# Parpola 1994: Deciphering the Indus Script

> Asko Parpola, 1994. 13 records on Mysteries Department cite it. Source for the corpus description, the Dravidian case and the standards for a decipherment.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CWY36RM4PRY/deciphering-the-indus-script  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Indus script](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script)Parpola 1994

**0**

# Deciphering the Indus Script

Asko Parpola, 1994. _Cambridge University Press_.

The fullest statement of the Dravidian hypothesis and of the method of rebus reading, with a survey of the corpus, the seals and the history of attempts.

**Indus script** BookChecked against the original0

## What it's used for here

Source for the corpus description, the Dravidian case and the standards for a decipherment.

## Cited by on this site 13 records

[The signs are a logo-syllabic writing system that encodes a spoken language.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/answers/ANS0CWY3FSP48TH/the-signs-are-a-logo-syllabic-writing-system-that-encodes-a)

Answer

ANS

[The signs record an early Dravidian language.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/answers/ANS0CWY3JQE1E71/the-signs-record-an-early-dravidian-language)

Answer

ANS

[Inscribed steatite seals from Mohenjo-daro](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/artifacts/ART0CWY3RB43NV5/inscribed-steatite-seals-from-mohenjo-daro)

ART

[The Dholavira signboard (ten large signs in gypsum)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/artifacts/ART0CWY3S2J6MVV/the-dholavira-signboard-ten-large-signs-in-gypsum)

ART

[No whole text has been read in a way others can verify.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/evidence/EVD0CWY3K7267QG/no-whole-text-has-been-read-in-a-way-others-can-verify)

Evidence

EVD

[Parpola's rebus method yields readings for several frequent signs that cohere with later Indian iconography.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/evidence/EVD0CWY3JZ870SF/parpolas-rebus-method-yields-readings-for-several-frequent)

Evidence

EVD

[The brevity and the seal context are consistent with records of names, titles and ownership.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/evidence/EVD0CWY3J7T7T3P/the-brevity-and-the-seal-context-are-consistent-with-records)

Evidence

EVD

[The signs form a stable, bounded inventory used consistently across sites and centuries.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/evidence/EVD0CWY3GH42EEP/the-signs-form-a-stable-bounded-inventory-used-consistently)

Evidence

EVD

[Parpola publishes Deciphering the Indus Script](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/events/EVT0CWY3DV61XZM/parpola-publishes-deciphering-the-indus-script)

EVT

[Seals, sealings, tablets and graffiti are inscribed in the Indus cities in the Mature Harappan period](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/events/EVT0CWY3FSP33FV/seals-sealings-tablets-and-graffiti-are-inscribed-in-the)

EVT

[Asko Parpola](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/people/FIG0CWY3BMW6KRV/asko-parpola)

FIG

[The Indus script](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script)

The mystery article

MYS

[If the signs are writing, which language do they record?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/indus-script/questions/QST0CWY3F28487R/if-the-signs-are-writing-which-language-do-they-record)

Question

QST

## Cite it

```
Parpola, A. (1994). Deciphering the Indus Script. Cambridge University Press. https://www.harappa.com/content/Deciphering-the-Indus-Script
```

[Find it at harappa.com](https://www.harappa.com/content/Deciphering-the-Indus-Script)

Key

**SRC** 0CWY36RM4PRY

Kind

Book

Rights

The publisher's

Kept

29 Oct 2026, for editors

Checked

Against the published original

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

Bibliographic records are CC0. Take this one as CSL-JSON, BibTeX or RIS.

[CSL-JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CWY36RM4PRY/deciphering-the-indus-script/csl.json)