Codification and Decipherment of the Shell Inscriptions

FAIN: FA-12264-78

Richard G. Salomon
University of Washington (Seattle, WA 98195-1016)

"Shell inscriptions" or "shell script" is the name commonly applied to a series of stone inscriptions found in a wide area of north, central, and part of South India, (c.400 to 700 A.D.). These inscriptions, remarkable for their beautiful calligraphy, remain completely undeciphered. These study will have 3 main goals: 1) to complete the collection of the inscriptions; 2) to compile a detailed descriptive and analytical corpus of them; and 3) to pursue the decipherment of the inscriptions.