Authorpreneur Dashboard – Parveen Talpur
Indus Seals (2600-1900 BCE) Beyond Geometry
History
Indus Civilization (2600-1900 BCE) emerged on the banks of River Indus in Pakistan. However, its sites are scattered over a large area including parts of India. The two large sites Moen jo Daro and Harappa are located in Pakistan while Lothal, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi and Dholavira are in India.The signs and symbols inscribed on tiny seals discovered from the archaeological sites of this Civilization are considered to be an ancient script which is yet to be deciphered. Describing the long journey of decipherment and its detours, which have misled many archaeologists to distant sources, this book draws attention to the languages and culture of the Indus region for relevant clues to decode the ancient seals. “Indus Seals (2600-1900 BCE) Beyond Geometry: A New Approach to Break an Old Code” is not only an update of Talpur’s previous research on the geometrical configuration of the signs and symbols but it also goes beyond to the images of animals, humans, deities, trees and unidentifiable objects inscribed on the seals. Seeking clues in the ancient words retained in the present day Sindhi language and highlighting the symbols of Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism on the seals the book interprets social, cultural and ideological content of the seals.
Book Bubbles from Indus Seals (2600-1900 BCE) Beyond Geometry
Three Perspectives
I have examined the seals from three diverse perspectives: Buddhism, the Sindhi language, and geometry. In the framework of Indus seals a mutual embeddedness between these three underexplored sources cannot be denied as one could not be fully understood without the other. At least, that is how it has worked for me. For instance, it was while studying the geometric composition of the man sign on the seals that I was reminded of a Sindhi word angal. Later, I was able to connect it with the concept of angles in geometry. Similarly, while studying Alexander Cunningham’s identification of a few vernacular features on the Shahbazgarhi Rock inscriptions, I was able to identify some of these in the Sindhi language; hence the links between the Sindhi and the Pali language used in ancient Buddhist scriptures. As for the connection between Geometry and Buddhism, it can be as ancient as the Indus cities. Currently this connection is most conspicuous in the meticulously made Buddhist mandalas but the rudiments of their geometric patterns can be found on the Indus seals.
