Ancient metallurgists' repertoire: Sarasvati smithy
Ancient metallurgists’ repertoire; recurring messages on tablets using glyphs
Smithy, mint, artisans' workshop
At least four or five tablets are seen to contain repetitive pictorial glyphs on molded tablets. The following are good examples from Harappa discovered during the excavations between 1996 to 2000 by Kenoyer and Meadow. The glyphs are:
A buffalo
Looking backwards
A tiger
A lizard
A tree
A person (woman?) seated on the branch of a tree
A person kicking the buffalo on its head and
spearing the animal with his upraised arm
A spear
A seated person in a yogic posture with a horned head-dress
A woman holding back two jackals rearing on their hindlegs
An elephant
A knave of a six-spoked wheel
Homonyms which depict the glyph and its rebus substantive related to metals (copper, iron, pancaloha – alloy of five metals, molten cast) and furnaces (furnace, goldsmith’s portable furnace), smithy or blacksmith’s workshop or mint or artisan’s workshop are as follows; the general appearance of animals on glyphs is related to pasaramu ‘an animal’; rebus: pasra ‘smithy’:
buffalo: homa = bison (Ko.); soma = electrum (Skt.); hom = gold (Ka.)
look backwards: krammar-a = to turn, return; krammar-incu = to turn or send back (Te.) kamar = blacksmith (Santali) kamma_rsa_le = blacksmith’s workshop (Ka.)
lizard: kuduru d.okka = a kind of lizard (Pa.)(DEDR 1712) kuduru = a goldsmith’s portable furnace (Te.) [kakr.a = common lizard (Santali); kan:gar= large brazier (K.)]
tree: kut.i = tree (Te.); kut.hi = furnace (Santali)
tiger, pair, woman: kol = metal; pancaloha (Ta.) kol = tiger (Santali) ko_la = woman (Nahali) kol = a pair (planets) (Ta.) sagal.a = pair (Ka.) ; saghad.i_ = furnace (G.) kolsa = to kick the foot forward (Santali) kola = killing (Te.) ib = two (Ka.); ib = iron (Santali)
spear: s'u_la = spear (Skt.) cu_l.ai kiln, furnace, funeral pile (Ta.)
topknot: cu_l.a = topknot on head (Skt.) culha = fireplace (Santali) http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/decode/braziers.htm
yogic posture: kamad.ha = person in penance (G.) kammat.a-ku_t.am = mint (coiner, i.e. seal-maker) workshop (Ta.)
mer.go = with horns twisted back (Santali) mlecchamukha = copper (Skt.) melukka (Pali) ko_d.u = horns (Ta.); kod. = artisan’s workshop (Kuwi)
spy: eraka = any metal infusion (Ka.Tu.) heraka = spy (Skt.); eraka (G.) er-aka = upper arm (Te.) era = female (Santali)
elephant: ibha = elephant (Skt.) ib = iron (Santali)
knave of spoked wheel: erako = nave; erako = molten cast (Tu.)
pasaramu = an animal (Te.); pasra = smithy (Santali.Mundari)
http://www.harappa.com/indus5/page_440.html Slide 440. Figure 440. Indus narrative tablet. Although neither of these specific molded terracotta tablet pieces comes from Trench 11, four less well preserved examples from the same mold(s) were found in debris outside of the perimeter wall in that area, clearly establishing a second half of Period 3B date for these tablets. Note the rear of the buffalo and the front of the gharial in the left tablet which overlaps with the iconography of the right tablet, although in this case they do not seem to come from the same mold. (See also Images 89 and 90.
http://www.harappa.com/indus/slideindex.html Slide 89. Figure 89. Molded tablet. Plano convex molded tablet showing an individual spearing a water buffalo with one foot pressing the head down and one arm holding the tip of a horn. A gharial is depicted above the sacrifice scene and a figure seated in yogic position, wearing a horned headdress, looks on. The horned headdress has a branch with three prongs or leaves emerging from the center. O n the reverse (90), a female deity is battling two tigers and standing above an elephant. A single Indus script depicting a spoked wheel is above the head of the deity. Material: terra cottaDimensions: 3.91 length, 1.5 to 1.62 cm width Harappa, Lot 4651-01Harappa Museum, H95-2486Meadow and Kenoyer 1997
http://www.harappa.com/indus/slideindex.html Slide 90. Figure 90. Molded tablet. Plano convex molded tablet showing a female deity battling two tigers and standing above an elephant. A single Indus script depicting a spoked wheel is above the head of the deity. On the reverse (89), an individual is spearing a water buffalo with one foot pressing the head down and one arm holding the tip of a horn. A gharial [crocodile] is depicted above the sacrifice scene and a figure seated in yogic position, wearing a horned headdress, looks on. The horned headdress has a branch with three prongs or leaves emerging from the center.Material: terra cottaDimensions: 3.91 length, 1.5 to 1.62 cm width Harappa, Lot 4651-01Harappa Museum, H95-2486Meadow and Kenoyer 1997
The cultural continuity of Sarasvati civilization is emphatic in Bharat which is consistent with the code of Sarasvati hieroglyphs which uses homonyms from the languages of Bharat in a linguistic area circa 5300 years Before Present (when the first inscription was created at Harappa). One example underscored by Kenoyer relates to the hindu tradition of wearing sindhur in the parting of the hair. Nausharo: female figurine. Period 1B, 2800 – 2600 BCE. 11.6 x 30.9 cm.[After Fig. 2.19, Kenoyer, 1998]. Hair is painted black and parted in the middle of the forehead, with traces of red pigment in the part.This form of ornamentation may be the origin of the later Hindu tradition where a married woman wears a streak of vermilion or powdered cinnabar (sindur ) in the part of her hair. Choker and pendant necklace are also painted with red pigment, possibly http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/hindu1.pdf%20Page%2010. BB Lal also attests to this evidence of terracotta female figurine from Nausharo as an emphatic marker of continuity of culture from Sarasvati civilization days to present-day hindu cultural practices.
See the picture of the rock-cut reservoir of Dholavira at Page 5 ofhttp://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/traditionwater.pdfSee the picture of the Dholavira signboard athttp://asi.nic.in/album_dholavira3.htmlSee the picture of the Dholavira stone monitor lizard athttp://asi.nic.in/album_dholavira8.htmlSee the picture of the Nausharo terracotta figure with sindhur on theparting of the hair discovered by Jarrige athttp://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/tradition/mleccha01.htmBB Lal narrated a story about this and another similar sindhur-wearing figure in Maryland in the WAVES' conference. Romila Thaparsent her journalist to ask BB Lal a question: 'Are these femalefigurines hindutva forgeries?'BB Lal is said to have replied: The excavator was a Frenchman,Jarrige. The workers who helped him and who found the figurines inthe excavations were Pakistanis. I don't think Jarrige and Pakistaniworkers are hindutva-vaadi. These figurines are as genuine as otherartefacts attesting to the continuity of hindu civilization.BB Lal did not report on how red the face was of the journalistinquirer sent by Romila Thapar. Pathetic Thapar, she should have atleast blushed listening to BB Lal's answer.Incidentally, you can see on the same page of mleccha01.htm, anexquite photograph of s'ivalinga discovered by Madhu Swarup Vats atHarappa. Yes, sivalinga ! The a_gama tradition is as old as sarasvaticivilization.
The indologists are now left with two arguments to beat the drumabout the aryan invasion (though re-stated as migration or trickle-in) into Bharat: absence of horse and absence of spoked-wheel chariotin Sarasvati civilization.Both arguments have been effectively debunked by BB Lal. He showedthat there was indeed evidence for horse, (yes, equus caballus) inSurkotada and the spoked-wheel is shown on finds of terracotta wheelsat Kalibangan.There is a six-spoked wheel sign, emphasising the knave of the wheel,which is a repetitive glyph even on Dholaviara monolithic sign board.Out of 10 signs on this sign board atop the northern gate ofDholavira, four signs are of the knave of six-spoked wheel. See thepicture of the sign which appears solo on a molded tablet at Message#71720. See the tablet at Slide 90http://www.harappa.com/indus/slideindex.htmlThis is a hieroglyph, according to my interpretation: erako = knave;erako = molten cast (Tu.) eraka = any metal infusion (G.)eraka =copper.A ratha has been found at Daimabad (where a seal also was found withjust one sign 'rim of short-necked jar':http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/ratha1.htmhttp://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/ahura.htmThe glyph 'rim of a short-necked jar' is the most frequentlyoccurring glyph on inscriptions, denoting a gold furnace. The Santaliword is: kanda kanka 'rim of jar' [cf. karn.aka 'rim' (Skt.)]; rebus:kan.d.a 'furnace' kanaka = gold (Skt.); kan- = copper (Tamil); kan-n-a_n = coppersmith (Tamil). Another word for a gold furnace is: kuduru(Telugu); rebus: kudur = lizard (Pa.)(DEDR 1712). A monitor lizard inthe round, made of stone, has been found at Dholavira, that sitewhich shows the competence of the vis'vakarma of the site in workingwith stone, creating ring-stones and polished stone pillars, apartfrom the creation of a stunning rock-cut reservoir 239 ft. long, 39ft. wide and 24 ft. deep -- precursor of the competence to create arock-cut magnificent Ellora mandiram, the like of which isunparalleled in the history of human civilization.
The code of Sarasvati hieroglyphs has been cracked. Metalsmith'sprofessional calling cards. What would Jamshedji Tata have done if hewas asked to hand over his calling card to his bride? He would havesaid that he was the owner of a steel blast furnace at Jamshedpur,right? This is precisely what was done by Sarasvati smiths, yes, thekavi, 'smith'- the kavi of R.gvedic and Avestan fame.
S. Kalyanaraman
2 March 2005
Smithy, mint, artisans' workshop
At least four or five tablets are seen to contain repetitive pictorial glyphs on molded tablets. The following are good examples from Harappa discovered during the excavations between 1996 to 2000 by Kenoyer and Meadow. The glyphs are:
A buffalo
Looking backwards
A tiger
A lizard
A tree
A person (woman?) seated on the branch of a tree
A person kicking the buffalo on its head and
spearing the animal with his upraised arm
A spear
A seated person in a yogic posture with a horned head-dress
A woman holding back two jackals rearing on their hindlegs
An elephant
A knave of a six-spoked wheel
Homonyms which depict the glyph and its rebus substantive related to metals (copper, iron, pancaloha – alloy of five metals, molten cast) and furnaces (furnace, goldsmith’s portable furnace), smithy or blacksmith’s workshop or mint or artisan’s workshop are as follows; the general appearance of animals on glyphs is related to pasaramu ‘an animal’; rebus: pasra ‘smithy’:
buffalo: homa = bison (Ko.); soma = electrum (Skt.); hom = gold (Ka.)
look backwards: krammar-a = to turn, return; krammar-incu = to turn or send back (Te.) kamar = blacksmith (Santali) kamma_rsa_le = blacksmith’s workshop (Ka.)
lizard: kuduru d.okka = a kind of lizard (Pa.)(DEDR 1712) kuduru = a goldsmith’s portable furnace (Te.) [kakr.a = common lizard (Santali); kan:gar= large brazier (K.)]
tree: kut.i = tree (Te.); kut.hi = furnace (Santali)
tiger, pair, woman: kol = metal; pancaloha (Ta.) kol = tiger (Santali) ko_la = woman (Nahali) kol = a pair (planets) (Ta.) sagal.a = pair (Ka.) ; saghad.i_ = furnace (G.) kolsa = to kick the foot forward (Santali) kola = killing (Te.) ib = two (Ka.); ib = iron (Santali)
spear: s'u_la = spear (Skt.) cu_l.ai kiln, furnace, funeral pile (Ta.)
topknot: cu_l.a = topknot on head (Skt.) culha = fireplace (Santali) http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/decode/braziers.htm
yogic posture: kamad.ha = person in penance (G.) kammat.a-ku_t.am = mint (coiner, i.e. seal-maker) workshop (Ta.)
mer.go = with horns twisted back (Santali) mlecchamukha = copper (Skt.) melukka (Pali) ko_d.u = horns (Ta.); kod. = artisan’s workshop (Kuwi)
spy: eraka = any metal infusion (Ka.Tu.) heraka = spy (Skt.); eraka (G.) er-aka = upper arm (Te.) era = female (Santali)
elephant: ibha = elephant (Skt.) ib = iron (Santali)
knave of spoked wheel: erako = nave; erako = molten cast (Tu.)
pasaramu = an animal (Te.); pasra = smithy (Santali.Mundari)
http://www.harappa.com/indus5/page_440.html Slide 440. Figure 440. Indus narrative tablet. Although neither of these specific molded terracotta tablet pieces comes from Trench 11, four less well preserved examples from the same mold(s) were found in debris outside of the perimeter wall in that area, clearly establishing a second half of Period 3B date for these tablets. Note the rear of the buffalo and the front of the gharial in the left tablet which overlaps with the iconography of the right tablet, although in this case they do not seem to come from the same mold. (See also Images 89 and 90.
http://www.harappa.com/indus/slideindex.html Slide 89. Figure 89. Molded tablet. Plano convex molded tablet showing an individual spearing a water buffalo with one foot pressing the head down and one arm holding the tip of a horn. A gharial is depicted above the sacrifice scene and a figure seated in yogic position, wearing a horned headdress, looks on. The horned headdress has a branch with three prongs or leaves emerging from the center. O n the reverse (90), a female deity is battling two tigers and standing above an elephant. A single Indus script depicting a spoked wheel is above the head of the deity. Material: terra cottaDimensions: 3.91 length, 1.5 to 1.62 cm width Harappa, Lot 4651-01Harappa Museum, H95-2486Meadow and Kenoyer 1997
http://www.harappa.com/indus/slideindex.html Slide 90. Figure 90. Molded tablet. Plano convex molded tablet showing a female deity battling two tigers and standing above an elephant. A single Indus script depicting a spoked wheel is above the head of the deity. On the reverse (89), an individual is spearing a water buffalo with one foot pressing the head down and one arm holding the tip of a horn. A gharial [crocodile] is depicted above the sacrifice scene and a figure seated in yogic position, wearing a horned headdress, looks on. The horned headdress has a branch with three prongs or leaves emerging from the center.Material: terra cottaDimensions: 3.91 length, 1.5 to 1.62 cm width Harappa, Lot 4651-01Harappa Museum, H95-2486Meadow and Kenoyer 1997
The cultural continuity of Sarasvati civilization is emphatic in Bharat which is consistent with the code of Sarasvati hieroglyphs which uses homonyms from the languages of Bharat in a linguistic area circa 5300 years Before Present (when the first inscription was created at Harappa). One example underscored by Kenoyer relates to the hindu tradition of wearing sindhur in the parting of the hair. Nausharo: female figurine. Period 1B, 2800 – 2600 BCE. 11.6 x 30.9 cm.[After Fig. 2.19, Kenoyer, 1998]. Hair is painted black and parted in the middle of the forehead, with traces of red pigment in the part.This form of ornamentation may be the origin of the later Hindu tradition where a married woman wears a streak of vermilion or powdered cinnabar (sindur ) in the part of her hair. Choker and pendant necklace are also painted with red pigment, possibly http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/hindu1.pdf%20Page%2010. BB Lal also attests to this evidence of terracotta female figurine from Nausharo as an emphatic marker of continuity of culture from Sarasvati civilization days to present-day hindu cultural practices.
See the picture of the rock-cut reservoir of Dholavira at Page 5 ofhttp://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/traditionwater.pdfSee the picture of the Dholavira signboard athttp://asi.nic.in/album_dholavira3.htmlSee the picture of the Dholavira stone monitor lizard athttp://asi.nic.in/album_dholavira8.htmlSee the picture of the Nausharo terracotta figure with sindhur on theparting of the hair discovered by Jarrige athttp://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/tradition/mleccha01.htmBB Lal narrated a story about this and another similar sindhur-wearing figure in Maryland in the WAVES' conference. Romila Thaparsent her journalist to ask BB Lal a question: 'Are these femalefigurines hindutva forgeries?'BB Lal is said to have replied: The excavator was a Frenchman,Jarrige. The workers who helped him and who found the figurines inthe excavations were Pakistanis. I don't think Jarrige and Pakistaniworkers are hindutva-vaadi. These figurines are as genuine as otherartefacts attesting to the continuity of hindu civilization.BB Lal did not report on how red the face was of the journalistinquirer sent by Romila Thapar. Pathetic Thapar, she should have atleast blushed listening to BB Lal's answer.Incidentally, you can see on the same page of mleccha01.htm, anexquite photograph of s'ivalinga discovered by Madhu Swarup Vats atHarappa. Yes, sivalinga ! The a_gama tradition is as old as sarasvaticivilization.
The indologists are now left with two arguments to beat the drumabout the aryan invasion (though re-stated as migration or trickle-in) into Bharat: absence of horse and absence of spoked-wheel chariotin Sarasvati civilization.Both arguments have been effectively debunked by BB Lal. He showedthat there was indeed evidence for horse, (yes, equus caballus) inSurkotada and the spoked-wheel is shown on finds of terracotta wheelsat Kalibangan.There is a six-spoked wheel sign, emphasising the knave of the wheel,which is a repetitive glyph even on Dholaviara monolithic sign board.Out of 10 signs on this sign board atop the northern gate ofDholavira, four signs are of the knave of six-spoked wheel. See thepicture of the sign which appears solo on a molded tablet at Message#71720. See the tablet at Slide 90http://www.harappa.com/indus/slideindex.htmlThis is a hieroglyph, according to my interpretation: erako = knave;erako = molten cast (Tu.) eraka = any metal infusion (G.)eraka =copper.A ratha has been found at Daimabad (where a seal also was found withjust one sign 'rim of short-necked jar':http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/ratha1.htmhttp://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/ahura.htmThe glyph 'rim of a short-necked jar' is the most frequentlyoccurring glyph on inscriptions, denoting a gold furnace. The Santaliword is: kanda kanka 'rim of jar' [cf. karn.aka 'rim' (Skt.)]; rebus:kan.d.a 'furnace' kanaka = gold (Skt.); kan- = copper (Tamil); kan-n-a_n = coppersmith (Tamil). Another word for a gold furnace is: kuduru(Telugu); rebus: kudur = lizard (Pa.)(DEDR 1712). A monitor lizard inthe round, made of stone, has been found at Dholavira, that sitewhich shows the competence of the vis'vakarma of the site in workingwith stone, creating ring-stones and polished stone pillars, apartfrom the creation of a stunning rock-cut reservoir 239 ft. long, 39ft. wide and 24 ft. deep -- precursor of the competence to create arock-cut magnificent Ellora mandiram, the like of which isunparalleled in the history of human civilization.
The code of Sarasvati hieroglyphs has been cracked. Metalsmith'sprofessional calling cards. What would Jamshedji Tata have done if hewas asked to hand over his calling card to his bride? He would havesaid that he was the owner of a steel blast furnace at Jamshedpur,right? This is precisely what was done by Sarasvati smiths, yes, thekavi, 'smith'- the kavi of R.gvedic and Avestan fame.
S. Kalyanaraman
2 March 2005
posted by kalyan97 at 8:57 AM
2 comments
