Unraveling the Mysteries: A Literature Review on the Analysis and Interpretations of the Indus Valley Script

The Indus Valley script is an undeciphered writing system used by the ancient Indus Valley Civilization around 2600 - 1900 BC. Mostly used for decorative purposes on seals or pots, it consists of small engravings that have remained unreadable for ages. Despite the challenges posed by the brevity of inscriptions and the absence of bilingual texts, researchers like Asko Parpola and Rajesh Rao have made substantial strides in studying the Indus script. Through diagrammatic representations and statistical analysis of symbol frequency and combinations, scholars continue to explore the structure and possible meanings of the glyphs. Comparative studies, such as those with Proto-Elamite, aim to establish potential arrangements and sounds for certain symbols, yet progress remains hindered by the limited corpus available from the Indus Valley Civilization. Nonetheless, ongoing research and emerging evidence are gradually illuminating the role and function of this enigmatic script in the context of the civilization that created it. In this paper, author have conducted a systematic analysis and literature review of existing research on the Indus script to contribute to this ongoing scholarly endeavour.