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Has the Dhofari script been deciphered?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·4 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: the letter order and most values are right, but readings of texts are too uncertain to call the corpus readAhead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Four answers have been proposed. Al-Jallad's values for Script 1a, derived from three halḥam abecedaries, are correct. leads, with evidence 3 for, 1 against: partly supported by its tests. Three are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet.

Why it matters

Al-Jallad's 2025 values would turn an unread corpus into a new source for pre-Islamic southern Arabia. The claim is a year old and has one quoted outside judgement, so the site must show what supports it and what would test it⁠[1]⁠[2].

Answers 4

Evidence: 3 for, 1 against
Most likely
Evidence: 1 for
Most likely
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: none yet
Still possible

History

  1. Al-Jallad puts forward: al-Jallad's values for Script 1a, derived from three halḥam abecedaries, are correct.
  2. Al-Jallad puts forward: the letter order and most values are right, but readings of texts are too uncertain to call the corpus read.
  3. Steinmeyer: the match to halḥam is not perfect.Against: Al-Jallad's values for Script 1a, derived from three halḥam abecedaries, are correct.
  4. Steinmeyer: three inscriptions each list more than 20 distinct letters without repeats, as abecedaries would.For: Al-Jallad's values for Script 1a, derived from three halḥam abecedaries, are correct.
  5. Al-Jallad: the order of the three lists matches halḥam closely, which fixes values for letters that shape comparison…For: Al-Jallad's values for Script 1a, derived from three halḥam abecedaries, are correct.
  6. Ohio State University: castagna, uninvolved, called it the first reliable study.For: Al-Jallad's values for Script 1a, derived from three halḥam abecedaries, are correct.
  7. Asked on this site
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