Deciphering Ancient Scripts

The process to decipher a script involves several methodical steps as outlined by Italian philologist Fabio Tamburini in 2023:

• Identifying a Writing System: Determining if a set of symbols constitutes a legitimate writing system.
• Isolating Symbols: Developing procedures to segment the stream of symbols into individual signs.
• Reducing to Minimal Set: Identifying all allographs to reduce the signs to a minimal set, which forms the script's alphabet or inventory.
• Assigning Values: Allocating specific phonetic or other values to each symbol.
• Language Matching: Attempting to match these values to a specific language.

Challenges with the Indus Script

Scholars have faced significant challenges in deciphering the Indus script due to several factors:

• No Multilingual Inscriptions: Unlike the Rosetta Stone, no multilingual inscriptions have been found to facilitate direct comparisons with known scripts. The Indus Valley Civilization traded with Mesopotamia, but no bilingual records have been discovered.
• Unknown Language: According to Andrew Robinson, undeciphered scripts can be categorized as: 
  • Unknown script writing a known language.
  • Known script writing an unknown language.
  • Unknown script writing an unknown language, which is the most difficult category, and where the Indus script fits.
• Scholars have not reached a consensus on which language the Indus script represents.
• Lack of Material Evidence: Around 3,500 seals have been found, but each contains only a few characters, providing limited material for analysis. Additionally, the Indus Valley Civilization is less understood compared to Mesopotamia and Egypt, with many sites unexplored.

This paucity of information presents a challenge, necessitating more archaeological work to aid philologists, epigraphists, and linguists in understanding the Indus script.