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A comparison of a manuscript with the Indus script (Lucy Zuberbuhler, 2009, Bachelor thesis, Univ. of Bern, Inst. of Linguistics)
Source (thanks to Daniel Salas): http://www.
In the following figures, Lucy Zuberbuhler presents an original piece of research analysing
1) the nature of the glyphics;
2) possible segmentation of text in the narrative presented by the manuscript (Figures 5 and 6);
3) what she calls Kabul sign list with allographs (Figure 7);
4) near identical graphemes in the Kabul manuscript and the Indus script (Parpola 2000: 70-78)(Figure 8);
5) near identical correspondences in mirror image (Parpola 2000: 70-78)(Figure 9);
6) strong resemblances with fewer strokes (Parpola 2000: 70-78)(Figure 10);
7) uncertain resemblances due to obstructions (Parpola 2000: 70-78)(Figure 11);
8. fair resemblances (Parpola 2000: 70-78)(Figure 12);
9. modifications of other Kabul signs (Figure 13);
10. no obvious resemblances (Figure 14);
11. comparison of alternative segmentations (Figure 15);
12. comparison of alternative allographic diviions (Figure 16).
These figures are a remarkable demonstration of the legitimacy of the glyphics found in the Kabul manuscript which cannot obviously be treated as random occurrences.
Lucy goes on to look at the most common Indus glyphics using the corpora of Parpola and Wells. She also compares a number of Kabul manuscript glyphics with a number of Easter Island 'signs' (which also appear in the top 60 most frequently occurring Indus script signs).
Lucy's Figure 19 shows the number of most common Kabul signs which are among the top 60 most frequently occurring Indus script signs and arrives in Figure 20 with a list of most comon Kabul glyphics.
In my view, this pictorial documentation and analysis by Lucy is a clear demonstration that the Kabul manuscript DOES HAVE validity as a manuscript of an Indus script text.
Lucy should be complimented for this brilliant analytical research work and providing a major advance in Indus script research work.
It should also be said to the credit of her Bachelor thesis adviser, Prof. Dr. Roland Bielmeier who encouraged Lucy to continue with her research work, despite a lurking fear that the Kabul manuscript could turn out to be a 'fake'. If turns out to be a fake, so be it since it would not invalidate the segmentation analyses of texts of the Kabul mss.
What Lucy's thesis does, in effect, is to dispel the fear of the Kabul manuscript being a 'fake'. Thus, the field should be open for Kabul museum authorities or scholars interested in Indus script studies to examine and arrive at the possible date of the manuscript.
A lead is provided by the The University of Washington – Early Buddhist Manuscripts Project, which was constituted in 1996. For this Project work, the authentication of the manuscript texts were done with well-known Buddhist texts and the decipherment of the birch-bark manuscripts (obtained by British Library from Afghanistan) was a stellar demonstration of research work related to ancient civilization studies led by Prof. Salomon as director of the project and Professor Collett Cox as assistant director. As of October 1, 2009, six volumes in this series have been published by EBMP research scholars. A surprise was that two of the newest manuscripts which were subjected to radiocarbon (C14) testing yielded dates in the first century b.c., even earlier than had been expected.
The Kabul Mss. with Indus script should NOT be discarded as 'fake' without radiocarbon (C14) testing. Similarly, Indus script use should be assumed to be of a literate culture and further analyses of segmentation of texts in the Kabul mss. may be carried out on the lines provided by Prof. RPN Rao et al and studies of possible linguistic structure in Indus script. See also: http://homes.cs.
A Reply to R. Sproat by RPN Rao et al.
Daniel Salas has noted a remarkable occurrence of Indus glyphics sequence on the Kabul mss. and compares with an almost identical sequence of glyphics appearing on a Zebu seal with Indus script inscription:
Parpola had noted an occurrence of similar sequencing of Indus glyphics on inscribed metallic tools/weapons.
Indus script inscriptions on some metal tools/weapons.Some glyphics on Dholavira signboard are also comparable to sequence in the Kabul mss.
Dholavira signboard glyphic sequence.
Kabul msss. glyphic sequence.
Mirror: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/
A comparison of a manuscript with the Indus script (Lucy Zuberbuhler, 2009, Bachelor thesis, Univ. of Bern, Inst. of Linguistics) FULL TEXT.