Indus Valley Seal

MS 5059
MS Short Title INDUS VALLEY SEAL
Text NAME OF OWNER OR SCRIBE
Description MS in Indus Valley language on white steatite, Mohenjo-Daro, Indus Civilization, ca. 2500-1800 BC, 1 square stamp seal matrix, 3,4x3,4x1,7 cm, 9 Indus valley signs in a formal script slightly slanting left, unicorn standing left facing an altar, with double loop handle.
Provenance 1. Found in Mohenjo-Daro, India (ca. 1945-1947); 2. The Waria Collection, Dadu, Pakistan (-1965); 3. Private collection, England (1965-2001); acquired Dec. 2001. 
Commentary While the Indus Civilization was the most short-lived of the 3 great river civilizations, it was much larger than Egypt and Sumer in extent, stretching from the Indus Valley into Afghanistan in the West, Kashmir in the North and India in the East. The Indus Valley script is still undeciphered, as is the Linear A script from Crete and the much later Rongo-Rongo script from Easter Island, which has numerous signs in common with the Indus script. cfr. MSS 2762/1-4. 

Mohenjo-Daro was first excavated 1922-1927 by Sir John Marshall. Published: To be published by Asko Parpola in: Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions, vol. 3.
Published To be published by Asko Parpola in: Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions, vol. 3.
Exhibited The Norwegian Institute of Palaeography and Historical Philology (PHI), Oslo, 13.10.2003-06.2005.
Place of origin Indus Valley
Dates ca. 2500-1800 BC