Continuing Legacy Hieroglyphs Ancient Coins

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Continuing legacy of Sarasvati hieroglyphson ancient coins of Hindusthan

Indus script as a writing system uses hieroglyphs.http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/indus-script These are called Sarasvati hieroglyphs in the context of the finds of about 80% of thearchaeological sites of the civilization on the river basin of Vedic River Sarasvati.Separate monograph and powerpoint presentation explain the function and meanings of the hieroglyphs in mleccha (cognate: meluhha),

lingua franca

related to the repertoire of mine workers and smiths. The same tradition of mlecchita vikalpa (cryptographic writingby mleccha artisans) continues in the devices punched on early punch-marked coins andcast into ancient coinage of Hindusthan. The region referred to as mleccha in ancienttexts is coterminus with the findspots of early ancient coinage of Hindusthan in anextensive area spanning from Gandhara to Anuradhapura, from Saurashtra to Magadha oras Alexander Cunningham noted, from Himalayas to Cape Comorin.This monograph compares the symbols used on early coinage of Hindusthan with theSarasvati hieroglyphs, consistent with the tradition of khanaka, miners and kamar, smiths.In Gypsy language, kaulo mengro means ‘blacksmith’. This is represented rebus by acrocodile holding a fish in its jaws [(magar ‘crocodile’ (Santali); kolli ‘fish’ (Te.)]. InTamil, kol means ‘alloy of five metals, pancaloha’. This word is represented rebus onSarasvati hieroglyphs by a tiger; kolom ‘rice plant’ rebus: kolami ‘smithy’; as are thehieroglyph pictorials related to metallurgy such as: elephant, crocodile, tiger, antelope,markhor, ibex, hare, scorpion, snake, zebu, tree, bow-and-arrow, leaf (ficus), mountain-summit, sun’s rays, nave of wheel and spokes, svastika, dotted circle, sprout, rice plant,dance-step, chain, rim of jar, rimless pot.Most of the symbols employed on ancient coins are traceable to the Sarasvati hieroglyphswhich are composed of pictorial motifs and unambiguous glyptic signs.All the hieroglyphs relate to one category: repertoire of miners’ and smiths’: minerals,metals, alloys, furnaces. The sacredness associated with the glyphs is apparent from onelexeme of Kota language: kol.el This word means: smithy, temple. The smithy in whichthe artisans work becomes a temple, a sacred workspace. The veneration of ancestorsevidenced by the Mohenjodaro stupa and citadel mounds on many sites continues into thehistorical periods, together with the evolution of mints. The word for a mint is: kampa

ṭṭ

a(Ma.). The hieroglyph which shows this rebus is: 1. person seated in penance; kama

ḍ

ha‘penance’ (Pkt.); kama

ṛ

kom ‘ficus’ (Santali)The evidence for continuity of cultural markers of the civilization is reinforced on thesymbols used on ancient coinage of Hindusthan, even when the scripts of Kharoshthi andBrahmi were employed to write the names of the rulers who issued the coins. The

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2hieroglyphs continued to be employed; about 5 hieroglyphs per coin to represent the corerepertoire of a mint or forge or smithy.

Symbols on Magadha Punchmarked Coins

Symbols on punch-marked coinsA square copper coin of Chera dynasty with Elephant and Bow and

Ankusa

from 1-2 centuryAD.SPECIFICATIONSAlloy CuType SruckWidth 19.1 mmThickness 1.9 mmWeight 3.23 gmsShape SquareDieAxis -9O°

Krishnamurthy #129, Mitchiner #

Obverse : Elephant standing facing left, branches of tree above his back. Other faintsSymbolsin front and above elephant. Reverse : Bow and Arrow with an

Ankusa

on the left.

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3

Krishnamurthy (#129) describes a higher grade coin. In front of elephant on the left a spear,and a mast with a peacock symbol on top, Above the elephant from left to to right a

srivasta

symbol, a wheel, a conch, sun and a

svastika

; behind and bending over the elephant a treewith branches.Of the 21 coins of similar type in Krishnamurthy (#118-#138) the elephant mostly faces rightand only two have the Elephant facing left like in the Lankan Elephant & Svastika. Most of thePandya coins in this book and also Biddulph also have Elephant Right, the one found in Lankaand illustrated in Codrington is to left.Unlike the very similar Pandaya coin with the stylised fish symbol on reverse, this type of Chera coin with Bow and

Ankusa

(Elephant Goad) is not listed in Codrington as being found atany archaeological sites in Lanka.Text edited from* Sangam Age Tamil Coins (300BC to 300AD) R. Krishnamurthy, 1997 Madras, India.

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