Rajesh PN Rao, a computer scientist, is frequently contacted by individuals who assert they have decoded an ancient script that has puzzled scholars for centuries.
These self-proclaimed codebreakers, ranging from engineers and IT professionals to retirees and tax officers, are predominantly of Indian descent, residing in India or abroad. They are steadfast in their belief that they have unraveled the Indus Valley Civilisation's intricate combination of signs and symbols.
"They assert they have cracked it and consider the 'case closed'," notes Mr. Rao, who holds the Hwang Endowed Professorship at the University of Washington and has authored peer-reviewed studies on the Indus script.
Adding intensity to the challenge, MK Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in southern India, has recently elevated the competition by offering a $1m reward to anyone who can decipher the code.
The Indus, or Harappan, civilization – one of the earliest urban societies globally – emerged 5,300 years ago in present-day northwest India and Pakistan. Flourishing for centuries, its inhabitants, who were primarily farmers and traders living in fortified brick cities, continue to intrigue historians. Since its uncovering a century ago, approximately 2,000 sites have been excavated throughout the region.
The civilization's abrupt decline remains shrouded in mystery, devoid of conclusive evidence of warfare, famine, or natural disasters. However, its most significant enigma lies in its undeciphered script, concealing its language, governance, and beliefs.
Despite various theories linking the script to Hindu texts and ascribing spiritual and mystical significance to these inscriptions, many overlook that the script, mainly found on stone seals used for commercial purposes, likely pertains more to commerce than religion or mythology, as Mr. Rao explains.
Deciphering the Indus script presents numerous challenges. With only around 4,000 existing scripts primarily on small objects such as seals, pottery, and tablets, and each script averaging approximately five signs or symbols, the task is intricate.
Notably, recent progress in decoding the Indus script has leveraged computer science to address this ancient puzzle. Scholars have employed machine learning techniques to scrutinize the script for patterns and structures that may lead to its interpretation.
Nisha Yadav, a researcher at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, has collaborated with experts like Mr. Rao to employ statistical and computational methods in the analysis of the untranslated script. By examining a digitized dataset of Indus signs, they have identified intriguing patterns. However, despite these advancements, the script's true nature as complete words, parts of words, or sentences remains uncertain, as Ms. Yadav acknowledges.
Moreover, recent findings have unearthed potential linguistic ties between the Indus Valley and southern India, further illuminating the ancient civilization's fascinating connections and cultural influences.
While Mr. Stalin's substantial reward has sparked curiosity and debate, scholars remain unwavering in their commitment to unlocking the script's secrets, underscoring the persistent allure and mystery that enshrouds the Indus civilization.