- Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC): Spanned 2,000 sites across 1.5 million sq. km., including parts of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It is one of the earliest urban civilisations, comparable in scale to Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Relevance : GS 1(Culture , Heritage )
- Undeciphered Script: Unlike other contemporary civilisations (e.g., Mesopotamian and Egyptian), the script of the IVC remains undeciphered, hindering a complete understanding of Harappan culture and history.
- Cultural Insights: Decoding the script could reveal key aspects of IVC’s social, political, and economic systems, providing clarity on their language, rituals, and governance.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Announcement:
- $1-Million Prize: On January 5, Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin announced a $1 million prize for deciphering the Indus script, coinciding with a conference on the centenary of IVC’s discovery.
- Political Context: The announcement is linked to the potential Dravidian connection with the IVC, reflecting ongoing debates over the cultural and linguistic ties between the IVC and South India.
Dravidian Hypothesis:
- Proto-Dravidian References: Scholars suggest that the Indus script may encode a proto-Dravidian language, based on evidence such as the survival of Brahui (a Dravidian language) in the IVC region and linguistic features of Dravidian languages.
- Key Scholars: Prominent figures like Iravatham Mahadevan have argued that the IVC script likely represents an early form of Dravidian, based on suffix usage and linguistic parallels.
- Challenges in Decoding: Despite evidence, decipherment models are still in early stages, and a universally accepted solution has not yet emerged.
Recent Findings:
- Study on Graffiti Marks: A study commissioned by Tamil Nadu’s State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) found that about 90% of the graffiti marks from archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu have parallels with the Indus script.
- Graffiti vs. Script: Graffiti refers to informal marks, while script refers to formal inscriptions. Both are considered undeciphered signs, and their similarities suggest a potential evolutionary relationship.
- Research Basis: The findings stem from the TNSDA’s project documenting 15,184 graffiti-bearing potsherds from 140 sites in Tamil Nadu. Of these, 2,107 signs were categorized and compared with the Indus script.
Possible Cultural Contact Between IVC and South India:
- Contemporary Chronology: The IVC’s Copper Age coincides with South India’s Iron Age, suggesting potential cultural exchanges.
- Material Evidence: Objects such as carnelian and agate beads, along with high-tin bronze, found in Iron Age graves in South India, indicate trade or cultural contact, as these materials are likely to have come from the northern regions or elsewhere.
- Need for Further Evidence: While there are clues suggesting interaction, the evidence is not conclusive. More archaeological, linguistic, and scientific investigations are required to confirm these links.
Conclusion and Future Prospects:
- Cultural Exchange: The presence of similar signs and artifacts in Tamil Nadu and the IVC suggests possible cultural exchanges, but more material evidence is needed to establish the connection.
- Future Research: Further excavations, scientific studies, and linguistic analysis are crucial to solidifying the understanding of cultural interactions between the IVC and South India
