Category: National, history
At Greater Noida, on August 20, 2025- August 22, 2025, ASI will conduct an international conference to help decipher the still yet to be deciphered Indus valley script. There is no such thing as bilingual writings and small texts therefore the script with more than 400 pictorial signs has remained a mystery. Indian and foreign scholars will deliver works, theories and possible breakthroughs in script understanding. Arguments are to be discussed about whether the script is linguistic (Dravidian/Sanskrit) or non-linguistic (ritual/political symbols). The script might be cracked and lead to new information about the Harappan language, administration, religious perception and the concept of cultural continuity in early India.
Why in the news?
- Indus Valley script, one of the urban static civilizations in the world is still undeciphered. The international conclave of ASI is expected to help global scholars meet, gain information, and work together on the solution to this ancient script.
- It would have much to offer in terms of guiding us into comprehending the early linguistic and civilizational developments of India.
Key Highlights
Event Details
- Dates: 20 and 22 August 2025.
- Venue: Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya institute of Archaeology, Greater Noida
- Form: Off-line and online presentations, and subsequent expert discussions
- Objective: To read current studies, and put forward novel routes to crack the Indus script
Regarding Indus valley script
- Type: Pictographic {over 400 symbols}
- Direction: right to left, sometimes boustrophedon
- Length: Short texts (usually not longer than 5 symbols on average)
- Style: Perhaps logo-syllabic (compound signs of sounds/words)
- Things: Worn on seals, tablets, pottery, probably associated with trade, identity or ceremonies
Present Theories and Controversies
- Dravidian Hypothesis: connected with Proto-Dravidian (Asko Parpola)
- Vedic/Sanskrit Theory: Proposed connections with Vedic Sanskrit (S.R. Rao)
- Non Linguistic View: Could be religious or political signs and not a complete language
The Problems of Decipherment
- There are no Bilingual Inscriptions (such as the Rosetta Stone)
- Short Inscriptions are deprived of the indications of grammar structure
- Base of Unknown Language
- Symbol Variation (62 600 signs)
- Restricted Archeology Corpus
- AI/data Tech Limitations caused by sparse samples
Advantages of Decipherment
- Exposure of Harappan Language roots (Dravidian/Indo-Aryan/etc)
- Knowledge of Governance and Religion among Harappan Civilization
- Connection to the later Indian Civilizations as cultural continuity
- Promoting the knowledge about early writing systems and relations between civilization in the world (e.g. Mesopotamia, Egypt)
Conclusion
The International Conference of the ASI offers a serious platform to the breakthroughs in one of the biggest mysteries in linguistics archaeologically. It will provide a global hub of researchers and would help in triggering mutual inventions, a better understanding of the Harappan Civilization, and add a lot to studying Indian archaeology and world heritage.