CM Stalin announces $1 million prize for deciphering Indus Valley civilisation

IANS January 5, 2025 400 views

Imagine a groundbreaking archaeological challenge where the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is offering a whopping $1 million to crack the code of the mysterious Indus Valley Civilisation. The announcement came during an international seminar that brought together top scholars from around the world to explore the fascinating connections between the ancient civilization and Tamil Nadu. What makes this prize so exciting is the remarkable discovery that 60% of Indus Valley pottery symbols match artifacts found in the region. This could potentially rewrite our understanding of one of the world's most enigmatic ancient cultures.

"Approximately 60 per cent of the symbols found on Indus Valley pottery are identical to those discovered on artefacts in Tamil Nadu" - M.K. Stalin
CM Stalin announces $1 million prize for deciphering Indus Valley civilisation
Chennai, Jan 5: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has announced a prize of one million US dollars for archaeologists who can decipher and provide a coherent understanding of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Key Points

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Unprecedented $1 million prize for deciphering Indus Valley Civilisation symbols

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Archaeological evidence reveals strong connections between Tamil Nadu and Indus culture

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Research chair established to support in-depth scholarly investigations

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Comparative studies highlight potential linguistic and cultural links

This announcement was made during the inaugural ceremony of the International Seminar on the Centenary of the Discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisation, held at the Government Museum in Egmore on Sunday.

The three-day seminar has brought together renowned archaeologists, historians, and scholars from across the globe to discuss the civilisation‘s significance and its connections with Tamil Nadu.

In his keynote address, Chief Minister Stalin highlighted that approximately 60 per cent of the symbols found on Indus Valley pottery are identical to those discovered on artefacts unearthed during excavations in Tamil Nadu.

He emphasised that this striking similarity has sparked immense interest among scholars and could potentially unlock the mysteries of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

To further promote research in this field, the Chief Minister also announced a grant of Rs 2 crore to establish a research chair in the name of renowned archaeologist Iravatham Mahadevan.

This chair will facilitate in-depth studies on the Indus Valley Civilisation, with a particular focus on its ties to Tamil Nadu.

It may be noted that recent archaeological findings from Sivakalai in Tuticorin have brought researchers closer to establishing a definitive connection between Tamil Nadu and the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Dating of these finds places them between 2500 BCE and 3000 BCE.

Interestingly, the finds from Tamil Nadu suggest the presence of an Iron Age civilisation that ran parallel to the Indus Valley Civilisation, which spanned from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE.

While the Indus Valley Civilisation predominantly used copper objects during this time, the presence of iron objects in Tamil Nadu suggests an advancement in the Metal Age.

This intriguing discovery has captivated historians and archaeologists alike.

Additionally, ongoing studies are examining graffiti marks found in Tamil Nadu during excavations to determine their connection to the undeciphered Indus script. The results of these studies could shed light on whether the graffiti marks are linked to the Indus Valley Civilisation.

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