SITE MAP Home Indian Lexicon Corpus of Inscriptions Artefacts Decipherment

Sarasvati Sindhu Inscriptions:
Inscribed weapons
Pictorial Motifs or Field Symbols on Seals and Tablets
h380 H381a.jpg (2155 bytes) h381k121 h1018Acopper.jpg (4306 bytes) h1018 (The pictorial is m297a)
K122a.jpg (9323 bytes) k122 K122a2~1.jpg (7490 bytes) k122 (2) C038ac~1.jpg (7955 bytes) c38A C039a2~1.jpg (11792 bytes) c39 C040ac~1.jpg (26445 bytes) c40A C040bc~1.jpg (25777 bytes) c40B

FS 1: One-horned bull, generally facing a standard

FS 10: Zebu or Brahmani bull

FS 100: Person throwing a spear at a buffalo and placing one foot on its head

FS 101: Person throwing a spear at a buffalo and placing one foot on its head; three persons standing near a tree at the centre

FS 102: Group of persons vaulting over an uncertain bovine animal

FS 103: Horned (female?) person with a tail and bovine legs standing near a tree attacking a horned tiger rearing on its hindlegs

k065	FS 104: Composition: body of a human (female?) in upper half; body of a tiger in the lower half; has horns and a trident-like head-dress, facing a group of three persons consisting of a woman (?) in the middle flanked by two men on either side throwing a spear at each other over her head

FS 105: Person grappling with two tigers standing on either side of him and rearing on their hindlegs

h180A,B

FS 106: Nude female figure upside down with thighs drawn apart and a crab (?) issuing from her womb; two tigers standing face to face rearing on their hindlegs at L.

FS 92: Man armed with a sickle-shaped weapon facing a seated woman with dishevelled hair and upraised arms

FS 108: Person kneeling under a tree facing a tiger

FS 109: Person seated on a machan on a tree; a tiger below looking up at him

ns1

FS 11: Short-horned bull, generally with head lowered over a trough

FS 110: From R.--a composite animal as in FS 25; a person seated on a tree with a tiger below; a svastika_ within a square border; an elephant

m478b

m478a

FS 111: From R.--a woman (?) with outstretched arms flanked by two men holding uprooted trees in their hands; a person seated on a tree with a tiger below; a tall jar with a lid

FS 113: From R.--a horned person standing between two branches of a pipal (?) tree; a ram; a horned person kneeling in adoration; a low pedestal with some offerings

m442a,b

m448c

FS 114: From R.--a horned person standing between the branches of a pipal (?) tree; a low pedestal with some offerings; a horned person kneeling in adoration; a ram; a row of seven robed figures in the lower register

See m442 a,b a variant pictorial motif with six robed figures in the upper register, a kneeling adorant, a ram and a horned-figure within a stylized leafy creeper

Part of the m442 pictorial is depicted in m448c: a horned, kneeling adorant, ram, a horned-figure within a stylized leafy creeper with something kept on a stool

FS 115: From R.--a person standing under an ornamental arch; a kneeling adorant; a ram

m489b

FS 116: From R.--a person holding a vessel; a woman with a platter (?); a kneeling person with a staff in his hands facing the woman; a goat with its forelegs on a platform under a kino tree

m489 depicts two goats flanking a tree, a copulation posture a tergo and an antelope

FS 117: In the upper register from R.--a person grappling with two animals (tigers?); a horned person standing behind a pedestal; a tree; In the lower register from R.--a bird in flight over a one-horned bull; an antelope; two short-horned bulls facing each others

m1356 m482A M488a.jpg (3725 bytes) m488A

FS 118: the svastika_, generally within a square or rectangular border

h182A,B

FS 107: Drummer and a tiger

FS 119: the svastika_: five svastika_ alterning right- and left-handed arms of the icon, follow three other signs from R.

FS 12: Short-horned bull, generally with head lowered over a trough

nd3m352a,d

FS 120: One or more dotted circles

FS 121: Lozenge within a circle with a dot in the centre

FS 122: The standard (generally in front of the one-horned bull)

FS 123: Three standards interspersed with small column of circles

FS 124: The 'endless knot' motif

m1429B

FS 125: Boat

h189B

FS 126: Anchor (?)

FS 127: A large device in the upper register showing a number of small circles in three rows with another row of short vertical lines below (seed-drill?)

FS 128: Inscribed object in the shape of a heart (?) or leaf (?) or pannier normally adorning the one-horned bull

h232A,B

c023

FS 129: Inscribed object in the shape of a double-axe or double-shield (?)

See use of sign in inscription c023

FS 13:Short-horned bull, generally with head lowered over a trough

h237A,B

FS 130: Inscribed object in the shape of a writing tablet

See h237 shaped like a butcher's knife

h233A,B

h236A,B

FS 131: Inscribed object in the shape of a crescent (?) or sickle

See h236 shaped like a chopper/knife

m428b

FS 132: Radiating solar symbol

FS 133: doubel-axe without a shaft

FS 134: Motif in a pottery graffity showing a rectangular enclosure with four marks within looking like X and V

FS 135: Differentl geometrical patterns generally occupying the whole field on one side of the inscribed object

FS 136: Differentl geometrical patterns generally occupying the whole field on one side of the inscribed object

FS 137: Differentl geometrical patterns generally occupying the whole field on one side of the inscribed object

FS 138: Differentl geometrical patterns generally occupying the whole field on one side of the inscribed object

FS 139: Differentl geometrical patterns generally occupying the whole field on one side of the inscribed object

m1367a

FS 14: Two short-horned bulls, standing face to face

FS 140:Different ornamental borders of geometrical patterns at either or both ends of a text or along the edges

FS 141:Different ornamental borders of geometrical patterns at either or both ends of a text or along the edges

FS 142:Different ornamental borders of geometrical patterns at either or both ends of a text or along the edges

FS 143:Different ornamental borders of geometrical patterns at either or both ends of a text or along the edges

FS 144:Different ornamental borders of geometrical patterns at either or both ends of a text or along the edges

FS 145:Different ornamental borders of geometrical patterns at either or both ends of a text or along the edges

FS 15: Buffalo, generally with a trough in front

m269a

FS 16: Buffalo, generally with a trough in front

FS 17: Buffalo, generally with a trough in front

m283a

FS 18: Elephant, sometimes with a trough in front

FS 19: Elephant, sometimes with a trough in front

FS 2: One-horned bull, generally facing a standard

FS 20: Elephant, sometimes with a trough in front

FS 21: Horned elephant

m289

FS 22: Tiger, generally with a trough in front

FS 23: Tiger, generally with a trough in front

FS 24: Horned tiger

FS 25: Horned tiger

FS 26: Rhinoceros, generally with a trough in front

FS 27: Rhinoceros, generally with a trough in front

FS 28: Rhinoceros, generally with a trough in front

FS 29: Two rhinoceroses, one at either end of the text

FS 3: One-horned bull, generally facing a standard

m271	FS 30: Goat-antelope with a short tail (and different types of horns), sometimes with a trough in front

FS 31: Goat-antelope with a short tail (and different types of horns), sometimes with a trough in front

m273a

FS 32: Goat-antelope with a short tail (and different types of horns), sometimes with a trough in front

FS 33: Goat-antelope with a short tail (and different types of horns), sometimes with a trough in front

FS 34: Goat-antelope with a short tail (and different types of horns), sometimes with a trough in front

FS 35: Goat-antelope with a short tail (and different types of horns), sometimes with a trough in front

FS 36: Goat-antelope with a short tail (and different types of horns), sometimes with a trough in front

FS 37: Goat-antelope with a short tail (and different types of horns), sometimes with a trough in front

FS 38: Goat-antelope with a short tail (and different types of horns), sometimes with a trough in front

FS 39: Ox-antelope with a long tail, generally with a trough in front

FS 4: One-horned bull, generally facing a standard

FS 40: Ox-antelope with a long tail, generally with a trough in front

FS 41: Ox-antelope with a long tail, generally with a trough in front

FS 42: Hare, facing a bush

h333A

FS 43: Inscribed object in the shape of a hare

m489a, c

FS 44: Row of animals in a file (a one-horned bull, an elephant and rhinoceros from R.); a gharial with a fish held in its jaw above the animals; a bird (?) at R.

FS 45: Bull mating a cow

m294a

FS 46: Uncertain bovine animal above, and an elephant below

FS 47: Row of uncertain animals in file

FS 48: A tiger and a rhinoceros in file

FS 49: A composition: deer with dotted circles on its body, a tusk on its nose

FS 5: One-horned bull, generally facing a standard

FS 50: A composition: features of an ox and a rhinoceros, facing the standard

m300m299a

FS 51: A composition: body of a ram, horns of a bull, trunk of an elephant, hindlegs of a tiger and an upraised serpent-like tail. The composition also occurs in FS 74

m311a

FS 52: A composition: body of a tiger, a human head and horns of an antelope

FS 53: A composition: body of a tiger, a human head and horns of an antelope

m297a

FS 54: Head of a one-horned bull attached to a five-pointed symbol (octopus?)

m296a

FS 55: Two heads of the one-horned bull, joined end to end, under a stylised set of leaves (pipal?) and a stump or pillar with dotted circles as a coping

FS 56: A composition: animal with two heads, one at either end of the body with the features of a rhinoceros

FS 57: A composition: body of an ox and three heads, viz., two of antelopes (one looking forward and the other backward) and one of a short-horned bull (looking downward)

FS 58: A composition: body of an ox and three heads, viz., one each of one-horned bull (looking forward, antelope (looking backward) and short-horned bull (looking downward); the composition also occurs in FS 60

M298.jpg (3939 bytes) m298

FS 59: A composition: body of an ox and three heads, viz., one each of one-horned bull (looking forward, antelope (looking backward) and short-horned bull (looking downward)

Composition: Short-horned bull and the head of a one-horned bull turned backward; fish on the upper register

FS 6: One-horned bull, generally facing a standard

FS 60: A composition as in FS 58 at R.; a goat standing on its hindlegs and browsing from a tree at the centre

m295a

FS 61: composition: three tigers joined together

FS 62: composition: six heads of animals (viz., those of one-horned bull, short-horned bull, antelope, tiger and of two other uncertain animals) radiating outwards from a ring

FS 63: Gharial, sometimes with a fish held in its jaw and/or surrounded by a school of fish

FS 64: Gharial, sometimes with a fish held in its jaw and/or surrounded by a school of fish

m482B (See 482A with svastika_)

m1429C

FS 65: Gharial, sometimes with a fish held in its jaw and/or surrounded by a school of fish

FS 66: Gharial, sometimes with a fish held in its jaw and/or surrounded by a school of fish

m410m292a

FS 67: Gharial, sometimes with a fish held in its jaw and/or surrounded by a school of fish

FS 68: Inscribed object in the shape of a fish

FS 69: Tortoise

FS 7: One-horned bull, generally facing a standard

FS 70: Inscribed object in the shape of a tortoise

FS 71: Frog

FS 72: Serpent, partly reclining on a low platform under a tree

m457b, m459b

FS73: Serpent (?) entwined around (?) a pillar with capital (?); (the motif is always carved in high relief on the reverse side of the inscribed object. It also looks like a pillar put through a pile of ring-stones

m451b

FS 74: Bird in flight

h187B

FS 75: tree, generally within a basin, railing or on a platform

FS 76: tree, generally within a basin, railing or on a platform

FS 77: tree, generally within a basin, railing or on a platform

FS 78: Rosette of (pipal?) leaves

h337B

FS 79: Inscribed object in the shape of a (pipal?) leaf

FS 8: Bull with two long horns (otherwise resembling the one-horned bull), generally facing the standard

FS 80: Horned person with armlets and bangles, sometimes seated on a pedestal

FS 81: Horned person (with three visible faces and bristles on face) seated on a pedestal and surrounded by five animals (viz., rhinoceros, buffalo, antelope, tiger and elephant from R.)

FS 82: Person seated on a pedestal flanked on either side by a kneeling adorant and hooded-serpent rearing up

h179B

h238A

FS 83: Person wearing a diadem or tall head-dress standing between two posts or under an ornamental arch

FS 84: Person wearing a diadem or tall head-dress standing between two posts or under an ornamental arch

h178B

h714A

FS 85: Person wearing a diadem or tall head-dress standing between two posts or under an ornamental arch

FS 86: Standing person with horns and bovine features (hoofed legs and/or tail)

FS 87: Standing person with horns and bovine features (hoofed legs and/or tail)

m1224c

h363B

FS 88: Standing person with horns and bovine features (hoofed legs and/or tail)

FS 89: standing person with horns and bovine features, holding a bow in one hand and an arrow or an uncertain object in the other

FS 9: Bull with two long horns (otherwise resembling the one-horned bull), generally facing the standard

FS 90: Standing person with horns and bovine features holding a staff or mace on his shoulder

h196A,B

FS 91: Person carrying the standard

FS 93: Three dancing figures in a row

FS 94: Four persons in a procession, each carrying a standard, one of which has the figure of a one-horned bull on top

FS 95: Seven robed figures standing in a row; the composition recurs in FS 114 (See a variant with six robed figures in m442)

h176A,B

FS 112: From R.--a tiger (?); a goat; a person seated on a pedestal; a person seated on a tree with a tiger below

FS 96: Person standing at the centre between a two-tiered structure (bier?) at R. and a short-horned bull standing near a trident-headed post at L.

m1405A

FS 97: Person standing at the centre pointing with his right hand at a short-horned bull facing a trough, and with his left hand at the Sign 15

FS 98: Short-horned bull trampling a person underneath

FS 99: Person throwing a spear at a short-horned bull and placing one foot on the head of the animal; a hooded serpent at L. (See similar composition involving a buffalo at FS 100 and FS 101).

m353a

L123A

rhd1B.jpg (4409 bytes) Rhd1B

Rhd1: Two scorpions flanking a frog and a sign T with two holes on the top, possibly to be tied on a string

m440 Scorpion (gharial?) surrounded by animals: two short-horned face to face on the upper register; monkey, antelope, elephant and rhinoceros from R.

Two antelopes

[Note: The lexeme s'ambara = deer; cavalai = two, pair; sabal = crowbar. The orthography of the script presenting both signs and pictorial motifs in pairs may relate to this lexeme and the underlying metallic weapon. See Indian Hieroglyphic Dictionary, Part 1]

1998 Kalyanaraman; from Corpuses: Parpola and Mahadevan; kalyan99@netscape.net

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