From Mantra to Marketplace: The Indus Script as a Mnemonic Bridge Between Ritual and Daily Life By: Avishai Roif Edited and Abbreviated with AI Assistance Abstract The Indus script (2600–1900 BCE) has long defied decipherment due to its brevity (~5 signs per inscripon), lack of bilingual texts, and enigmac glyphs. Moving beyond the linguisc impasse, this study reconstructs the script’s funconal purpose through contextual tesng of inscripons across ritual and secular spaces. By analyzing seals from the Great Bath and fire altars alongside workshop tablets and domesc shards, we demonstrate that the script operated as a mnemonic shorthand—a symbolic system encoding ritual sequences and craſt workflows. Vocalizaons inspired by Vedic mantra tradions and workflow analysis reveal a dual-purpose code, while parallels to Akkadian administrave-religious shorthand validate its scalability. The Indus script was not a language but a tool—one that priests and poers alike “performed” rather than “read.” 1. Introducon: Escaping the Decipherment Deadlock The Indus script’s 400+ unique glyphs and 8,000+ inscribed arfacts have fueled decades of failed linguisc decipherment. Tradional approaches—seeking phonec values or grammacal syntax—stumble on its brevity and symbolic repeon. Parpola’s (1994) Dravidian hypothesis, while influenal, relies on contested linguisc parallels. This study shiſts focus to material context and global symbolic systems, arguing that the script’s ubiquity reflects a shared visual language for encoding acons, not prose. Core Hypothesis: • The script’s brevity and repeon mirror mnemonic shorthand systems (e.g., Akkadian temple inventories, Vedic bīja mantras). • Glyphs encoded context-dependent acon sequences: o Sacred: Ritual acts (libaons, invocaons) at sites like the Great Bath. o Secular: Craſt workflows (kiln producon, trade tallies) in workshops. 2. Methodology: Contextual Tesng and Cross-Cultural Framing Phase 1: Ritual Samples (Great Bath and Fire Altar)