Image: Iravatham Mahadevan
Image: Iravatham Mahadevan

This is a pictograph of three beads threaded on a string. Hence, it is the noun beads.


Illustrative Text References:

Harappa: Seal: H-155 a: Jagat Pati Joshi and Asko Parpola, 1987: Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions: Volume 1: Page 202: Collections in India: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia.

 

Harappa: Seal: Plate LXXXVI: Image 34: Madho Sarup Vats, 1940: Excavations at Harappa: Being an Account of the Excavations at Harappa carried out between the Years 1920-21 and 1933-34: Volume II: Government of India Press, Calcutta.

 

Kalibangan: Seal: K-20 a: Jagat Pati Joshi and Asko Parpola, 1987: Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions: Volume 1: Page 302: Collections in India: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia.

Comment:

The Vats seal is interesting because it states that the consignment was destined for the kiln, and we know that gold, silver and copper beads were found during the excavation¹. Unfortunately, I can't find the seal in the Parpola Corpus, so it may have been lost.


Image Credit:

Indus Script Sign Number 417: Sign List of the Indus Script: Iravatham Mahadevan, 1977: The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables: The Director General Archaeological Survey of India.

Note:

1. Metal Beads: Madho Sarup Vats, 1940: Excavations at Harappa: Being an Account of the Excavations at Harappa carried out between the Years 1920-21 and 1933-34: Volume I: Page 432: Government of India Press, Calcutta.