Seals, Script and Weights

Seals: Tools for Long-Distance Trade

Seals and sealings were the Harappan solution for secure, long-distance communication of goods.

• A bag of goods was tied with rope.
• Wet clay was pressed over the knot, and one or more seals were stamped onto it, leaving an impression.
• If the sealing arrived intact, it meant the bag had not been tampered with.
• The impression also identified the sender.

Key idea: The sealing served both as a tamper-evident lock and a signature.

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The Harappan Script: An Enigma

Most Harappan seals have a line of writing, likely containing the name and title of the owner.

• The motif (usually an animal) may have conveyed meaning to those who could not read.
• Inscriptions are short; the longest has about 26 signs.
• The script remains undeciphered to date.

Why it is not alphabetical:

• An alphabet has one sign per vowel or consonant (e.g., 26–30 signs).
• The Harappan script has between 375 and 400 signs — far too many for an alphabet.
• This suggests it is logographic (each sign stands for a word or syllable) or a mix.

Direction of writing:

• Some seals show wider spacing on the right and cramping on the left.
• This indicates the engraver started from the right and ran out of space.
• Therefore, the script was written from right to left.

Variety of inscribed objects:

• Seals, copper tools, rims of jars, copper and terracotta tablets, jewellery, bone rods, even an ancient signboard (found at Dholavira).
• Writing may also have existed on perishable materials (now lost).
• This wide distribution hints that literacy may have been widespread, not limited to elites.

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Weights: A Precise System of Exchange

Exchanges were regulated by a precise system of weights, usually made of chert (a stone) and generally cubical with no markings.

Denominations: …