India offers $1 million reward to whoever deciphers ancient Indus script

The Indus Valley Civilization thrived thousands of years ago but its script continues to elude researchers across the world; Roman-era coin trove found in the Netherlands

Meshi Ayad|
The Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world's oldest, thrived thousands of years ago in present-day Pakistan and western India, housing over 5 million people at its peak. Despite its advanced urban planning, its script remains undeciphered and the identity and language of its people are unknown.
No one is certain as to why the culture vanished around 1900 BCE. Now, the Tamil Nadu government in southern India is offering a $1 million reward for anyone who can decipher the mysterious script. "Whoever solves the Indian enigma will become a millionaire," the announcement read.
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הכתב המסתורי
הכתב המסתורי
Indus Valley plaques with the unkown script
(Photo: J.M. Kenoyer/Harappa.com; Courtesy Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan)
Indus inscriptions, composed of symbols and signs, were written on stones and pottery. The texts were short and pattern-based, raising questions about whether they represented an actual language. About 400 symbols have been found and the race for the reward is heating up.

Over 400 Roman-era gold and silver coins discovered

Meanwhile, a rare treasure has been discovered in a small Dutch town. Over 400 gold and silver coins from the Roman era, dating back to the first century CE, were unearthed. The collection includes portraits of rulers from Rome, Britain and Africa, such as Claudius and Julius Caesar.
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מטמון המטבעות
מטמון המטבעות
Roman coin trove
(Photo: National Museum of Antiquities of the Netherlands)
The hoard contains 116 gold coins, believed to have been buried in 47 CE — possibly by a Roman soldier returning from Britain with war spoils. It is the largest Roman-era treasure found in the Utrecht province and the first in Europe to include both Roman and British coins.
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After cleaning and restoration, the coins were added to the national archaeological collection and will be used for further research.
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