#inscription

[theancientwayoflife]

~ Ring Inscribed with Hieroglyphs.

Place of origin: Egypt

Date: 305–30 B.C.

Medium: Gold

▪︎ From the source: Upon death, people who were thought to have lived moral lives were reborn in the afterlife as a form of the god Osiris. This ring is inscribed with the title “Osiris,” followed by the owner’s names and titles, attesting to his faith that he would become one with the god after death.

[thesilicontribesman]

Viking Gritstone Plaque, The Yorkshire Museum, York

Many of York's Viking residents converted from paganism to Christianity. Some even became benefactors of their new faith.

This plaque names two people who paid for the construction of a church; an expensive feat. Their Scandinavian names - Grim and Aese - are clearly visible.

[lochnessyzmonster]

Played Inscription a couple weeks ago and I love the angy nerd robot Po3 my beloved, you can hack my computer whenever ya want UwU ♥♥♥

[2seeitall]

Inscriptions on the wall of Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt

[romegreeceart]

Roman magical nails

3rd-4th century CE

British Museum

London, July 2022

[gracielikegrapes]

had to edit it so it could upload to tumblr so its janky don't say anything istg

Flawed Peacock: The Story so Far

brilliant essay/analysis youtuber, cant recommend enough

[swforester]

there's never enough-

12/5/24

[renegade-hierophant]

Votive stele with Sabaean inscription adressed to the moon-god Almaqah, mentioning five South Arabian gods, two reigning sovereigns and two governors; alabaster, ca. 700 BCE, Yemen.

[startixx]

[mintbecrazy]

I am making inscription playing field for my friend's birthday

[vanillauru]

Po3 Art!

[theancientwayoflife]

~ Aquamanile in the Form of a Lion.

Artist/Culture: German or Netherlandish

Date: late 13th or early 14th century

Period: Late Medieval

Medium: Brass

▪︎This unusual example bears a Hebrew inscription on one side that reads: (On the side and rear hip of the lion): ברוך אתה ה אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וצוונו על נטילת ידים ; [Translation] Blessed be God, King of the Universe, who blessed us and instructed us to wash our hands (Baruch ata adonai alokhenu meleh Ha-olam asher Ridshanu bemitsvotsar vetsivanu al netilas yadayim).

[thesilicontribesman]

Early Medieval Stone With Runic Inscription, Tolson Memorial Museum, Huddersfield, Yorkshire

[atomicjellycat]

Ok this is important

Whose the sexiest act 1 Boss of Inscryption?

Whose gonna be Inscryptions next top model?

[fragmentsoftheforgotten]

Translating the Harappan Script

Translating the Indus Valley script remains a formidable challenge, primarily because it has not been definitively deciphered yet. Scholars are still working on various hypotheses and approaches, but no one has succeeded in providing a definitive translation. However, there are several methods and steps that researchers follow to try and make sense of the script:

1. Collect and Catalog Inscriptions

The first step is gathering and cataloging all the known inscriptions of the Indus Valley script. This includes texts found on seals, pottery, tablets, and other artifacts. Researchers try to identify recurring patterns and symbols in these inscriptions, which might represent words, phrases, or concepts.

2. Identify and Classify Symbols

The Indus script contains hundreds of unique symbols. These symbols are thought to represent:

Pictograms: Images or symbols that may represent objects or ideas.

Phonetic signs: Symbols that may represent sounds or syllables (like in a syllabary or alphabet).

Ideograms: Symbols representing ideas or concepts.

Researchers try to classify these symbols, determine how they might be used in different contexts, and look for patterns in their usage (e.g., recurring symbols or clusters of symbols).

3. Look for Repetitive Patterns

The most promising approach to deciphering the script is recognizing recurring sequences. If certain symbols appear frequently or together, they might represent common words or grammatical structures. For instance, some symbols consistently appear together on seals, suggesting they might represent a name or title. Identifying such repeated patterns is a major part of the effort to decode the script.

4. Hypothesize About Phonetic Values

Since there’s no known Rosetta Stone to directly link the Indus script to a known language, some researchers hypothesize that the script might represent sounds (like the alphabetic systems) or syllables (like the syllabaries). They analyze the way symbols are combined and try to propose phonetic values for certain characters. This step is speculative, but it's a vital area of research.

5. Compare with Known Languages

Some scholars attempt to compare the Indus script with the known languages of the region. The two main hypotheses are:

Dravidian Hypothesis: Some suggest that the language might be related to the Dravidian languages spoken in southern India. However, no clear connections have been established.

Austroasiatic or Indo-European Hypothesis: There are also theories suggesting that the language could be related to other language families, though these ideas have not gained broad acceptance.

Comparing the script with related languages is difficult, though, as no direct linguistic evidence exists to link the Indus Valley script with any language family.

6. Use Computational Tools

Modern computational techniques, such as statistical analysis and pattern recognition, are being used to analyze the script. Researchers create algorithms to look for statistical patterns in the frequency and combinations of symbols, attempting to uncover hidden linguistic structures. These approaches are still in early stages, but they could provide a breakthrough in understanding the structure of the script.

7. Look for Contextual Clues

Context is essential in understanding any written language. Researchers study the locations and types of objects the inscriptions are found on. For example, most Indus script inscriptions are found on seals used for trade, which could suggest that the script was primarily used for administrative or commercial purposes. Looking at the context of the inscriptions might provide clues about their meaning.

8. Consider the Social and Cultural Context

Finally, understanding the social, cultural, and historical context of the Indus Valley civilization is crucial. The script was likely used to convey information about trade, religion, administration, and possibly mythology. Knowledge of the civilization’s practices, beliefs, and economy could provide additional insights into what the script might represent.

Pashupati Seal

Challenges and Current Status

No Bilingual Inscriptions: Unlike Egyptian hieroglyphs, there are no known bilingual inscriptions that could act as a “key” to the script.

Fragmentary Data: Most inscriptions are very short, often only a few characters long, making it difficult to gather enough context to understand their meaning.

Multiple Interpretations: There are various competing theories about the nature of the script, its language, and its function. The lack of consensus on these fundamental issues complicates efforts at translation.

Conclusion

Despite these efforts, translating the Indus script remains a work in progress. While various researchers have proposed partial solutions or interpretations, none of them have been universally accepted. As new data and computational tools emerge, it’s possible that scholars might come closer to deciphering the script, but for now, it remains one of the great mysteries of ancient writing systems.

[romegreeceart]

Wool merchant Titus Aelius Evangelus

* Ostia Antica

* 2nd century CE

* Medelhavsmuseet, Stockholm

Stockholm, November 2023