An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c25.s4.1

v1.c25.s4.1

*20.4.1 Indus script.* Writing occurs on a variety of objects found at sites of the Indus civilization [4.9]. The script consisting of individual signs and their variants was in use almost throughout the area of the extent and during the period of the existence of the civilization as is evident from the discovery of objects containing writing in the script from many sites located over the wide area of its spread (Mahadevan, 1977, p. 6). Some inscribed objects have been found at sites in w. Asia (Mahadevan, 1977, p. 6) and the s. parts of the Soviet Union (Gupta, 1979, p. 168), mostly in levels contemporary with the Indus civilization, but there is no evidence of its use outside the subcontinent; nor is there any inscribed Indus object from other cultures contemporary with the Indus civilization. The script also did not survive after the end of the civilization notwithstanding the fact that some scholars have tried to see its continuity, on the basis of occurrence of certain signs resembling the Indus script, in the later cultures (Lal, 1960, pp. 4-24; Rao, 1963, p. 133; Joshi, 1967, pp. 1-7) and even connecting it with the Brāhmī script [20.4.2] (Hunter, 1934; Pran Nath, 1931, 1931-2).