Science Mag: "no Indus script"

[Artur Karp]

Dear Artur,

it is becoming more and more embarassing, but I still cannot reach Indology
directly. Could you pass this on?
Thank you again,
Ferenc

--- Msg to Indology ---------------

Friends,

I am afraid that I made a fool of myself, as professor Thompson pointed out
in not unclear terms. Still I think that what I *wanted* to ask has not yet
been fully answered.
One of the central arguments of Farmer et al. is based on silence, lack of
data of a particular kind. I think they have shown quite convincingly that
compared to several other literate cultures this lack is conspicuous. My two
points were:
1. Is it not true that the IVC is irregular in other important respects?
2. Is there no similar lack of writing accessories in the archeological
record of this area in historical times?

To the second, George Thompson forwarded

>from Steve Farmer:
>"Yes. We find them in great abundance. For discussion and references, see
>Farmer, Sproat, and Witzel pp. 25-6."

There is a single sentence relevant: "Finds of writing utensils from early
historical times are also common not far from Indus teritories, as shown for
example in Marshall's own reports of his long-term excavations at Taxila
(Marshall 1951)."
The reference is probably to "Marshall, J., 1953: Taxila. 3 Vols. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press" from the References Cited.
I have to admit that I do not have acces to these volumes; but I would be
quite content if someone conversant with the field could say something like
a rough estimate: in the last three centuries BCE how many writing tools
have been found at how many sites?
If the answer is well above 20 pieces and 3 sites, that would make the
no-lost-mss thesis stronger.
On the other hand, if the answer is something like "four pieces at a single
site", one could convincingly argue that as in this age, when Brahmi and
Kharosthi scripts are known to have existed, all mss. and almost all writing
tools have disappeared, the same might be the case with the IVC.

Dear George,

><<Marry Xmas to everyone,
>Ferenc>>
>Thanks for the good wishes, Ferenc, but I am married to someone else!

Apologies to your wife -- I should have written "Marry Xmas to everyone
else". It is so easy to cause some merriment! (As it is probably more than
obvious to you I am not a native speaker of English.)

Sincerely yours,
Ferenc
--------------------------------------------------------
Ferenc Ruzsa, PhD
associate professor of philosophy
Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
e-mail: ferenc.ruzsa at elte.hu


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