Undeciphered writing systems

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Many undeciphered writing systems date from several thousand years BC, though some more modern examples do exist. The term "writing systems" is used here loosely to refer to groups of glyphs which appear to have representational symbolic meaning, but which may include "systems" that are largely artistic in nature and are thus not examples of actual writing.
The difficulty in deciphering these systems can arise from a lack of known language descendants or from the languages being entirely isolated, from insufficient examples of text having been found and even (such as in the case of Vinča) from the question of whether the symbols actually constitute a writing system at all. Some researchers have made claims of being able to decipher certain writing systems, such as those of Epi-Olmec, Phaistos and Indus texts; but to date, these claims have not been widely accepted within the scientific community, or confirmed by independent researchers, for the writing systems listed here (unless otherwise specified).
==Proto-writing==
Certain forms of proto-writing remain undeciphered and, because of a lack of evidence and linguistic descendants, it is quite likely that they will never be deciphered.
*Jiahu symbols — Peiligang culture, from the 7th millennium BC.
*Vinča symbols — Neolithic Europe, from the 6th millennium BC.
*Dispilio Tablet — Neolithic Europe, from the 6th millennium BC.
*Banpo symbols — Yangshao culture, from the 5th millennium BC.
*Espanca script
==Bronze Age scripts==
The following is a list of undeciphered scripts from the Bronze Age (3300 to 1200 BC).
*Indus script — Indus Valley Civilization], proto-writing from ca. 3300 BC, mature script ca. 2500-1900 BC.
*Proto-Elamite — Elam, from ca. 3200 BC.
*Linear Elamite, from ca. 2200 BC.
*Linear A — Eteocretan language/Minoan, from ca. 1900 BC, a syllabary.
*Cretan hieroglyphs, from ca. 1900 BC.
*Cypro-Minoan syllabary, from c. 1500 BC.
*Wadi el-Ħôl script, ca. 1800 BC, likely an abjad.
*Byblos syllabary — the city of Byblos, ca. 1700 BC.
*Phaistos Disc, ca. 1600 BC, a unique text found on one single object; a short inscription on the Arkalokhori Axe possibly represents the same type of writing.
*Cypro-Minoan syllabary, from ca. 1500 BC.
*Southwest Paleohispanic script, from ca. 700 BC.
*Sitovo inscription, probably Phrygian language.
*Wadi el-Ħôl script, c. 1800 BC, probably an abjad.
*Ba–Shu scripts, 5th to 4th century BC.
==Asian scripts==
*Indus script, 3300 BC to 1000 BC.
*Ba–Shu scripts, 5th to 4th century BC.
*Issyk inscription, ancient Turkestan and Afghanistan.
*Khitan large script and Khitan small script – Khitan, 10th century, not fully deciphered.
*Kohi script – Gandhara, 3rd century BC to 8th century AD.
*Para-Lydian script, known from a single inscription found in Sardis Synagogue, c. 400–350 BC.
*Sidetic script – Asia Minor, c. 5th to 3rd centuries BC.
*Tujia script
*Shankhalipi
*Late Harappan script
*Vikramkhol inscription
==Asian scripts==
*Indus script, 3300 BC to 1000 BC.
*Ba–Shu scripts, 5th to 4th century BC.
*Issyk inscription, ancient Turkestan and Afghanistan.
*Khitan large script and Khitan small script – Khitan, 10th century, not fully deciphered.
*Kohi script – Gandhara, 3rd century BC to 8th century AD.
*Para-Lydian script, known from a single inscription found in Sardis Synagogue, c. 400–350 BC.
*Sidetic script – Asia Minor, c. 5th to 3rd centuries BC.
*Tujia script
*Shankhalipi
*Late Harappan script
*Vikramkhol inscription
==Mesoamerican scripts==
Many Mesoamerican writing systems have been discovered by archaeologists. Many of them remain undeciphered due to a lack of knowledge of the original language. These writing systems were used between 1000 BC and 1500 AD.
*Olmec — Olmec civilization, ca. 900 BC, possibly the oldest Mesoamerican script.
*Isthmian, ca. 500 BC, apparently logosyllabic.
*Zapotec — Zapotec language, ca. 500 BC.
*Mixtec — Mixtec, 14th century, perhaps pictographic.
==South American scripts==
*Quipu — Inca Empire, 15th century, is thought by some to have been a writing system, but is generally believed to be an accounting system.
==Pacific scripts==
*Ndakunimba Stones (Fiji)
*Rongorongo – Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island), before 1860.
==African scripts==
*Ikom monoliths – Cross River State, sometimes believed to be an ancient precursor to Nsibidi.
*Ancient inscriptions in Somalia, According to the Ministry of Information and National Guidance of Somalia, inscriptions can be found on various old Taalo Tiiriyaad structures. These are enormous stone mounds found especially in northeastern Somalia. Among the main sites where these Taalo are located are Xabaalo Ambiyad in Alula District, Baar Madhere in Beledweyne District, and Harti Yimid in Las Anod District.
==Pacific scripts==
*Rongorongo – Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island), before 1860.
==Medieval and later scripts==
*Dandaleith stone
*Alekanovo inscription
*Rohonc Codex
*Issyk inscription (ancient Turkestan and Afghanistan)
*Singapore Stone, a fragment of a sandstone slab inscribed with an ancient Southeast Asian script, perhaps Old Javanese or Sanskrit. At least 13th century, and possibly as early as 10th to 11th century.
*Voynich manuscript, carbon dated to the 15th century.
*Some scholars consider the corpus of Pictish symbol stones to be an undeciphered writing system
So-called Hamptonese, a language used by outsider artist James Hampton in his presumably religious text.
== Medieval and later scripts ==
*Issyk writing (ancient Turkestan and Afghanistan)
*Khitan scripts — Khitan language,10th century, not fully deciphered.
*Tujia script
*Singapore Stone, a fragment of a sandstone] slab inscribed with an ancient Southeast Asian script, perhaps Old Javanese language|Old Javanese or Sanskrit. At least 13th century, and possibly as early as 10th to 11th century.
*Rongorongo — Rapa Nui language (aka Easter Island), before 1860.
*Basarabi Cave Complex
==Related concepts: texts that are not writing systems==
One very similar concept is that of false writing systems, which appear to be writing but are not. False writing cannot be deciphered because it has no semantic meaning. These particularly include asemic writing created for artistic purposes. One prominent example is the Codex Seraphinianus.
Another similar concept is that of undeciphered cryptograms, or cipher messages. These are not writing systems per se, but a disguised form of another text. Of course any cryptogram is intended to be undecipherable by anyone except the intended recipient so vast numbers of these exist, but a few examples have become famous and are listed in Uncracked codes and ciphers.
There is also wildstyle grafitti.
==Possible hoax undeciphered writing systems==
*Voynich manuscript, estimated to have been created circa 1450-1520, based on illustrations contained within the manuscript. Some claims date the book as early as the 11th century. Recent carbon dating has dated it to the 15th century.http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1516863.php/Mysterious-Voynich-manuscript-is-genuine-scientists-find In terms of provenance, the earliest confirmed references to the work date only to the early 17th century.
*Rohonc Codex, before 1838.
==References==
==External links==
* Proto-Elamite (CDLI link)
* Austin Simmons, The Cipherment of the Franks Casket
* Vinča signs (The Old European Script: Further evidence - Shan M. M. Winn)
* A University of Oxford article 'Technology helping to crack oldest undeciphered writing system' 
==See also==
List of undeciphered writing systems and Inscriptions in undeciphered writing systems
Category:Undeciphered writing systems