A method of identifying allographs in undeciphered scripts and its application to the Indus Valley Script

Abstract This work describes a general method of testing for redundancies in the sign lists ancient scripts by data mining positions signs within inscriptions. The redundant are allographs same grapheme. is applied to undeciphered Indus Valley Script, which stands out from other having large proposed list that contains dozens asymmetric have mirrored pairs. By statistical analysis signs, this paper shows Script was multi-directional and mirroring often denotes only direction writing without any difference meaning. For five specific reasons listed paper, 50 pairs 23 mirrored, 27 non-mirrored, can be grouped together because each pair consists insignificant variations original sign. reduced may make decipherment easier future.