Question map
Which one of the following statements about the Harappan script is NOT correct?
Explanation
The Harappan script remains undeciphered, but several characteristics are well-documented. It consists of approximately 375 to 400 signs, making it logo-syllabic rather than alphabetical. Archaeological evidence, such as wider spacing on the right and cramping on the left of seals, indicates the script was written from right to left. Inscriptions have been found on various media, including seals, copper tools, jewelry, and bone rods. While Mesopotamian cuneiform texts refer to a region called 'Meluhha'—widely identified by scholars as the Indus Valley—the Harappan script itself has not been deciphered to confirm that it refers to its own people as 'Meluhha'. The term 'Meluhha' is a Mesopotamian designation for the region, not a term found or read within the Harappan script itself.
Sources
- [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones > 7.2 An enigmatic script > p. 15