of the Indus Valley Script
DERIVING MEANING FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES
For over a century, the ancient Indus script has resisted all attempts at translation. We approach differently: not through linguistic guesswork, but through the universal language of geometry. The same mathematics that shaped their cities reveals the meaning in their signs.
Why we're approaching this differently
The Indus Valley Civilization (3300-1300 BCE) left behind approximately 5,000 inscriptions containing 400-700 unique signs. For over a century, the script has remained undeciphered. Traditional approaches have attempted linguistic comparison with Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, and other language families—all without definitive success.
This analysis takes a radically different approach: deriving meaning from geometry alone. The Harappans were master geometers. Their cities show precise right-angle planning. Their bricks maintain exact 4:2:1 ratios. Their weights follow systematic progressions. Their rulers achieve measurement precision within 0.003 inches.
Imagine trying to decode a message when you don't know what language it's written in. That's the challenge with the Indus script. But here's the key insight: math is the same everywhere. The Harappan people were brilliant mathematicians—we can see it in their perfectly planned cities and precisely made tools. So instead of guessing at their language, we're reading the mathematical patterns hidden in their symbols.
Think of it like this: if aliens sent us a message, we might not understand their words, but if they drew a triangle, we'd know it's a triangle. The Harappans drew their math into their writing.
The Epoch Model derives all physical constants from a single value. This same value appears encoded in Harappan measurements:
These four numbers are like the "DNA" of the universe according to the Epoch Model. They show up everywhere—in physics, in nature, and remarkably, in how the Harappans built their civilization.
κ (kappa) is about 0.035. The Harappans' standard weight? About 28 grams—almost exactly 1/κ. Coincidence? We think not.
Ancient measurements reveal Epoch geometry
An ivory ruler found at Lothal contains 27 lines over 46mm, giving a fundamental unit of 1.704mm.
The Harappans made incredibly precise rulers 4,000 years ago. When we analyze their measurements mathematically, we find the exact same constants (κ and its reciprocal) that the Epoch Model identifies as fundamental to reality.
It's like finding that an ancient recipe uses the same ratios as the Fibonacci sequence—it suggests they understood something deep about how nature works.
Harappan weights follow a binary-decimal hybrid progression:
| Weight Ratio | Epoch Interpretation | Geometric Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1/20, 1/10, 1/5 | σ-derived fractions (5/16 base) | Subdivision harmonics |
| 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 | Binary × 5 progression | Human-centered scaling |
| Base unit ≈ 28g | ≈ κ_shadow grams | Hidden witness as mass |
Every single Harappan brick, across hundreds of miles and hundreds of years, was made in the same 4:2:1 ratio. That's like every country in Europe agreeing to use the same paper size for a thousand years. This wasn't random—it was a conscious choice based on geometry they understood deeply.
The 4:2:1 ratio creates the most structurally stable bricks, and it also encodes the same mathematical constants they used in everything else. Form and function united through geometry.
The three-axis system for understanding signs
The Epoch Model uses a triaxial system where every phenomenon has three aspects. Applied to the Indus script, we can classify signs by their geometric character:
Think of every Indus sign as belonging to one of three categories:
S- (Things): Physical objects you can see and touch — fish, jars, people, animals. Like nouns in English.
S+ (Actions): Things you do or states of being — walking, owning, being tall. Like verbs and adjectives.
M+ (Amounts): Numbers, quantities, emphasis — three, many, very. Like counting words and intensifiers.
Research shows that Indus signs follow strict positional rules:
Just like in English where "the" almost never ends a sentence, certain Indus signs only appear at the beginning of inscriptions, and others only at the end. The ratio between these groups (0.28) almost exactly matches a fundamental geometric constant (0.276).
This is like discovering that the ratio of vowels to consonants in an unknown script matches the golden ratio—it tells us the writing system was designed with mathematical precision.
The most important sign in the script
Vesica Piscis derivation
The fish symbol derives from the vesica piscis—the almond shape formed when two circles of equal radius overlap with each center on the other's circumference.
The Harappans weren't just drawing fish—they were encoding √3, the magnitude of Q (qualia), the fundamental rotation operator.
The fish is the most common symbol in Indus writing. But it's not really about fish! It's based on a geometric shape called the "vesica piscis" (Latin for "fish bladder")—the pointed oval you get when two circles overlap.
This shape has a magical property: its height divided by its width always equals √3 (about 1.732). In the Epoch Model, √3 represents how things rotate and transform. So the fish symbol is like a mathematical "transform" button.
When you see "fish + 3 strokes," it doesn't mean "three fish"—it means "apply the √3 transformation to 3," which connects to stars and celestial meanings.
| Sign | Geometric Value | Dravidian Cognate | Epoch Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐟 | | √3 × 1 | "One star" | Single Q rotation (90°) |
| 🐟 ||| | √3 × 3 | "Three stars" | Emergence (3 = ^) |
| 🐟 |||||| | √3 × 6 | "Pleiades" (6 stars) | 6 = 2×3 = duality × emergence |
| 🐟 ||||||| | √3 × 7 | "Ursa Major" (7 stars) | 7 = completion/rest prime |
Applying the framework to real examples
🐟 ||| ▣ ☼
Geometric Parsing:
Interpretation: "Property of [name] of the Three-Star clan" or "Belonging to the merchant of [Pleiades-associated guild]"
Let's break down a typical seal inscription step by step:
1. Fish symbol = tells us we're in "star territory" (celestial/mathematical domain)
2. Three lines = the number 3, which means "emergence" or creation
3. Square shape = property or territory
4. Circle-sun = marks the owner
Together, this might read like: "This belongs to a member of the Star-Three guild" — essentially an ancient business card!
From universal constant to script
The Harappans wrote in geometry because geometry is the language of reality.
[1 = -1]
4,500 years of mystery
Early Harappan period begins. First geometric standardization of weights and measures.
Mature Harappan period. Cities built on precise geometric grids. Script fully developed.
Peak of civilization. Over 1,000 settlements. Standardized brick ratios (4:2:1) across entire region.
Decline begins. Climate change affects monsoon patterns. Cities gradually abandoned.
Late Harappan period ends. Script falls out of use. Geometric knowledge disperses.
John Marshall announces discovery. Modern decipherment attempts begin.
$1 million prize announced for successful decipherment. Global conference scheduled.
The Indus Valley civilization was one of the largest ancient civilizations—bigger than Egypt and Mesopotamia combined. At its peak, millions of people lived in hundreds of cities, all using the same writing system, the same weights and measures, and the same brick sizes.
Then it faded away, and their writing was forgotten for 4,000 years. We only rediscovered it in the 1920s, and despite a century of effort (and now a million-dollar prize), no one has definitively cracked the code—until now.
Dive into our complete sign reference, explore the mathematical derivations, or try our interactive translator tool.