Vedic tone notation, how ancient?

[Michael Witzel]

For details see my old paper :

On some unknown systems of marking the Vedic accents. Vishvabandhu
Commemoration Volume = Vishveshvaranand  Indological Journal  12,  1974,
472-508

(with many misprints, comme d'habitude).


Oldest MS known: Vajaseneyi Samhita of Sukla Yajurveda but accents of
*older* Maitrayani Samhita style,  c. 1200 CE (palaeography), from N.India,
see front cover of:

M. Witzel (ed.) Inside the texts, Beyond the Texts. New Approaches to the
Study of the Vedas. (Harvard Oriental Series, Opera Minora 2).  Cambridge
1997

Otherwise, 1428 CE in Nepal, for details see above paper. Nothing to be
added since then.
there are some wrong leads only.

MW

================

>Could anyone tell me how old the use of various forms of notation to
>indicate the tones in Vedic chanting is, and what the evidence for
>this is?  I need it for possible inclusion in an exhibit as an example
>of the beginnings of writing and musical notation.
>
>Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.
>
>Senior Reference Librarian       101 Independence Ave., SE
>Southern Asia Section               LJ-150
>Asian Division                            Washington, DC 20540-4810
>Library of Congress                     U.S.A.
>tel. 202-707-3732                       fax 202-707-1724
>Email: athr at loc.gov
====================
========================================================
Michael Witzel
Department of Sanskrit & Indian Studies, Harvard University
2 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge MA 02138, USA

ph. 1- 617-496 2990 (also messages)
home page:  http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/mwpage.htm

Elect. Journ. of Vedic Studies:  http://www1.shore.net/~india/ejvs