Reading script

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a $1-million prize scheme for deciphering the script of the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC).

• The IVC, also known as Harappan Civilisation, was a complex civilization during the Bronze Age.

• Despite the existence of archaeological evidence supporting the IVC, the decipherment of seals and tablets has been a challenge.

• Western scholars argued that writing was not necessary for ancient urban settlements, leading to debates on the theory of the Indus civilization being a highly literate society.

• Tamil Nadu has supported a study on Indus signs and graffiti marks as part of a project for documentation and digitization of graffiti and Tamili-inscribed potsherds.

• Challenges include the lack of public access to the entire database regarding the seals, and the need for free access to resources.

• Political differences should not cloud intellectual pursuit and should not adversely impact the execution of any such study