1. Map by J.M. Kenoyer, courtesy Harappa Archaeological Project (HARP).

2. A scheme of the evolution of different types of scripts. Copyrighted drawing planned by Asko Parpola and drawn by Virpi Hameen-Anttila.

3. The Indus script and other early writing systems. Copyrighted drawing planned by Asko Parpola and drawn by Virpi Hameen-Anttila.

4. Pots from Mundigak IV,1 (eastern Afghanistan), after Casal 1961: II, fig. 64, nos. 167, 169, 172. (The same painted pottery motif of "three-branched fig" is known from Harappa and from Bir Kot Ghundai in the northern Indus valley.)

5. Molded terra-cotta tablet with gharial and fish motif, Mohenjo-daro. © J.M. Kenoyer.

6. An amulet from Mohenjo-daro, E 2500, now in the National Museum of India, New Delhi.

7. A Harappan potsherd from Amri, combining the 'fish' and 'star' motifs. After Casal 1964: II, fig. 92, no. 487.

8. A Syrian-style seal of approximately the 18th century B.C. in the Pierpont Morgan Library, showing the god of waters with a star on either side of his head. After Porada 1971: pl. X, fig. 6. © The Pierpont Morgan Library

9. An "Early Harappan" polychrome pot with fish design from Nal, South Baluchistan. After Gordon 1960: pl. VI a.

10. The Harappan "Proto-Siva" depicted on a seal from Mohenjo-daro, excavation number DK 5175, now in the National Museum of India, New Delhi. The deity wears the horns of the water buffalo and sits in a "yogic" posture on a drum(?)-legged throne, surrounded by a tiger, an elephant, a rhinocerus, and a water buffalo.

11. Impression of an Indus-style cylinder seal of unknown Near Eastern origin in the Musee du Louvre, Paris. One of the two anthropomorphic figures carved on this seal wears the horns of water buffalo while sitting on a throne with hoofed legs, surrounded by snakes, fishes and water buffaloes. Copyrighted photo by M. Chuzeville for the Departement des antiquites orientales, Musee du Louvre.

12. One side of a triangular amulet from Mohenjo-daro, showing a horned deity sitting in "yogic" posture on a throne with hoofed legs, surrounded by fishes, gavials and snakes. Surface find made in 1936, now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Copyrighted photo by the Ashmolean Museum.

13. Systematic and interlocking interpretations of Harappan pictograms. Copyrighted drawing planned by Asko Parpola and drawn by Virpi Hameen-Anttila.

14. An Indus seal from Mohenjo-daro, excavation number C 2767, now in the Purana Qila, New Delhi.

15. An Indus seal from Harappa, excavation number BJ 4, now in the National Museum, Calcutta.

16. The impression of a seal from Harappa, excavation number 13751, now in Harappa Museum, copyrighted photo by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan. One of the three branches of the 'fig tree' sign has been left out in order to accommodate the 'crab' sign inserted in the middle; the remaining two branches end in the fig leaf, as in the painted pots (Fig. 4).

17. Three-branched variants of the 'fig tree' sign of the Indus script. The branches end in fig fruits and/or aerial roots. Compare Fig. 4, 16 and, for an actual example, Fig. 15.

18. From an Indus seal from Harappa, excavation number PI 39, now in the National Museum of India, New Delhi.

19. From the reverse of an Indus amulet from Harappa, excavation number 8650 h, now in the Purana Qila, New Delhi.

20. A seal from Mohenjo-daro, excavation number DK 6847, now in the National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi. Copyrighted photo by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan.

21. From an Indus seal from Harappa, excavation number 115, now in the Purana Qila, New Delhi.

22. An Indus amulet from Mohenjo-daro, excavation number HR 4161, now in the National Museum of India, New Delhi.

[Originally published as Parpola, Asko (1988) Religion reflected in the iconic signs of the Indus script: penetrating into long-forgotten picto+graphic messages. Visible Religion 6: pp. 114-135.]