ‘gold furnace, mint’ (Te.)

The language in which such a synonym can be found is mleccha! Proto-Bharatiya language!

Rebus: kamat.ha_yo ‘a learned carpenter or mason, working on scientific principles’ (Santali)

kammat.a = mint, gold furnace (Te.) kamat.amu, kammat.amu = a portable furnace for melting precious metals; kammat.i_d.u = a goldsmith, a silversmith (Te.lex.) ka~pr.aut., kapr.aut. jeweller's crucible made of rags and clay (Bi.); kapr.aut.i_ wrapping in cloth with wet clay for firing chemicals or drugs, mud cement (H.)[cf. modern compounds: kapar.mit.t.i_ wrapping in cloth and clay (H.); kapad.lep id. (H.)](CDIAL 2874). kapar-mat.t.i clay and cowdung smeared on a crucible (N.)(CDIAL 2871). kampat.t.tam coinage, coin (Ta.); kammat.t.am, kammit.t.am coinage, mint (Ma.); kammat.i a coiner (Ka.)(DEDR 1236) kammat.a = coinage, mint (Ka.M.) kampat.t.a-k-ku_t.am mint; kampat.t.a-k-ka_ran- coiner; kampat.t.a- mul.ai die, coining stamp (Ta.lex.)

Glyph: kamad.ha, kamat.ha, kamad.haka, kamad.haga, kamad.haya = a type of penance (Pkt.lex.)

kamar.kom = fig leaf (Santali.lex.) kamarmar.a_ (Has.), kamar.kom (Nag.); the petiole or stalk of a leaf (Mundari.lex.) [Rebus: kamar = blacksmith (Santali)]]

kama_t.hiyo = archer (G.); ka_mat.hiyo a bowman; an archer (Skt.lex.)

Glyph: ka_mad.i_, ka_mad.um = a chip of bamboo (G.) kamat.hi_, ka_mat.hum a bow (G.); kamat.ha a tortoise, a bamboo (Skt.) ka_m.t.hi, Glyph: kamat.ha bamboo (Skt.) ka_ca bhangi pole (Kuwi); ka_njui_ (pl. ka_ska) a banghi (Kuwi); ka_sa the shaft of a ka_vr.i (Kond.aj. Kui); ka_nj carrying yoke (Kond.a); ka_nju id. (Kui.Kuwi); ka_ca, ka_ja (Skt.); ka_ca, ka_ja (Pkt.); ka_a a yoke to support burdens (Pkt.); ka_ pole with ropes hung on each end, used to carry loads on the shoulder (Ta.); ka_gad.i, ka_vad.i bamboo lath or pole provided with slings at each end for the conveyance of pitchers (Ka.); ka_nja_na_, ka_nj to carry on the shoulders (Go.); ka_vat.i pole used for carrying burdens (Ta.); ka_vu to carry on the shoulder, bear anything heavy on the arms (Ta.); ka_vu, ka_vat.i split bamboo with ropes suspended from each end for carrying burdens (Ma.); ka_vad.i id. (Tu.); ka_vat.i, ka_vad.i id. (Te.); ka_vuka, ka_vikka to carry on a pole (Ma.); ka_var.i carrying yoke (Kol.); ka_vr.i, ka_ver.i, ka_vir.(i); ka_har.i (Go.); ka_vr.i id. (Mand. Pe.); ka_vad.a id. (Pkt.); ka_vad.ia one who carries burdens with yoke (Pkt.); ka_war. carrying yoke (H.)(CDIAL 3009, 3011, 2760; DEDR 1417).ka_mat.hum [Skt. kamat.ha a bamboo] a bow (G.lex.) kamat.ha = bamboo; kambi = shoot of bamboo; karmuka = bow (Mn.); kamad.ha, kamad.haya = bamboo (Pkt.); ko_ro = bamboo poles (Bhoj.); ka_mro bamboo, lath, pieces of wood (N.); ka_mvari bamboo pole with slings at each end for carrying things (OAw.); ka~_war, ka_war., ka_war., ka_war (H.); ka_var. (G.); ka_vad. (M.); ka_vad.ia, kavva_d.ia one who carries a yoke (Pkt.); ka~_war.i_, ka~_war.iya_ (H.); ka_var.iyo (G.); ka_va_t.hi_ carrying pole (S.); ka_va_t.hyo the man who carries it (S.); ka_mar.a_, ka_mur.a_ rafters of a thatched house (Or.); ka_mr.u~ chip of bamboo; ka_mar.-kot.iyu~ = bamboo hut (G.); ka_m.t.ha_ bow (B.); ka_mt.hu~ (G.); kamt.ha_, kamt.a_ bow of bamboo or horn (M.); ka_mt.hiyo archer (G.); kaba_ri flat piece of bamboo used in smoothing an earthen image (A.); ka~_bi_t., ka~_bat., ka_~bt.i_, ka_mat., ka_mt.i_, ka_mt.hi_, ka_ma_t.hi_ split piece of bamboo etc., lath (M.)(CDIAL 2760).

Sign 342 (37) Sign 287 (88)
Copper tablets (15) Field Symbol 52 (6)

V326 V327
lo = nine (Santali) [Note the count of nine fig leaves on m0296]
loa = a species of fig tree, ficus glomerata, the fruit of ficus glomerata (Santali.lex.)

The unique superscripted ligature on Sign 327 occurs on another glyph: Sign 51.

V051 If this represents a scorpion, it could be: kamar kidin:; rebus: kamar, blacksmith (Santali) Sign 51 and Sign 327 could be allographs, both depicting the lexeme kamar ‘scorpion’, kamar ‘petiole of leaf’; rebus: kamar ‘blacksmith’ (Santali) kamar kidin a small species of scorpion; kidin, kidin kat.kom a scorpion; kidin marmar a species of centipede (Santali) Vikalpa: The glyph variant can be seen as the back of a bandicoot; kod.el = rat (Go.); rebus: kole.l 'temple, smithy' (Ko.)

m0296 Two heads of one-horned bulls with neck-rings, joined end to end (to a standard device with two rings coming out of the top part?), under a stylized tree with nine leaves. 1387

kamar.kom = fig leaf (Santali); rebus: kammat.a ‘gold furnace’ (Te.) Rebus: kamar = blacksmith (Santali)]
Substantive: lo ‘iron’ (Assamese, Bengali); loa ‘iron’ (Gypsy) Glyph: lo = nine (Santali); no = nine (B.) [Note the count of nine ‘ficus’ leaves depicted on the epigraph.]

loha lut.i = iron utensils and implements (Santali.lex.)

lauha = made of copper or iron (Gr.S'r.); metal, iron (Skt.); lo_haka_ra = coppersmith, ironsmith (Pali); lo_ha_ra = blacksmith (Pt.); lohal.a (Or.); lo_ha = metal, esp. copper or bronze (Pali); copper (VS.); loho, lo_ = metal, ore, iron (Si.)

Grapheme: damr.a m. a steer; a heifer; damkom = a bull calf (Santali)

Rebus: damr.i = copper; tamb(r)a = copper (Skt.); tamba = copper (Santali) damad.i, dammad.i = a ka_su, the fourth part of a dud.d.u or paisa (Ka.M.); damad.i_ (H.) damr.i, dambr.i = one eighth of a pice (Santali) dammid.i = pice (Te.)

Grapheme: damad.i, dammad.i = a small tambourine with gejjes (Ka.)

Substantive: dha_tu ‘mineral’ (Vedic); a mineral, metal (Santali); dha_ta id. (G.) tan.t.ava_l.am = cast iron, iron rail, girder (Ta.); tan.d.ava_l.a cast iron (Ka.)(DEDR 3050).

d.ato ‘claws or pincers (chelae) of crabs’; d.at.om to seize with the claws or pincers, as crabs, scorpions (Santali)

dat.hi, dat.i the petioles and mid-ribs of a compound leaf after the leaflets have been plucked off, stalks of certain plants, as Indian corn, after the grain has been taken off (Santali)


V136 Signs 134, 135, 136 d.a_t.o, da_t.o a plug, a cork, a stopple (G.) dauli = a weeding knife, of iron or wood (Santali.lex.) da_ule, da_uli = claw (Kon.); rebus: ka~_kr.a_ crab; ka~_gar = portable furnace (K.); kammat.a = portable furnace (Te.) coiner, mint (Ta.)

Vikalpa (Alternative)

era_ = claws of an animal that can do no harm (G.) Rebus: erka = ekke (Tbh. of arka) aka (Tbh. of arka) copper (metal); crystal (Ka.lex.)

erako molten cast (Tu.lex.) agasa_le, agasa_li, agasa_lava_d.u = a goldsmith (Te.lex.) akasa_la, agasa_la, agasa_liga, akasa_liga, agasa_le, akasa_le, akkasa_la = a gold or silver smith (Ka.lex.); akasa_like, akkasa_like = the business of a gold or silver smith; akasa_liga, akkasa_liga, agasa_liga = a gold or silver smith; akasa_le, akkasa_le = the workshop of a goldsmith; a goldsmith (Ka.lex.) eraka, er-aka = any metal infusion (Ka.Tu.); urukku (Ta.); urukka melting; urukku what is melted; fused metal (Ma.); urukku (Ta.Ma.); eragu = to melt; molten state, fusion; erakaddu = any cast thng; erake hoyi = to pour meltted metal into a mould, to cast (Ka.); cf. arika = rice beer (Santali.lex.) er-e = to pour any liquids; to pour (Ka.); ir-u (Ta.Ma.); ira- i_i (Ta.); er-e = to cast, as metal; to overflow, to cover with water, to bathe (Ka.); er-e, ele = pouring; fitness for being poured(Ka.lex.) erako molten cast (Tu.lex.) eh-kam any weapon made of steel (Cu_t.a_.); eh-ku steel; eh-ku-pat.utal to melt, to soften (Cilap. 15, 210, Urai.)(Ta.lex.)

era, er-a = eraka = ?nave; erako_lu = the iron axle of a carriage (Ka.M.); cf. irasu (Ka.lex.)

era female, applied to women only, and generally as a mark of respect, wife; hopon era a daughter; era hopon a man’s family; manjhi era the village chief’s wife; gosae era a female Santal deity; bud.hi era an old woman; era uru wife and children; nabi era a prophetess; diku era a Hindu woman (Santali)

m0451At m0451Bt 3235 m0451At shows a ligatured leaf sign inlaid between the horns of a bovine (perhaps a heifer, ‘unicorn’). The obverse of the tablet shows an eagle glyph. kamar.kom‘petioles of leaf’; lo ‘ficus glomerata’; rebus: kammat.a ‘gold furnace, mint’ (Te.); loh ‘metal’ (Santali). eru_, aru = eagle (Akkadian/Assyrian) eruvai = a kind of kite whose head is white and whose body is brown; eagle (Ta.); eruva = eagle, kite (Ma.)(DEDR 819). Rebus: erako ‘molten cast’ (Tu.)

S. Kalyanaraman, 20 March 2005 kalyan97@gmail.com


m0587at. Obverse of a copper plate showing an inscription repeated on other copper plates.

m0582bt. Reverse of copper tablet. Depicts archer. Obverse has an inscription which is identical to the inscription on another copper tablet but with an alternate (vikalpa) glyph: petioles of leaves inlaid with claws of crab. The ligatured glyph is seen as an allograph of archer, kama_t.hiyo which also means in a homonym: kammat.a 'gold furnace, mint.' Another way to depict rebus is to show kamad.ha 'penance' (persons seated in yogic posture). 

m0582at. Obverse of copper tablet depicts inscription. Reverse depicts an archer. 

m0451, Reverse of seal showing winged eagle; obverse showed leaf petioles inlaid within horns of a heifer. 

Seal m0451a. Obverse shows a ligatured leaf (petioles) between two horns (possibly of a heifer). Reverse shows an eagle glyph. 

Seal m0296. Shows nine leaves (with petioles), ligatured to two heads of heifer with one horn. Nine 'lo'; rebus: loh 'metal'. 

Variants of Sign 327 (leaf, petiole ligatured with two projections on top -- a unique ligaturing which occurs only on one another glyph, possibly, a bandicoot or a scorpion). 

Variants of fig-leaf sign -- Sign 316 (Mahadevan) -- emphasizing petioles of leaf. 

Signs 315, 316, 327. Fig-leaf or petioles of leaf. The unique ligature on 327 also occurs on another glyph (where orthography, possibly denotes a bandicoot or a scorpion). kamar.kom 'leaf'; kamat.a 'mint' ! 

Field symbol 52 (Mahadevan). Archer (free-hand reproduction from glyphs on copper tablets) 

Sign53. Depicts claws of crab. A variant is a pincer. 

Variants of claws of crab or pincer glyph; sign218 has a rimless pot inlaid between two claws-of-crab glyphs. 

Glyphs showing a stopper or cork. A variant occurs on Dholavira signboard inscription. 

3365. Inscription on copper tablet; obverse shows 'archer' glyph. 

3358. Inscription on copper tablets; obverse shows 'archer' or 'ligatured fig-leaf + crab'. 

Inscription on tablet m0451 (eagle + leaf ligature inlaid between horns of heifer) 

Explaining hieroglyphs: Archer, fig-leaf, claws of crab in terms of activities in a mints of metallurgical workers of Sarasvati civilization. 

Illustrated London News, 1936, page 909. Chanhudaro was the Sheffield of Ancient India ! 

Double-axe shown on one side of a few copper tablets from Mohenjodaro. kara_d.iyo 'seller of earthenware' (G.) Gujarat is not far from Chanhudaro. kra_n.d.i 'axe' (Kui) 

Sarasvati hieroglyphs

Double-axe found in a Mesopotamian site. Comparable to the double-axe shown on Chanhudaro seal C-23. Pictorial motif of a double-axe is a Sarasvati hieroglyph (Pict-133). See pictures at: http://hinducivilization.blogspot.com/

By depicting a double-axe on a seal, the message conveyed is: kra_d.i 'double-axe'; read rebus: kara_d.iyo 'seller of earthenware, earthen goblets, smoking pipes etc.' (G.)

kr.a_d.i, kra_nd.i 'tiger' (Kui)
kra_nd.i 'black hornet' (Kui)

kra_d.i 'large axe' (Kui) karan.d.amu 'sword' (Te.)

kara_d.o (G.) = carpenter's tool used in hewing down large pieces of wood
kara_ti_ = sawyer (B.); kart.u 'saw' (S.)
karad.e 'Drum (oblong, double)' (Ka.)karat.i 'fencing' (Ta.)
karad.a 'crown' (IL)

kara_d.iyo, kara_l.iyo 'Seller of earthenware, earthen goblets, smoking pipes etc.' (G.)
See picture of a cylinder seal from Kalibangan, showing 'fencing' and also, a woman ligatured to the bodyof a tiger:http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sarasvati/pictures/K065a-t.jpg
This ligature points to the woman as a phonetic determinant: kol 'woman' (Nahali); kol 'tiger' (Mu.)

See pictures of a two-sided tablet from Harappa:
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sarasvati/pictures/H182A.JPGhttp://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sarasvati/pictures/H182B.JPG
Sources: http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sarasvati/html/hieroglyph2.htmhttp://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sarasvati/html/decipher2.htm

Pictures from: Illustrated London News 1936 - November 21st
1. Great New Discoveries of Ancient Indian Culture on a Virgin Prehistoric Site in Sind - further results of pioneer research at Chanu-Daro, in the Indus Valley: relics of craftsmanship, domestic life, and personal adornment in the third millennium B.C. by Ernest Mackay D. Litt, FSA, in 5 x photos of seals and seal amulets with animal designs (page 908)
2. A "Sheffield of Ancient India: Chanhu-Daro's Metal Working Industry 10 x photos of copper knives, spears , razors, axes and dishes (page 909)
3. Harappa Pottery, 5000 years old, Unique in Ancient India, Contrasted with Later Ware: Chanhu-Daro Dicoveries (page 910)
4.Lipstick 5000 Years Old- and Other "Modern" Relics of Ancient India (page 911)
http://www.iln.org.uk/iln_years/year/1936a.htm

c23 (Chanhudaro seal) Note: the pictograph of double-axe as the centre-piece FS 133: double-axe without a shaft (pictograph on a copper plate inscription, obverse; the reverse side has 'signs')
A double-axe made of gold comparable to this sign was found at Ur.
Ur. Mes-kalam-dug's grave chamber had: a shield, two gold-mounted daggers, chisels and other tools, copper jugs, silver bowls and a set of arrows.
http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/pictorials.htm

 A tantra yukti category of research is Atideśa (indication or application). On some inscriptions, an additional orthographic device is used to indicate that a metal implement is the product being managed by a Supercargo. 

An example can be cited of a Chanhudaro seal, where a double-axe is part of the inscription. It is inferred that the double-axe signifies a metal axe. This inference is validated by decipherment of the entire inscription including the pictorial motifs of a goat-antelope and hypertext.

C-23

Text 6402 6Goat-antelope with a short tail.

The object in front of the goat-antelope is a double-axe.

Double-axe found in a Mesopotamian site. Comparable to the double-axe shown on Chanhudaro seal C-23.  Pictorial motif of a double-axe is an Indus Script hieroglyph (Pict-133). 

  

 

 The fact that these hieroglyph compositions occur on bronze artifacts imply that the bronze metalwork is signified.