A million-dollar challenge to crack the script of early Indians

A significant challenge has emerged in the quest to decipher the ancient writing of early Indians, known as the Indus script. This script consists of various signs and symbols, primarily found on stone seals, which are small pieces of stone with intricate carvings. Each week, Rajesh PN Rao, a computer scientist, receives numerous emails from individuals claiming they have successfully cracked the code of this ancient writing. These self-proclaimed codebreakers come from diverse backgrounds, including engineers, retired professionals, and tax officers, with most being from India or of Indian descent living abroad. They are all convinced that they have solved the mystery of the Indus Valley Civilisation's script. Mr. Rao, who holds the position of Hwang Endowed Professor at the University of Washington, remarks, 'They claim they've solved it and that the case is closed. ' Recently, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, raised the stakes by announcing a $1 million prize for anyone who can decipher the Indus script. This announcement has intensified the competition among those eager to unlock the secrets of this ancient writing. The Indus Valley Civilisation, one of the earliest urban societies in the world, emerged approximately 5,300 years ago in what is now northwest India and Pakistan. The inhabitants of this civilization were primarily farmers and traders, living in well-planned cities constructed with baked bricks and fortified walls. They thrived for centuries, but the reasons behind their sudden decline remain a mystery. There is no clear evidence of warfare, famine, or natural disasters that could explain their downfall. The most significant enigma surrounding this civilization is its undeciphered script, which keeps their language, governance, and beliefs hidden from modern understanding. The archaeological ruins of the Indus Valley site in Pakistan serve as a testament to the advanced nature of this ancient society. For over a century, experts, including linguists, scientists, and archaeologists, have attempted to decode the Indus script. Various theories have been proposed, linking the script to early languages such as Dravidian and Indo-Aryan, while others suggest it may consist of symbols representing political or religious concepts. However, the true meaning of the Indus script remains elusive. Asko Parpola, a prominent Indologist, states, 'The Indus script is perhaps the most important system of writing that is undeciphered. ' In recent times, some popular theories have attempted to connect the script to Hindu scriptures, attributing spiritual and magical meanings to the inscriptions. However, many of these theories overlook the fact that the script primarily appears on stone seals used for trade and commerce, making it unlikely that they contain religious or mythological content. There are numerous challenges associated with deciphering the Indus script. Firstly, the relatively small number of inscriptions—approximately 4,000—are mostly found on small objects such as seals, pottery, and tablets. Additionally, the brevity of each inscription, averaging around five signs or symbols, poses a significant obstacle, as there are no lengthy texts on walls, tablets, or upright stone slabs to aid in understanding. The commonly found square seals typically feature lines of signs running along the top, with a central animal motif—often a unicorn—and an unidentified object beside it. Many seals prominently display a unicorn motif, accompanied by an object whose meaning remains a mystery. Furthermore, there is a lack of bilingual artifacts, such as the Rosetta Stone, which played a crucial role in deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. Bilingual artifacts contain text in two languages, allowing for a direct comparison between a known and an unknown script. In recent years, advancements in computer science have been employed to tackle the challenge of deciphering the Indus script. Researchers have utilized machine learning techniques to analyze the script, seeking to identify patterns and structures that could lead to a better understanding of its meaning. Nisha Yadav, a researcher at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, is among those working on this project. Collaborating with scientists like Mr. Rao, her research focuses on applying statistical and computational methods to analyze the undeciphered script. By utilizing a digitized dataset of Indus signs, they have discovered intriguing patterns. However, a caveat remains: 'We still don't know whether the signs are complete words, or part of words or part of sentences,' says Ms. Yadav. In their research, Ms. Yadav and her colleagues identified 67 signs that account for 80% of the writing in the script. One sign resembling a jar with two handles emerged as the most frequently used sign. Additionally, they observed that the scripts often began with a larger number of signs and concluded with fewer. Certain sign patterns appeared more frequently than expected. They also developed a machine-learning model of the script to restore illegible and damaged texts, paving the way for further research. 'Our understanding is that the script is structured and there is an underlying logic in the writing,' explains Ms. Yadav. It is important to note that several ancient scripts remain undeciphered, facing challenges similar to those encountered with the Indus script. Mr. Rao cites scripts from regions such as Iran, Crete, and Italy, whose underlying languages are unknown. Others, like those from Easter Island and Mexico, have known languages, but their symbols remain unclear. The Phaistos Disc from Crete closely mirrors the challenges of the Indus script, as its language is unknown, and only one known example exists. Back in India, the reasons behind Mr. Stalin's announcement of a reward for deciphering the script are not entirely clear. His announcement followed a new study that linked Indus Valley signs to graffiti found in Tamil Nadu. Researchers K Rajan and R Sivananthan analyzed over 14,000 pottery fragments bearing graffiti from 140 excavated sites in Tamil Nadu, which included more than 2,000 signs. Many of these signs closely resemble those in the Indus script, with 60% of the signs matching, and over 90% of South Indian graffiti marks having parallels with those from the Indus civilization, according to the researchers. This suggests a form of cultural contact between the Indus Valley and South India. Many believe that Mr. Stalin's move to announce an award positions him as a strong advocate for Tamil heritage and culture, especially in contrast to Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs in Delhi. However, researchers are skeptical that anyone will claim Mr. Stalin's prize anytime soon. Scholars have compiled comprehensive and updated databases of all known inscribed artifacts, which are crucial for deciphering the script. 'But what did the Indus people write? I wish we knew,' expresses Ms. Yadav, highlighting the ongoing mystery surrounding the Indus Valley Civilisation.