Name____________________________________________Date__________Class_______Period____

Cracking the Code Solving the Mystery of the Indus Script Directions:First,workwithyourpartnertotrytosolethepuzzlesandriddlesbelow.Then,asaclass,wewillwatchaTEDTalkbyRajeshRaoonhisattemptstodeciphertheIndusscript.Onthebackofthissheet,take“college-style”notes,jottingdownimportant

informationandthekeypointsofyourunderstanding,aswellasanyquestionsyoumayhave.

1. Examinethefigureinthesculpturetotheleft.Thisworkof

artwasexcavatedfromtheInduscityofMohenjoDaro.Whodoyouthinkthispersonwas?Whatcluesmightleadyoutoyourconclusion?

2. Examinetheseriesofimagestotheright.ThesetypesofartifactsaresomeofthemostcommonlydiscoveredremainsofIndussociety.Howbigdoyouthinktheyareinreallife?

3. Takeacloserlookattheitemsontheright,especiallythelasttwo,andfocusonthewriting.Asyouknow,theIndusscripthasneverbeendeciphered,butusingyouranalyticalskills,seeifyoucanatleastfigureoutthedirectionalityofthescript.Inotherwords,didtheywriterighttoleftorlefttoright?Explainyourreasoning.

4. Inthespacebelow,IhavestartedwritinganEnglishword.Don’ttrytofigureoutwhatthewordis.Justtrytopredicteachletter,oneletteratatime.Youmustgofromlefttoright.

Q______________

5. Examinethefollowingfourlines.CircletheonesthatareEnglish.PutaboxaroundtheonesthatareArabic.

Ezzayyak?Howareyou?

6. Translatethefollowingimagesintoasentence.