ancient near east cylinder seal hieroglyphs cord, monkey, crucible, sun of deciphered indus script...

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Ancient Near East cylinder seal hieroglyphs cord, monkey,

crucible, sun of deciphered Indus Script metalwork catalogues

A few Ancient Near East cylinder seals of Metropolitan Museum are presented in this note

identifying Indus Script hieroglyphs used on the artefacts.

Many recurring hieroglyphs are read rebus in Prakritam of Indus Script cipher as metalwork

catalogues:

Narratives of encounters depicted on cylinder seals are some times described by art historians as

'combat scenes' or 'introduction scenes'. It is possible that they are also metals trade transaction

narratives, deciphering the pictorial motifs as Indus Script hieroglyph multiplexes or hypertexts

of cipher messages in Prakritam (Meluhha, mleccha).

'cord, string' Rebus: śulvam ( lbam) 'copper'

ariye 'lion' Rebus: ara 'brass' as in ArakUTa (Samskritam)

barad 'bull' Rebus: bharat 'alloy of copper, pewter, tin'

kuThAru 'monkey' Rebus: kuThAru 'armourer'

kuThari 'crucible' Rebus: kuThari 'storekeeper, treasury'

arka 'sun' Rebus: arka, eraka 'copper, moltencast, gold'

ranku 'antelope' Rebus: ranku 'tin'

garuDa 'eagle' kAraNDava 'aquatic bird' karaDi 'safflower' Rebus: karaDa 'hard alloy'

baTa 'quail' Rebus: bhaTa 'furnace'

meDha 'polar star' Rebus: meD 'iron'

bicha 'scorpion' Rebus: bica 'hematite ore'

DAng 'mountain range' Rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'

rango 'buffalo' Rebus: rango 'pewter'

muh 'face' Rebus: mUhA 'ingot'

mlekh 'goat' Rebus: milakkhu, mleccha 'copper, Meluhha'

lokaNTam ‘overflowing pot’ Rebus: lokhanda ‘metal implements’

Hieroglyph: small ball: *gōṭṭa ʻ something round ʼ. [Cf. guḍá -- 1. -- In sense ʻ fruit, kernel ʼ cert.

← Drav., cf. Tam. koṭṭai ʻ nut, kernel ʼ, Kan. goṟaṭe &c. listed DED 1722]K. goṭh f., dat. °ṭi f. ʻ

chequer or chess or dice board ʼ; S. g oṭ m. ʻ large ball of tobacco ready for hookah ʼ, °ṭī f. ʻ

small do. ʼ; P. goṭ f. ʻ spool on which gold or silver wire is wound, piece on a chequer board ʼ;

N. goṭo ʻ piece ʼ, goṭi ʻ chess piece ʼ; A. goṭ ʻ a fruit, whole piece ʼ, °ṭā ʻ globular, solid ʼ, g ṭi ʻ

small ball, seed, kernel ʼ; B. goṭā ʻ seed, bean, whole ʼ; Or. goṭā ʻ whole, undivided ʼ, goṭi ʻ

small ball, cocoon ʼ, goṭāli ʻ small round piece of chalk ʼ; Bi. goṭā ʻ seed ʼ; Mth. goṭa ʻ

numerative particle ʼ; H. goṭ f. ʻ piece (at chess &c.) ʼ; G. goṭ m. ʻ cloud of smoke ʼ, °ṭɔ m. ʻ

kernel of coconut, nosegay ʼ, °ṭī f. ʻ lump of silver, clot of blood ʼ, °ṭilɔ m. ʻ hard ball of cloth ʼ;

M. goṭā m. ʻ roundish stone ʼ, °ṭī f. ʻ a marble ʼ, goṭ ḷā ʻ spherical ʼ; Si. g ṭiya ʻ lump, ball ʼ; --

prob. also P. goṭṭā ʻ gold or silver lace ʼ, H. goṭā m. ʻ edging of such ʼ (→ K. goṭa m. ʻ edging of

gold braid ʼ, S. goṭo m. ʻ gold or silver lace ʼ); M. goṭ ʻ hem of a garment, metal wristlet

ʼ.Addenda: *gōṭṭa -- : also Ko. gōṭ ʻ silver or gold braid ʼ.(CDIAL 4271)

Rebus: gota (laterite)

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See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/ancient-near-east-jasper-cylinder-seal.html

Red jasper H. 1 1/8 in. (2.8 cm), Diam. 5/8 in. (1.6 cm) cylinder Seal with four hieroglyphs and

four kneeling persons (with six curls on their hair) holding flagposts, c. 2220-2159 B.C.E.,

Akkadian (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Cylinder Seal (with modern impression). The four

hieroglyphs are: from l. to r. 1. crucible PLUS storage pot of ingots, 2. sun, 3. narrow-necked pot

with overflowing water, 4. fish A hooded snake is on the edge of the composition. (The dark red

color of jasper reinforces the semantics: eruvai 'dark red, copper' Hieroglyph: eruvai 'reed'; see

four reedposts

The four posts held on this jasper cylinder seal compares with similar posts shown on some other

cylinder seals. They may signify: ‘rings’ Rebus: ‘shop’.

Hieroglyph: cord: śúlba -- , ś lva -- n. ʻ string, cord ʼ ŚrS.Pk. suvva -- n. ʻ cord ʼ; L. sub,

(Ju.) ḇ m. ʻ band on a sheaf of corn ʼ; P. subb, chubb m. ʻ band on a sheaf of corn, twist of

tobacco, swab to clean utensils ʼ, ā, chu° m. ʻ band of twisted straw, bandage ʼ, aṛ m. ʻ

id. ʼ, ī, chu° f. ʻ small do. ʼ; M. , h n. m. ʻ fibrous integuments of coconut ʼ. (CDIAL

12544) [p= 1084,2](or ) n. (accord. to some also m. and अ or f(ई).) a string , cord ,

rope S3rS. Su1ryas.BhP.

Rebus: copper: [p= 1084,2]N. of a Cat. L. also " copper "

1 A cord, rope, string. -2 Copper. śulvam ( lbam)

( ) [ -अ ] 1 A rope, string;

Bm.1.194; न Bhāg.2.7.3. -2 Copper. -3 A sacrificial rite or act. -

4 The proximity of water, a place near it. -5 A rule, law, an institute. - , - See above. -

Comp. -अ sulphur. - brass. - N. of Sūtra work, containing mathematical calculations

required for rituals.(Samskritam. Apte)

Plofker, Kim (2007). Certain shapes and sizes of fire-altars were associated with particular gifts

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/ancient-near-east-jasper-cylinder-seal.html

http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/monier/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw1084-zubhetara.jpg

https://www.blogger.com/null





http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/monier/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw1084-zubhetara.jpg



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that the sacrificer desired from the gods: "he who desires heaven is to construct a fire-altar in the

form of a falcon"; "a fire-altar in the form of a tortoise is to be constructed by one desiring to win

the world of Brahman"; "those who wish to destroy existing and future enemies should construct

a fire-altar in the form of a rhombus" [Sen and Bag 1983, 86, 98, 111]. (Plofker, Kim (2007).

"Mathematics in India". The Mathematics of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Islam: A

Sourcebook. Princeton University Press.) Ba dhāyana Ś l a ûtra is dated o c. 800 BCE with

rules of Geometry for shapes of fire-altars:

: न न ॥

dīrgha yākṣaṇayā rajj ḥ pārśvamānī, tiryaḍam mānī,

cha yatpṛthag hūte k r ta tad hayāṅ karoti.

A rope stretched along the length of the diagonal produces an area which the vertical and

horizontal sides make together. See: Kak, S. and Prabhu, M. Cryptographic applications

of primitive Pythagorean triples. Cryptologia, 38:215-222, 2014.

Period: Old Syrian

Date: ca. 1820–1730 B.C.

Geography: Syria

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: H. 1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm); Diam. 1/2 in. (1.2 cm)

Classification: Stone-Cylinder Seals

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagonal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subhash_Kak

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Credit Line: Gift of Nanette B. Kelekian, in memory of Charles Dikran and Beatrice

Kelekian, 1999

Accession Number: 1999.325.142 Metmuseum

Period: Old Syrian

Date: ca. 1720–1650 B.C.

Geography: Syria

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: H. 15/16 in. (2.4 cm); Diam. 3/8 in. (1 cm)



Kelekian, 1999


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Cylinder seal and modern impression: male and griffin demon slaying animal; terminal:

animal attack scenes, guilloche

Period: Mitanni

Date: 2nd millennium B.C.

Geography: Mesopotamia or Syria

Culture: Mitanni

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: H. 13/16 in. (2 cm); Diam. 7/16 in. (1.1 cm)



Kelekian, 1999


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Cylinder seal and modern impression: royal figures approaching weather god; divinities

Period: Old Syrian

Date: ca. 1720–1650 B.C.

Geography: Syria

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: H, 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm); Diam. 7/16 in. (1.1 cm)



Kelekian, 1999


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Cylinder seal

Period: Mitanni

Date: ca. late 2nd millennium B.C.


Culture: Mitanni

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: H. 1 in. (2.6 cm); Diam. 1/2 in. (1.2 cm)



Kelekian, 1999


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Period: Old Syrian

Date: ca. 1720–1650 B.C.

Geography: Syria

Medium: Stone

Dimensions: H. 1.9 cm x Diam. 1.1 cm


Credit Line: Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, 1941


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Period: Old Syrian

Date: ca. 1820–1730 B.C.

Geography: Syria

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: H. 13/16 in. (2 cm); Diam. 5/16 in. (0.8 cm)



Kelekian, 1999


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Period: Old Babylonian

Date: ca. 19th–16th century B.C.

Geography: Mesopotamia

Culture: Babylonian

Medium: Limonite

Dimensions: 0.89 in. (2.26 cm)


Credit Line: Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, 1941



Date: ca. early 2nd millennium B.C.

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Culture: Babylonian

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: H. 13/16 in. (2.0 cm); Diam. 7/16 in. (1.1 cm)



Kelekian, 1999


Cylinder seal and modern impression: seated goddess before figures carrying boxes, one

placed on "altar"

Period: Early Dynastic IIIa

Date: ca. 2600–2500 B.C.


Culture: Sumerian

Medium: Marble



Credit Line: Gift of Martin and Sarah Cherkasky, 1984


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Period: Old Syrian


Geography: Syria

Medium: Hematite




Kelekian, 1999


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< 6 of 843 search results >

Cylinder seal

Period: Old Syrian

Date: ca. 1820–1730 B.C.

Geography: Syria

Medium: Hematite




Kelekian, 1999


Old Babylonian Cylinder Seal,

hematite. c. 1800 BCE. The king makes an animal offering to Shamash. The style of this seal

suggests that it originated from a workshop in SipparAl-Gailani Werr, L., 1988. Studies in

the chronology and regional style of Old Babylonian Cylinder Seals. Bibliotheca

Mesopotamica, Volume 23.

Old Babylonian cylinder seal, c.1800

BCE, hematite. Linescan camera image of seal above (reversed to resemble an impression).

http://metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/327188?pos=5&rpp=30&pg=1&rndkey=20150810&ft=*&what=Cylinder+seals

http://metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search?rpp=30&pg=1&rndkey=20150810&ft=*&what=Cylinder+seals

http://metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/327757?pos=7&rpp=30&pg=1&rndkey=20150810&ft=*&what=Cylinder+seals

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Mesopotamian limestone cylinder seal and impression—worship of Shamash, (Louvre)

Cylinder seal: worshiper and the sun god; king; bull-man and a lion-man


Date: ca. 18th century B.C.


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Culture: Babylonian

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: 0.94 x 0.47 in. (2.39 x 1.19 cm)


Credit Line: Purchase, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Gift, 1991

Accession Number: 1991.368.1 Metmuseum.

References:

Eisen, Gustavus A. 1940. Ancient Oriental Cylinder and other Seals with a Description of

the Collection of Mrs. William H. Moore. Oriental Institute Publications 42. Chicago: The

University of Chicago Press, no. 59, pp. 48-49, pl. VII.

Williams- Forte, Elizabeth. 1976. A Selection of Stamp and Cylinder Seals from the

Collection of Mrs. William H. Moore. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 20.

Sotheby's. The Ada Small Moore Collection of Ancient Near Eastern Seals. 12 December

1991, New York, lot 57.

Aruz, Joan. 1992. "Ancient World." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 50 (2),

Recent Acquisitions: A Selection 1991-1992 (Autumn, 1992), p. 6.

Period: Isin-Larsa or Old Babylonian



Culture: Isin-Larsa–Old Babylonian

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: H. 1 1/8 in. (2.8 cm); Diam. 11/16 in. (1.7 cm)

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Kelekian, 1999

Accession Number: 1999.325.12

Metmuseum.




Culture: Babylonian

Medium: Stone, dark grey





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Period: Old Syrian

Date: ca. 1720–1650 B.C.

Geography: Syria

Medium: Hematite

Dimensions: 0.39 x 0.5 in. (0.99 x 1.27 cm)




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Cylinder seal: man grasping an antelope, bull's head over ingot

Period: Late Cypriot


Geography: Cyprus, Ayia Paraskevi; Cyprus

Culture: Cypriot

Medium: Black-grey steatite



Credit Line: The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76


Period: Akkadian

Date: ca. 2350–2250 B.C.

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Culture: Akkadian

Medium: Serpentine, black



Credit Line: Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915


Cylinder seal and modern impression: bull-man combatting lion; nude hero combatting water

buffalo; inscription

Period: Akkadian

Date: ca. 2250–2150 B.C.


Culture: Akkadian

Medium: Albite

Dimensions: H. 15/16 in. ( 3.4 cm ); Diam. 7/8 in. ( 2.3 cm)

Classification: Stone-Cylinder Seals-Inscribed


Kelekian, 1999


S. Kalyanaraman

Sarasvati Research Center August 11, 2015…

ancient near east cylinder seal hieroglyphs cord, monkey, crucible, sun of deciphered indus script...

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