[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Reference works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference) › [An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989) › v1.c9.s9.33 # An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s9.33 An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s9.33 - **Language:** English ### [v1.c9.s9.33](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s9.33) Ever since the discovery of these seals attempts have been made to decipher the inscriptions \[20.4.1\] thereon. It may, however, at once be stated that no one has really succeeded so far, in spite of tall claims made by some of the decipherers. According to some the language is an old form of Dravidian whereas some others regard it as related to Vedic Sanskrit. Though these two languages have formed the major bases of subsequent Indian language, respectively in the s. and n., one wonders why the Indus language could not have been yet a third one. There is no agreement amongst scholars even about the basic nature of the script, whether it is pictographic, syllabic or alphabetic. Whereas some regard the signs as being mere pictograms, others think that they represent a kind of syllabary, the number of signs involved being about 400. According to yet another view, the signs can be reduced to a bare 20 and odd and represent alphabets. While all these are debated matters there seems to be a general agreement on at least one aspect of the script, \*viz.\* that it was written generally from right to left (Lal, 1975). However, when a second line was involved, the style was boustrophedon. - [Previous: v1.c9.s9.32](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s9.32) - [Next: v1.c9.s9.34](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s9.34) - [Up: v1.c9.s9](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s9) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s9.33](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s9.33) · Pramāṇa