🔆 Key Facts on the Indus Script: Unraveling an Ancient Mystery 📍 Overview of the Writing System: ✅ The Indus Valley Civilization (2600–1900 BCE) developed an advanced writing system primarily seen on seals and pottery. ✅ Over 3,500 artifacts featuring 676 distinct symbols have been discovered, highlighting the complexity of this ancient culture. 📍 Challenges in Decipherment: ✅ No Rosetta Stone: The absence of a bilingual text like the Rosetta Stone has hindered efforts to decode the script. ✅ Short Inscriptions: Most inscriptions average only five characters, providing limited context for interpretation. ✅ Purpose of the Script: Scholars are divided on its function—whether it represents a language or a symbolic system for trade and administration. ✅ Unknown Language: The language behind the script remains uncertain, with theories linking it to Dravidian languages, an unknown linguistic family, or even multiple languages. 📍 Key Scholarly Efforts: ✅ Finnish scholar Asko Parpola has conducted extensive research, exploring links between the Indus script and Dravidian languages. ✅ Modern approaches, including AI-based pattern recognition and computational linguistics, are being applied to analyze the script's structure and meaning. 📍 Importance of Deciphering the Script: ✅ Deciphering the script could unlock valuable insights into the culture, economy, and governance of the Indus Valley Civilization. ✅ It could reveal details about their social structure, belief systems, and linguistic connections to modern South Asia. 📍 Recent Developments: ✅ In 2024, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a ₹8 crore (~$1 million) prize for anyone who can successfully decipher the script. ✅ This initiative underscores the global significance of decoding the Indus script and its potential to deepen understanding of India’s historical and linguistic heritage. 🔍 The Path Forward: ✅ The Indus script remains one of the greatest challenges in archaeology and linguistics. ✅ Advances in technology, AI, and interdisciplinary research bring hope that this ancient mystery will one day be solved. #indusscript #ancient_history #gs1 #archaeology #history #culturalheritage