European contacts with Hinduism/Harappan signs

[Lars Martin Fosse]

Stephen Hodge [SMTP:s.hodge at PADMACHOLING.FREESERVE.CO.UK] skrev 6. juli >
Going the other way, there are said to be striking parallels between
> the scepticism of the Pyrrhonists (Sextus Empiricus & co) and the
> Madhyamikas in India -- the flow of ideas thought to have been from
> west to east in this case.  Given the huge volume of Roman period
> trade across to south India from the Mediterrranean cultural sphere,
> this may not be too far fetched -- quite conjectural but interesting
> all the same.

Why do we have to suppose a flow of ideas in the connection with
scepticism? Sceptics have been found everywhere, I believe, since times
immemorial. Some cultures or societies may punish them if they get to be
too loud-mouthed, but it would seem to me that scepticism is a fairly
natural state in quite a few individuals. Aren't there people in the Vedic
period who say "neti, neti" in connection with Indra?

George Thompson wrote (on a different subject):

>Now, I know that the handbooks say that if a script consists of something
>like 250 to 500 distinct signs it is probably a mixture of a logographic
and
>a syllabic sign system. As Michael Witzel observes, the high number of
signs
>in IVC suggests that the system is basically logographic. But I wonder
>whether the combination of [1] a large number of distinct signs and [2]
the
>very short length of the typical IVC sign sequence might best lead to the
>conclusion that what we have in IVC is a mnemonic graphic system.

How does this jibe with the idea that the signs were used for trade? So
far, we seem to have the following suggestions as to the Harappan sign
function:

1) a proper writing system
2) a logographic system used for trade purposes
3) a sign system possibly used for personal identification
4) a mnemonic system where the sign has the value of a set narrative

More than one of these functions may of course apply at the same time. But
I find 4) dubious. If we discard 1), we are left with varieties of 2) and
3). Combinations of signs may of course carry standardized messages, but if
we were dealing with a mnemonic system as described by George, why would we
find the signs used for trading purposes in the assumed way? How much
semantic/semiotic load can a sign have at the same time? Would a sign be
used as a shipment tag for customs purposes one day and as a symbol for a
standardized narrative on the next day?

Best regards,

Lars Martin Fosse

Best regards,

Lars Martin Fosse

Dr. art. Lars Martin Fosse
Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114,
0674 Oslo
Norway
Phone: +47 22 32 12 19
Fax 1:  +47 22 32 12 19
Fax 2:  +47 85 02 12 50 (InFax)
Email: lmfosse at online.no