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Supplemental materials for preprint: Finding out the Housing Stupa of the Engraved Copper Plates of Fourth Buddhist Council
No full textSupplemental materials for preprint: Finding out the Housing Stupa of the Engraved Copper Plates of Fourth Buddhist Council
No full textDeciphering the Indus Script
No full textAbstract
Deciphering Indus script was long a challenge for experts because of the complex structure of its clusters of signs, its inconspicuous traces in both past known scripts and scripts currently used in the Indian subcontinent, and the paradigms about potential Indus languages. Purpose of this study, is to extract the Indus letters from the common graphemes of synonymous words from different known Indian languages, depicting the pictographic signs present on Indus seals using the concept of the contemporary Egyptian hieroglyphic writing system. Furthermore, this study determined the reading sequence of the signs present in the clusters of the Indus seals. According to the findings, the language used by the Indus people is Proto-Pali, which uses an Abugida-type writing system with five vowels and eighteen consonants. Clusters of the signs are conjunct consonants or compound words that use diacritic syllables similar to the existing Indian subcontinent scripts. These findings will help reveal the previously occluded history of the Indus people and their historical relationship with existing Indian scripts, languages and culture
Finding out the Housing Stupa of the Engraved Copper Plates of Fourth Buddhist Council
No full textSince the 19th century, scholars have tried to locate the housing stupa of the engraved copper plates hidden by Emperor Kanishka, following his and his team's theosophical thoughts. This study delves into the search for the engraved copper plates of the Fourth Buddhist council, hidden at a secret location under a stupa. Divided into two sections, the research aims to locate the Fourth Buddhist council site and identify the housing stupa based on the hypothesis that King Kanishka, being knowledgeable about the Himalayan terrain, would have hidden the plates in a secure place protected from atmospheric and human-induced hazards. Accompanied by Buddhist scholars, Kanishka executed this plan with great secrecy.
The research supports the theory that the Kundal-Atholi region in Kishtwar, Kashmir, served as the Fourth Buddhist council site, well-protected by mountains and having fertile land to sustain the council attendees. The Kanika Chorten in Zanskar valley is suggested as not only the housing stupa of the engraved copper plates but also the Buddha's alms bowl, hidden amidst the difficult-to-reach high passes and abundant copper resources.
Fountain slabs with water Baolis from Ghora galli to Kundal-Atholi reveal routes to the council, reflecting Kanishka's dedication to Buddhism. Art sculptures of horse riders in the Kesar saga hint at connections between Kesar and King Kanishka's life, aiding in reconstructing Stupa structures using Ghora galli sculptures. The expedition to locate the housing stupa, guided by the Kesar saga, led to Kanika Chorten, and the statues in the cemetery are believed to be made by Kesar of Ling.
Verification using metal detectors provided evidence of non-ferrous metal presence under the Kanika chorten's base, supporting the hypothesis.
Preservation of Ghora galli, Gool sculptures, water Baolis, and the Fourth Buddhist council location is crucial, as these historical monuments hold immense significance for Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Unearthing the engraved copper plates will shed light on the Kushan period and Buddhism during Kanishka's reign, honoring the efforts of the people of Zanskar in preserving their historical legacy.
Note for Third Revision: A previously discussed stone inscription was misinterpreted due to its damaged script. The inscription and related argument have been removed in this version to ensure accuracy. Earlier versions remain available for transparency
Deciphering the Indus Script by Applying the Concept of Egyptian Hieroglyphics to the Depiction of Indus Signs
No full textDue to its intricate clusters of symbols, the absence of clear connections to known ancient or modern scripts from the Indian subcontinent, and broad assumptions about the likely languages of the Indus civilization, scholars have long struggled to decipher the Indus script. This study seeks to identify Indus characters by analyzing common graphemes of synonymous words across known Indian languages, using traces in the existing languages as a "Rosetta Stone." It interprets the pictographic symbols on Indus seals by applying principles from the Egyptian hieroglyphic writing system.
The findings suggest that the Indus script follows an Abugida-style writing system, comprising nineteen consonants and three vowels, and represents a Proto-Pali language. Analyzing grammatical structures, reading sequences, and linguistic parallels with Pali provides strong evidence that the Indus civilization employed a structured language integrating phonetics and symbolism. Further validation through the interpretation of anthropomorphic and some other specific seals, along with architectural and urban planning elements, establishes a direct link between the script and the cultural practices of the Indus people—particularly in meditation and spiritual traditions.
Key urban features such as courtyards, walls, and granaries help clarify the administrative functions, Meditation universities, and social structures of Indus settlements. Identified as an early form of Proto-Pali, the deciphered script reveals linguistic traditions that suggest continuity between the Indus script and modern languages. By offering significant insights into its language, grammar, and cultural context, this study provides a deeper understanding of the historical and linguistic legacy of the Indus civilization
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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