The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables c4.s7.t4: The scaling and printing of the photographs
The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables c4.s7.t4
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The scaling and printing of the photographs
c4.s7.t4.1
In the excavation reports, the seals are normally depicted in their natural size, but this scale has proved to be too small for a clear recognition of all details of the inscriptions and iconographic motifs. The policy adopted in this Corpus is to print all the sides of all objects bearing either inscriptions or any kind of iconography in double size (2:1, or 200%) whenever possible, and their uninscribed sides (if illustrated at all) either in the natural size (1:1, or 100%) or in the double size (200%). All exceptions to this rule will be specifically indicated in each case. Most of the graffiti from Lothal are shown half-sized (50%) - this percentage is given in the page caption, and exceptions to it *in casu*.
c4.s7.t4.2
As the great majority of the photographs is in the same scale, one will have an idea of the relative size of the different objects. This is important, because in the case of the seals, for instance, the relative size seems to convey information of its own.⁶⁵
c4.s7.t4.3
⁶⁵ Cf. above, at fn. 30.
c4.s7.t4.4
The major part of the prints was made on plastic in order to avoid the distortions due to the stretching of wet paper. Moreover, while photographing the original objects Ms Lahdenperä measured them, and most of the prints have been enlarged by using these measurements.⁶⁶ Note, however, that reproductions of (published and unpublished) old photographs especially, which were not necessarily in the correct size originally and which were mechanically enlarged in the double size, are liable to be slightly inaccurate. As the actual measures of the objects will be listed separately in the third volume and are partly available even now in the published reports, the reader will be able to check the size of the photographs.
c4.s7.t4.5
⁶⁶ If the enlargement is based on a scale visible in the picture, there is an element of error, for the scale is often at a different level from the surface of the object.
c4.s7.t4.6
Deep etching gives an aesthetically pleasing look to the page, but it has its drawbacks.⁶⁷ For this reason it is used sparingly in the Corpus.
c4.s7.t4.7
⁶⁷ Cf., e.g., E. Mackay, *Further Excavations at Mohenjo-daro*, Delhi 1938, Vol. II, no. 361 with M-153 below.