Researchers investigating how the first writing arose identified the motifs on preliterate "cylinder seals" used in the trade of agricultural products and textiles.

Over the years, scholars have used different methods to interpret the symbols: ・Comparisons with known languages: Some experts have tried linking the script to Sumerian, Sanskrit, Tamil ...

which was key to also deciphering the Elamite and Sumerian scripts. Closer home, a breakthrough in the decipherment of the Brahmi script was made using a bilingual coin minted by the Indo-Bactrian ...